The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1918-03-21

| SihBlng one of TOmmy'S trench Citties
! ! want to go home. want to 20 horne
oon't want to go to the trenches no
| moro "
| Where sausaees and wh,zz-h,r.. ~.
| lore O."
Take mo over the sea. Where the A,,e.
mand can't get at me.
Oh. my. don't want to die.
want to go home
when overhead came "swish" through
the air, rapidly followed by three 9th.
erS. Then about two hundred yards to
our left in a large field, four columns
or black earth and smoke rose into the
air. and the ground trembled from the
report-the explosion Of four German
fve-nine'S. or "cOalboxes" A sharp
whistle blast, immediately followed by
TWO short ones. rang out from the head
| or our column. This was to take up,
ARTILLERY formation" We divided into
small squads and went into the fields
on the right and left Of the road. and
crouched on the ground. No other
shells followed this salvo. 1t was our
first baptism by shell fire. From the
waist up was all enthusiasm. but from
there down, everything was missing.
thought | should die with fright.
| After awhile. we reformed into col
umns Of fours. and proceeded on our
way.
! About five that night. we reached the
ruined village Of Il. and got my
| first sight Of the awful destruction
caused by German Kultur.
Marching down the main street we
came to the heart OF the village. and
took up quarters in shellproof cellars
| (shellproof until hit by a shelD. Shells
were constantly whistling over the vii.
lage and bursting in our rear search.
! ing for our artillery
| These cellars were cold. damp and
smelly. and overrun With large rats
big black fellows. Most of the Tom
mics slept with their overcoats over
their faces. I did not. In the middle
Of the night l woke up In terror The
cold. clnmmy feet Of rat had passed
over my face. I Immediately smoth-
cred myself in my overcoat, but could
not sleep for the rest Of that night.
Next evening. we took over our sec
tor Of the line. In single file we wend-
ed our way through zigzag COM
municatton trench. six inches deep
with mud. This trench was called
"Whisky street" On our. way up to
the front line an occasional flare of
bursting shrapnel would light up the
sky and we could hear the fragments
/ slappingt the ground above us on our
: right and left. Then Fritz would
traverse back ani forth with his "type-
writer" or machine gun. The bullets
made sharp cracking noise overhead.
The boy in front Of me named Prem
tice crumpled up without word. A
piece of she'll had gone through his
Shrnpnel-prOof helmet. felt sick and
weak.
In about thirty minutes we reached
the front line. 1t was dark as pitch.
, Every now and then German star
, shell would pierce the blackness out
. In front with it's silvery light. I was
trembling all over. and felt very lonely
, and afraid All orders were given in
whispers. The company we relieved
filed past us and disappeared into the
blackness Of the communication trench
leading to the rear AS they passed us,
they whispered. 1.-THE best o. luck
mates"
sat on the fire step Of the trench
, with the rest Of the men. In each
, traverse two Of the older men had been
, put on guard with their heads sticking
over the top, and with their eyes try
ing to pierce the blackness I'm mo
Mans Land" In this trench there
! were only two dugOuts. and these were
3 used by Lewis and Yickers machine
gunners, so it was the fire step for
ours. Pretty soon 1t started to rain,
| We put on our "mackS." but they were
+ not much protection. The rain trickled
{ down our backs, and 1t was not long
r before we were wet and cold. How I
r passed that night will never know.
, hut without any unusual occurrence.
dawn arrived.
, The word "stand down" was passed
along the line. and the scntries got
, down Off the fire step. Pretty soon the
rum issue came along and 1t was a
4 Godsend. 1t warmed our chilled bodies
! and put new life into us. Then from
4 the communication trenches came
i dixies or iron pots. filled with steam
i ing tea, which had two wooden stakes
I through their handles. and were car-
| ried by two men. filed my canteen
and drank the hot tea without taking
it from my lips. 1t was not long be-.
fore | was asleep In the mud on tho
| fire step.
My ambition had been attaued! I
was in fr6nt-Iine trench on the vest
crn front and oh. how I wished I were
back in Jersey City.