The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-05-10
IN two minutes were blazing away. It
vas a thrilling sight.
Torn Nv cheIle

4
US, over ground that was torn TO bits
by the heavy shell fire that had just
preceded, over another edge, across a
valley, and under the crest of hill
And here we found the tanks going
over the top of the hin 10 take M
their position At this point we were
sun about mile from the front line
At this place opened up an aid post
under the crest of the hill to take care
Of what wounded came in while we
were getting into position.
Shrapnel was bursting In the air.
shells We're whizzing overhead. and our
guns behind me were belching forth
the fire. The noise was deafening.
railroad ran through the valley
and an engine pulling a couple of fiat
cars was going by A couple Of sol
diers We're sitting on the rear truck
swinging their feet A shell burst on
the track and only missed the last ear
about fifteen yards. Neither man was
hit and the train went blithely on.
BY this time it was getting along
toward evening. the sun was sinking
in the west, and finally went down a
great ball of fire. At the time | re-
member, / noticed its color 1t was
blood red and had sinister look. Was
it my imagination, or might it have
been premonition? At any rate.
shall never forget the color of the sun
as il set that night at the end of the
first day of probably one of the great
est battles in history. 1t certainly
didn't look good to me.
The drumming of the guns contin-
ued, twilight gradually deepened into
night, the signalers stopped their wig
wagging and took up their flash sig
mails, fog dropped down on us and
put the lights out of business, and
when we left to 20 forward under the
cover Of darkness they We're busy put
ting out their telephone lines-signal-
ers and runners don't have an easy
time.
She'll Dump Goes Up.
Behind us a shell landed in an am
munition dump and it went up with a
roar; then the rifle ammunition started
going off like a great bunch Of fire
crackers, and great tongues of flame
lit up the sky.
1t is reported that he'Germans had
| broken through our line and we We're
to counter-attack in the morning. We
| got into positions without a single
casualty. | opened an aid post in an
| old dugout and settled down to sleep
until morning. You may think it fun
ny that one could sleep under such
| conditions. but | had been up since
5 80 had tramped about six or seven
miles, mad had a rather trying day
and was dog tired.
Just like some of the warm days we
get the last of March at home. In
| going forward 1t was necessary
for us to march seventy-five yards in
| front of three batteries of field guns
There are six guns to battery. They
! shoot an eighteen-pOund shell and
while we were there each gun was
! shooting twice to the minute. You
can imagine the racket when | tell
you that the discharge of one gun can
be heard about four miles. In addi-
ton the BOche was trying to knock
| out this battery and he was dropping
his six inch shells a little too close foI
comfort.
Nearly in a Trap.
Then | made a lovely mistake.
was to establish an aid post near bat
TALON headquarters and went blithely
on when met company commander
| neIyaH him yxyharn n 90
Back there about a quarter of q
mile" he replied. This is the front
center company. II you keep on IN
the direction you are going you are
going up over that ridge and Fritz will
be waiting for you with machine
gum
So my sergeant and orderly anc
myself didn't waste any time in clear
ing. On the way back found gallon
can full of water, got into corrugated
iron shelter and had a wash and 8
shave. 1t certainly felt good. | dom
believe | had washed for thirty-sll
hours. 1t was warm and bright.
could look out of my shelter and SEE
our support lines digging themselves
in several hundred yards away. Th'
cannon fire ceased. the machine guns
settled down TO an occasional ttfu
burst and it was midday of beautiful
spring day.
A couple Of partridge flew over me
What did they know or care about al
this noise and racket and men gettini
up In line and killing each otherf
Along about three o'clock things be
gan to liven up again. In the mean
time headquarters had been establish
ed I'm a sunken road with banks abou
fifteen feet high on either side tlate
this cut was half filed with dead)
NV aid post was in a dugout near b.
and gradually things got hotter an
hotter
Our mon had dug themselves II