The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-11-20
OVID TIL. TOP
81
AN ANlFRICAN SOLDIER
WHO WENT q =
ARI1IUp GUY TnpEY
MACHINE GUNNER SERVING lh FRANCE
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fired all along the trench and landed
ing night into day and silhouetting us
against the wall of light made by the
flares. In the glaring light we were
confronted by the following unpleasant
scene
All along the German trench, at
Prussian guardsman with his rifle at
the aim, and then we found out why
we had not been challenged when the
man sneezed and the barbed wire had
been improperly cut. About three feet
in front of the trench they had con-
structed a single fence Of barbed wire
and we knew our chances were one
thousand to one OF returning alive.
We could not rush their trench on ac-
count of this second defense. Then
In front of me the challenge, Halt"
given in English rang out, and one Of
the finest things have ever heard on
the western front took place.
From the middle of our line some
Tommy answered the challenge with,
saw, go to HI" 1t must have been
the man who had sneezed or who had
Improperly cut the barbed wire; he
wanted to show Fritz that he could
die game. Then came the volley. Ma
chine guns were turned loose and sew
eral bombs were thrown in our rear.
The Boche In front of me was looking
down his sight. This fellow might
have, under ordinary circumstances,
been handsome, but when viewed him
from the front Of his rife he had the
COLLINS of childhood Imagination rele-
gated to the shade.
Then came q fash In front Of me, the
fare of his rifie-and my head seemed
to burst. A bullet had hit me on the
left side Of my face about half an
inch from my eye, smashing the cheek
bones. / put my hand to my face and
fell forward, biting the ground and
kicking my feet. thought I was dy-
Ing. but. do you know. my past life did
not unfold before me the way 1t does
In novels.
The blood was streaming down my
tunic, and the pain was awful. When
came to I said to myself. Emp, old
boy. you belong In Jersey City. and
you'd better get back there as quickly
as possible"
The bullets were cracking overhead.
crawled a few feet back to the Ger
man barbed wire, and In a STOPPING po-
sition. guiding myself by the wire.
went down the line looking for the
lane we had cut through. Before
reaching this lane / came to a limp
form which seemed like a bag Of oats
hanging over the wire. In the dim
light l could see that Its hands were
blackened, and knew 1t was the body
Of one Of my mates. I put my hand
on his head, the top Of which had been
blown Off by a bomb. My fingers sank
into the hole. I pulled my hand back
full Of blood and brains. then I went
crazy with fear and horror and rushed
along the wire until I came to our
lane. had just turned down this lane
when something inside Of me seemed
to say, "Look around" did so /: a bull
let caught me on the left shoulder. It
did not hurt much, just felt as II some
one had punched me In the back, and
then my left side went numb. My arm
was dangling like rag. I fell forward
In a sitting position. But all the fear
had left me and 1 was consumed with
rage and cursed the German trenches.
With my right hand felt In my tunic
for my first-aid or shell dressing. In
feeling over my tunic my hand came
In contact with one Of the bombs which
I carried. Gripping 1t, pulled the pin
out with my teeth and blindly threw Ii
towards the German trench. / must
have been out of my head. because
was only ten feet from the trench and
took a chance Of being mangled. II
the bomb had failed to 60 into the
trench I would have been blown to
bits by the explosion Of my own bomb.
BY the flare Of the explosion of the
bomb, which luckily landed In their
trench, I saw one big Boche throw up
his arms and fall backwards. while his
rife flew into the air. Another one
wilted and fell forward across the
sandbags--then blackness.
Realizing what foolhardy ana risky
thing had done. was again seized
with horrible fear. I dragged myself
to my feet and ran madly down the
lane through the barbed wire, STUN
bling over cut wires, tearing my uni
form. and decorating my hands and
legs. Just as I was about to reach
No Mans Land again. that same voice
aAemed IN saw ssTurn ar0undw 4 did
90. when, crack" another bullet
caught me, this time In the left shout
der about one-half inch away from the
other wound. Then II was taps for me.
The lights went out.
When I came to I was crouching In
r hola In Ma MAJ YaaA nsAla All