The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-03-30

Employed Ill Ill6 CdpdC1Iy VI Oil
In the following chapters he tel
adventures from the day of his
to the time he was Tagged TO
(Participator in more than twenty
"battles," fifty raids" and three
"Great Pushes; wounded eight times,
but never asked to be Sent Home
each time returning to the battle line
for he was lonesome for the trench
es and the Fritzies"; cursing at mis-
fortune with always smile on MS
lips; now laughing, now signing put
never grumbling; this wonderful spe-
cimen of Scottish grit and Engllsh
workmanship tells story that keeps
his reader always near him; teellng
his every impulse, cursing when ne
curses, and laughing when he laughs')
when the push came, we MADE
pretty clean sweep of that quarter OF
+be line. I'm not suggesting for
moment that it was because these two
narties failed so dismally to get any
Of lis that things went badly for Ger
mans in that sector, but the 1act re-
mains that we were able to give them
a terrible handing, first from our Dig
guns, and then when we got amongst
them ourselves.
Why the Germans Did Not Attack
There's only one thing I'd like to
add" said my American friend PROUD
Nv. 1.-THE Germans, who, no uoupt'
knew the hummocks and swamps as
we'll as we did, and who had been
daily and nightly expecting us over
had prepared hot reception 1or US
Int that reception never materiallzeu'
We had no difficulty in ascertalnlns
the extent Of their preparations nor
had we any difficulty in finding out
why it didn't come Off.
s'When we were going across that
wretched bit of ground, the mach1ne-
gun showers we looked for were very
feeble and spasdomic. We had an
idea WHY. and we discovered we were
right in our idea when we got TO the
Hun trenches and on to our opJec-
tive. The whole area, thanks TO our
final Iombardment, was wrecked be-
vond belief. Our gunners had seen 10
that and between the time they had
finished with it and we were ready
to advance Ritz had never an oppor-
\ tunity to take breath. We simply peg
sSed out our new claim, as 1t were
,5nd sent the formers holders OF 1t
{l,osa who were left-back to Join the
lost patrol and gas parties"
Performs An Autopsy On Self
ayes. sir. The Field hospital was
not a. place for yours truly while SO
MANY tame and wild Fritzies were
might proving" 1 took off the
bandages from the-b leg and per-
Nformed a searching autopsy. Then
addressed myself in this wise: THAT
was a pretty ugly wound you had on
that left leg of yours, but it is all
well now You make your exper'
report to the doctor on his next Visl
to the word and see that he puts his
o. K. oh it."
So I prepared my report and Wher
the young chap who looked like con-
scientious objector, appeared in oul
ward 1 put the same in his hand ano
stood at attention. Well, that little
physically unfit looking bloke had the
nerve TO tell me that it would take
another ten days for my leg to bt
in condition for the front.
1t still makes me boiling mad tc
think that he considered himself
better Judge than I, to decide on the
condition of my own leg, the les
which was part of my own self. He
gave it just one look and said "teT
days more" and that had to settle the
whole controversy
Well I had to loaf about in thu
hospital wards for ten days more. ever
though so many Fritzies were still
loose awaiting my return.
So naturally 1 became a sort of un
official hospital attendant. Thu
wounded were arriving and departing
by thousands. If a man was seriousl!
wounded but not so bad that his re
moyal would be fatal, he would b.
tagged for "Blighty." If he wa
slightly wounded he would be takel
of at the Field Hospital, anad if
man was a Total Casualty they tool
care of him until he passed away.
Well, though miles away from tn
Front, yet 1 daily heard of the do
ines Of Fritz, enough not to be so YER
lonesome for his grinning face. An
besides you must remember that eac
day new Germans were being passe
back to the Tommies to the cages be
hind the lines, where they could b
kept out of mischief.
one night an Australian sergean
was brought to our ward who wa
pretty badly done up.
i. He looked as though he had earn
ed his "Blighty' tag, but the poo
fellow, he did not live long.
This is what he told me when, sit
ting beside his cot, 1 asked him hoy
Fritz had been behaving himself late
ly.
Nothing Like 1t For Sheer Killing
Relating his experiences of ope
fighting he said he was in the scra
at - 81 saw one of our Brigade
get into a bit of a mess at -" h
remarked. at looked as if the Fritze
had surrounded us, and had got bus
with machine guns. We got a bit {
our own back for that, all the same
I'VE were rushed up a sunken roat
and the major commanding the bal
talon told the chaps to keep yer
quiet, as Fritz was coming along.
was still dark at the time, but daw
was breaking. Someone got excite
and yelled out, come on, Fritz, wei
ready for youl" The major curse
him for bit, but he hadn't give
the game away.
Then the major suddenly shoute
Now boys. let them have it,"
I'VE all got UP, cheering like ma
and went for a thick mob of Fritz,
we could just pick out as the ligl
grew. The air was full of curses an
cries, and you could hear the thu
as Australian butts hit Fritzes heat
Niece. They didn't stick it long, an