Gunnison news-champion., 1918-03-15
ANIIlUR GUY EfIpEY

Item .a- ..-s.. -urEI.G WN' CON.
r...,-. E..- r-l 'l"n anu'i
e'... 10 '.. ..s -.f WRIST watch
rrt ... -..-.-. . 90 500. r...s 'r.r 't,.
m.....-. 60. Am.a' ",.. r.uu',.
10 ,.... st '-r.r-- aaI'.r- r"r our
ra.- ... I-ul r"r 'ar" ~t
"',. f-.. r.t ..'h -.u,h-h
pra net .l, Ia- ..' arl -'- ned us
ms. .- . Boz grip .mn wr
r'He. A. %. n-a- an ms watch
-h...' I..'.... -.-G ha-"
I-N..I .. '.. 10 .g- P. .- thea
'hH- r-- .-. -.. r.'n.'h % -ln-r. nH .--
,r,rr -u..r .-. .h... r.r ,.,.- ua- h.als.
Tho -l.r.- o-.~. ur- guns v,-r -r.r.l.
in- "n 'r..r .. '.a .-t 'h, G,-...nn
lu"s " .t ... m..-I 'h" non
sr- n .' .. '-,- -',i rd Iop.,d
",,r r..'t .. 'I, rlr.r'uu ur rl~
G,-. o. .nr - rur-'In.
sh..- .',..I ~. ". M.u., Larl The
din #a- '.-..' ..a .hr ground rrrm-
hl,I T.n -.l ra.s~ our heads We
courd n.ar -.-nr- mran. oar big
hoJ- l.lrI rur .ur nul "r,nrd up
md "-.- .fI 1-.r.h shells ruum"ur,.d
drurrur- f-rr rho ',-r.au nnr.. Tn"
f.-h ur th. Guns hnd rh. lines ~"
scream of 10. -l.N- through the air..
mad 'l,. " g.. of 'n.u bursting. wa-
-i,r'ar,. rna' iut Palms greatest d.
rIny lur" ,h- -hna". tn" constant
pup pug uC r;rrrulu mu,l.u" guns and
m "rra-.uum rr'rl" ~ rim" firing suy"
tn" n" Impression of hug" nudI"nr"
npunu'Iug m" work ~ n" batteries.
our IS-r"uudrr- wrr" destroying tn"
German hurnrd glIr,.. while the heavier
stun WINS d,mu't-h.nE their trenches
and hu~hlu. lr Iur"u's or funk holes.
Then Fritz got busy.
Their shells went screaming over.
hcnd. utm,d In the direction "f tn"
flares frum our batteries, Trench NOR
tnrs started dropping "Minnirs' in
our front line. We clicked several cas-
uultIcs. Then they suddenly ceased.
our artillery hrd taped or s!lenced
them.
During the homhardm"ut you could
almost read n newspaper in our trench.
Sometimes in the har" Of a shclI-hurst
agnInst the pnrados OF the trench and
II appeared like huge monster. You
could hardly hear yourself think. when
nn order was 10 be passed down the
trench you had to yell II, using your
hands ns n funnel into the ear OF the
In about twenty minutes = generous
rum issue was dolcd out. After drink.
Ing the rum. which tasted like varnlsh
and sent shuddcr through your
frame. you wondered why they made
you walt until the lifting Of the bar
rage before going over. At ten min
utcs to four word was passed down.
Ten minutes to eoi" Ten minutes
to livci We were shivering all over.
Ny legs felt as II they were asleep.
Then word was passed down: First
wave get on and near the scaling lad.
dcrs."
These were small wooden ladders
which we had placed against the para
pet to enable us to go over the top on
the lifting Of the barruge. Ladders OF
death" We called them. and veritably
they were.
Before charge Tommy Is the po-
litest of men. There is never any push.
Ing or crowding to be first up these
ladders. We crouched around the base
OF the ladders waiting for the word
to go over. l was sick and faint, and
was putting away at an unlighted fag.
Then came the word, Three minutes
to go: upon the lifting of the barrage
and on the blast Of the whistles, Over
the top with the best o. luck and give
them hell" The famous phrase Of
the western front. The Jonah phrase
Of the western front. To Tommy 1t
means II you are lucky enough to come
back you will be minus an arm or IA
leg. Tommy hates to be wished the
best of luck: so, when peace Is de-
clared, II. 1t ever Is, and you meet a
Tommy on the street just wish him the
best OF luck and duck the brick that
follows.
/ glanced again at my wrist watch.
We all wore them and you could hardly
call us 'sissies" for doing so. II was a
minute to four. l could see the hand
move to the twelve, then dead ST.
lence. 1t hurt. Everyone looked up
to see what had happened, but not for
long. Sharp whistle blasts rang out
along the trench. and with cheer the
men scrambled up the ladders. The
bullets We're cracking overhead and
occasionally machine gun would rip
and tear the top of the sandbag para
pet. How l got up that ladder will
never know. The first ten feet out In
front was agony. Then we passed
through lanes in our barbed wire. I
knew I was running, but could feel no
motion below the waist. Patches on
the ground seemed to float to the rear
as II were on treadmill ani seem
cry was rushing past me. The Ger
mans had put barrage Of shrapnel
across No Mans Land. and You could