The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-10-16


not slow to show 1t In many ways.
Lloyd was good soldier, learned
quickly. obeyed every order promptly.
never groused at the hardest fatigues.
He was afraid to. He lived In deadly
fear of the officers and ''noncoms" over
him. They also despised him.
One morning about three months
after his enlistment Lloyd's company
was paraded, and the names picked out
for the next draft to France were read.
When his name was called, he did not
step out smartly, two PAGES to the
front, and answer cheerfully, Here,
sir" as the others did. He just faint
ed In the ranks and was carried TO bar
racks amid the sneers of the rest.
That night was an agony of misery
to him. He could not sleep. Just cried
and whimpered in his bunk, because
on the morrow the draft was to sail
for France, where he would see death
on all sides, and perhaps be killed him
self. On the steamer, crossing the
channel, he would have jumped over
board to escape, but was afraid of
drowning.
Arriving In France, he and the rest
were huddled into cattle cars. On the
"Hommes 40, Chevaux s." After hours
of humping over the uneven French
roadbeds they arrived at the training
base of Rouen.
At this place they were put through
a weeks rigid training in trench war
fare. On the morning of the eighth
day they paraded at ten o'clock, and
were inspected and passed by General
H, then were marched TO the quar-
terrlaster's, to draw their gas helmets
and trench equipment.
At four in the afternoon they were
again hustled into cattle cars. This
time the journey lasted two days.
They disembarked at the town of Ere
vent and could hear distant dull
booming. With knees shaking, Lloyd
asked the sergeant what the noise was,
and nearly dropped when the sergeant
replied in somewhat bored tone:
"Oh, them's the guns up the line.
Well be up there in a couple O. days
or so. Don't worry, my laddie, you'll
see more of 'em than you want before
you get 'ome to Blighty again, that is,
If you're lucky enough TO get back.
Now lend hand there unloadin' them
cars, and quit that everlastin' shakin'.
believe yer scared" The last with
contemptuous sheer.
They marched ten kilos, full pack,
to little dilapidated village, and the
sound of the guns grew louder, con-
stantly louder.
The village was full of soldiers who
turned out to inspect the new draft.
the men who were shortly to be their
mates In the trenches, for they were
going up the line" on the. morrow, to
take over" their certain sector Of
trenches.
The draft was paraded In front of
battalion headquarters and the men
were assigned to companies.
Lloyd was the only man assigned to
ID company. Perhaps the officer in
charge of the draft had something to
do with 1t, for he called Lloyd aside
and said:
Lloyd, you are going to new COM
pany. No one knows you. Your bed
will be as you make it, so for Gods
sake. brace up and be a man. think
you have the stuff In you, my boy. so
good-by and the best of luck to you"
The next day the battalion took over
their part of the trenches. 1t happened
to be very quiet day. The artillery
behind the lines was still, except for
an occasional shell sent over to let the
Germans know the gunners were not
asleep.
In the darkness, in single file, the
down the communication trench to the
front line. No one noticed Lloyd's
white and drawn face.
After they had relieved the company
in the trenches, Lloyd, with two of the
old company men, was put on guard in
one of the traverses. Not a shot was
fired from the German lines, and no
one paid any attention to him
crouched on the firing step.
On the first time in, new recruit is
not required to stand with his head
"over the top" He only "sits 1t out"
while the older men keep watch.
At about ten O'clock, all Of sudden,
he thought hell had broken loose, and
crouched and shivered up against the
parapet. Shells started bursting. as he
imagined, right In their trench, when in
fact they were landing about a hum
dred yards In rear of them. in the Sec
ond lines.
One of the older men on guard, turn
ing to his mate. said:
There goes Fritz with those Id
trench mortars. again. It's about time
our artillery tapped them, and sent
over a few. Well. I'll be ID,
where's that Brighter of draft man
gone to? There's his rife leaning
against the parapet. He must have
legged 1t. Just keep your eye peeled,
Dick, while report 1t to the sergeant.