Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-03-23
n 49, = ~ 777--7 ~
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machine gun. One of the legs OF the
tripod was resting on the chest of a
half-buried body. When the gun was
firing, it gave the impression that the
body was breathing. This was caused
| by the excessive vibration.
Three or four feet down the trench,
about three feet from the ground, a
foot was proruding from the earth.
We knew it was German by the black
| leather boot. One of our crew used
that foot to hang extra bandoliers of
ammunition on. This man always was
handy fellow; made use Of little
points that the ordinary person would
overlook.
The Germans made three counter
attacks, which we repulsed, but nos
without heavy loss on our side. They
also suffered severely from our shefl !.
and machine-gun fire. The ground was
spotted with their dead ..Ld dying.
The next day things were somewhat
/ quieter, bat not quiet enough to bury
| the dead.
We lived, ate and slept in that trench
with the unburied dead for six days.
1t was awful TO watch their faces be-
come swollen and discolored. Towards
the last the stench was fierce.
What got on my nerves the most was
that foot sticking out of the dirt. II
seemed to me, at night, in the noon
! light, to be trying to twist around.
! Several times this impression was so
strong that went to 1t and grasped 1t
In both hands, to see If / could feel q
movement.
/ told this to the man who had used
| 1t for q hatrack just before lay down
for little nap, as things were quiet,
and | needed a rest pretty badly.
| When / woke up the foot was gone.
| He had cut it off with our chain saw
out of the spare parts box, and had
plastered the stump over with mud.
| During the next two or three days,
before we were relieveds I missed that
foot dreadfully 4 seemed as il / had
suddenly lost a chum.
| l think the worst thing of all was to
watch the rats, at night, and sokne-
| times in the day, run over and play
about among the dead.
Near our gun, right across the para
pet, could be seen the body OF Ger
man lieutenant, the head and arms OF
which were hanging into our trench.
The man who had cut off the foot used
| to sit and carry on one-sided conver-
| sation with this officer, used to argue
and point out why Germany was Id the
wrong. During all of this monologue
/ never heard him say anything out OF
the way-anything that would have
hurt the officers feelings had he been
alive. He was square all right:
wouldn't even take advantage of a
dead man in an argument.
To civilians this must seem dread
ful, but out here one gets 50 used to
awful sights that 1t makes no impress
sion. In passing butcher shop you
are not shocked by seeing dead tur-v.
key hanging from hook. Well. In
France, dead body is looked upon
| from the same angle.
But, nevertheless, when our six days
were up. we were tickled to death to
be relieved.
Our machine gun company lost
seventeen killed and thirty-one wonnds
ed in that little local affair OF
Strengthening the line" while the
other companies clicked it worse than
we did.
After the attack we went into re-
serve biIlets for six days, and on the
| seventh once again we were In rest bill
let's.