American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-07-12
CHAPTER XXI.
Punlshments and Machine-eun Stunts

fact, from my enlistment, l had found
that In the British army discipline is
very strict. One has 10 be very care
full In order to stay on the narrow path
Of government virtue.
There are about million ways
Of breaking the kings regulations to
keep q you have to break another.
The worst punishment is death by a
firing squad, OF up against the wall"
as Tommy calls 1t.
This is for desertion, cowardice, mu-
tiny, giving information to the enemy,
looting, rape, robbing the dead, forcing
a safeguard. striking a superior, etc.
Then comes the punishment Of sixty
four days in the front-line trench with
out relief. During this time you have
to engage in all raids, working parties
In No Mans Land. and every hazardous
undertaking that comes along. If you
live through the sixty-four days you
are indeed lucky.
This punishment is awarded where
there IS a doubt as to the willful guilt
Of a man who has committed an Of
fence punishable by death.
Then comes the famous field pun
ishment No. l. Tommy has ~nicknamed
it "%crucifxion. 1t means that a man
is spread-eagled on a timber wheel,
two hours a day for twenty-one days.
During this time he only gets water.
bully beef and biscuits for his chow.
You get ~"crucifed" for repeated minor
offenses.
Next In order is field punishment
No. 2.
This is confinement in the "clink,"
without blankets, getting water, bully
beef and biscuits for rations and doing
all the dirty work that can be found.
This may be for twenty-four hours or
twenty days, according to the gravity
Of the Offense.
Then comes pack drill" or default
ers' parade. This consists Of drilling.
mostly at the double, for " hours
with full equipment. Tommy hates
this. because ii is hard work. Some
times he fills his pack with straw to
tighten it, and sometimes he gets
caught. If he gets caught, he grouses
at everything in general for twenty
n days. from the vantage point Of a
timber wheel.
Next comes &C. B." meaning "con-
fined to barracks This consists OF
staying in billets or barracks for TWEEN
tv-four hours TO seven days. You also
get an occasional defaulters' parade
and dirty jobs around the quarters.
The sergeant major keeps what j.;
known as the crime sheet. When d
man commits an ofenSe. he Is
"crimed.' that is, his name. number
and offense is entered on the crime
sheet. Next day at 9 a. m. he goes r'
the orderly room" before the captain
who either Furnishes him with &C. B.
or sends him before the o. c. (ofice
commanding battalion). The captain
of the company can only award &C. B.
Tommy many a time has thanke'
the king for making that provision il
his regulations.
To gain the title Of a "smart soldier,
Tommy has TO keep clear Of the Grim
sheet. and you have to be darned SINAI
to do it.
have been on it a few times, mos
ly for Yankee im~pudence.'
During our stay Of two weeks i
rest billets our captain put Us thrOus
a course Of machine-gun drills, tryin
out new stunts and theories.
After parades were over. gun.
crews got together and also tried on
) some theories Of their own in referenC
10 handling guns. These courses ha
nothing to do with the advancement &
t the war. consisted mostly of causln
= tricky Jams in the gun. and then tn
rest of the crew would endeavor 10 L
cate as quickly as possible the caus
Of the stOppage. This amused the
for a few days and then things came
a standstill.
/ One OF the boys on my gun elaine
that he could play a tune while Il
gun was actually firing. and demo-
strated this fact one day on the targ
range. We were very enthusiastic az
decided TO become musicians.
/ After constant practice 1 BEGAN
quite expert in the tune entitled a
Conductors Have Big Feet"
{ When l had mastered this tune, Of
two weeks rest came TO an end. al
once again we went up the line al
o took over the sector in front Of G.
: wood.
y AT this point the German trench
ran around the base OF a hill. on q
top Of which was a dense wood. tt
wood was infested with machine guI
4 which used 10 traverse our lines
will, and sweep the streets Of a lit
d village, where we were billeted VIII
r in reserve.
There was one gun in particul
which used to get our goats, ii had {
exact range Of our elephant dugo
II entrance. and every morning, about I
e time rations were being brought up
n bullets would knock up the dust on {
:: road: more than one Tommy we