Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1918-03-01

IS to the Front.
10 manufacture boufbs, NbncommIs-
stoned officers were generally selected
for this course. After about two
weeks ut school they returned to their
units in rest bllets or in the fire
trench, ms the case might be, and got
busy teaching their platoons how to
make "lam tins"
Previously an order had been issued
for all ranks to save empty jam tins
for the manufacture Of bombs. a pro-
fcssor Of bombing would sit on the
| fire step in the front trench with the
remainder of his section crowdng
around to see him work.
On his left would be a pile Of empty
and rusty jam tins, while beside him
on the fire step would be n misCela-
neous assortment of material used in
the manufacture of the liam tins"
Tommy would stoop down, get an
empty "jam tin," take handful Of
clayey mud from the parapet, and line
the inside of the tin with this sub
stance. Then he would reach over,
pick up his detOnator and explosive,
and insert them In the tin, fuse pro-
trudng. On the fire step would be a
pile Of fragments Of shell, shrapnel
balls, bits of iron, nails, etc.-anything
that was hard enough to send over to
Fritz; he would scoop up handful of
this junk and put 1t in the bomb. Per-
haps one Of the platoon would ask him
what he did this for, and he would
explain that when the bomb exploded
these bits would fly about and kill or
wound any German hit by same; the
questoncr would Immediately pull Il
the bomb maker with, "Well, blame
me, send this over as a souvenir" or
another Tommy would volunteer an
old rusty and broken jackknife; both
would be accepted and inserted.
Then the professor would take an.
other handful of mud and fill the TIM
after which he would punch hole in
the lid of the tin and put it over the
top of the bomb, the fuse sticking out
Then perhaps he would tightly wrap
wire around the outside of the tin, and
the bomb was ready to send over to
Fritz with TOmmys compliments.
A piece of wood about four inches
wide had been issued This was to be
strapped on the left forearm by means
of two leather straps and was like the
side of match box; 1t was called a
STRIKER" There was tip like the
head of a match on the fuse Of the
bomb. To ignite the fuse, you had to
rub it on the STRIKER" just the same
as striking match. The fuse was
timed to five seconds or longer. Some
Of the fuses issued in those days would
burn down in a second or two, while
others would "slzz" for week before
exploding. Back in Blighty the NUM-
ton workers weren't quite up to snuff,
the way they are now. If the fuse took
a notion to burn too quickly they gen.
orally buried the bomb maker next
day. SO making bombs could not be
called "cushy" or safe job.
After making several bombs the pro-
fessor instructs the platoon in throw
ing them. He takes "jam tin" from
the fire step, trembling little, be-
cause 1t is nervous work, especially
when new at 1t, lights the fuse on his
striker. The fuse begins to "Sizz' and
sputter and a spiral of smoke like
that from a smoldering flag, rises from
It, The platoon splits in two and
them. They don't like the looks and
sound of the burning fuse. When that
fuse begins to smoke and "sizz" you
want to say good-by to it as soon as
possible, so Tommy with all his might
chucks it over the top and crouches
against the parapet, waiting for the
explosion.
Lots Of times in bombing the Jam
tin" would be picked up by the Ger
MANS before 1t exploded, and thrown
back at Tommy with dire results.
After lot Of men went West In this
manner an order was Issued, reading
something like this:
ITO all ranks In the British army:
After igniting the fuse and before
throwing the jam-tln bomb, count
slowly one twol three!"
This In order to give the fuse time
enough to burn down, so that the bomb
would explode before the Germans
could throw 1t back.
Tommy read the order-he reads
them all, but after he ignited the fuse
and 1t began to smoke-orders were
forgotten, and away she went in record
time and back she came to the further
discomfort of the thrower.