The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-08-02

to two l got nervous waiting for Ou
guns to open up. l could not take m!
eyes from my watch. crOucheC
against the pnrapet and strained m!
muscles in a deathllke grip upon IN!
rifle. AS the hands on my watcl
showed two o'clock n binding red fiar'
lighted up the sky in our rear, ther
thunder, lntermlxed with n sharp, whis
Ting sound in the air over our heads
The shells from our guns were speed
ing on their way toward the German
lines. With one accord the meT
Sprang up on the fire step and looked
over the top in the direction OF tht
German trenches. A line of bursting
shells lighted up No Mans Land. The
din was terrific and the ground trem
bled. Then, high above our heads we
could hear n signing moan. Our big
boys behind the line had opened VI
and OBS and 15-lnch shells commenced
dropping into the German lines. The
flash of the guns behind the lines, the
scream of the shells through the air
! and the flare of them, bursting, was q
spectacle that put Pains greatest dis
play into the shade. The constant
pup, pup. of German machine guns and
an occasional rattle Of rifle firing gave
me the impression of n huge audience
| applaudng the work of the batteries.
Our 1S-pounders were destroying the
German barbed wire, while the heavier
stuff was demolishing their trenches
and bashing in dugOuts or funk holes.
Then Fritz got busy.
Their shells went screaming over
head, aimed in the direction of the
flares from our batteries. Trench NOR
tars started dropping "Alinnies" in
our front line. We clicked several cas-
ualties. Then they suddenly ceased,
Our artillery had taped or silenced
them.
During the bombardment you could
almost read n newspaper in our trench.
Sometimes in the flare of q shell-burst
mans body would be silhOuetted
against the paradOs of the trench and
it appeared like a huge monster. You
could hardly hear yourself think. When
an order was 20 be passed down the
trench you had to yell it, using your
hands as a funnel into the ear of the
man sitting next to you on the fire step.
In about twenty minutes generous
rum issue was dOled out. After drink
Ing the rum, which tasted like varnish
and sent q shudder through your
frame, you wondered why they made
you wait until the lifting of the bar
rage before going over. At ten min
utes to four word was passed down,
''Ten minutes to gO!" Ten minutes
to live! We were shlvering all over.
My legs felt as If they were asleep.
Then word was passed down: "First
wave get on and near the scaling lad
ders."
These we're small wooden ladders
which we had placed against the para
pet to enable us to so over the top on
the lifting Of the barrage. Ladders of
death" we called them, and veritably
they were.
Before a charge Tommy is the pO-
litest of men. There is never any push
ing or crowding to be first up these
ladders. We crouched around the base
Of the ladders waiting for the word
to go over. l was sick and faint. and
was putting away at an unllghted fag
Then came the word, "Three minutes
to go; upon the lifting of the barrage
and on the blast of the whistles, Over
the top with the best O. luck and give
them hell" The famous phrase of
the western front. The Jonah phrase
Of the western front. To Tommy 1t
means If you are lucky enough to come
back you will be minus an arm or a
leg. Tommy hates to be wished the
best of luck; so, when peace is de-
clared, If 1t ever is, and you meet a
Tommy on the street, just wish him the
best of luck and duck the brick that
follows.
l glanced again at my wrist watch.
We all wore them and you could hardly
call us 'sissies" for doing so. 1t was
minute to four. l could see the hand
move to the twelve, then dead ST.
lence. 1t hurt. Everyone looked up
to see what had happened, but not for
long. Sharp whistle blasts rang out
along the trench, and with a cheer the
men scrambled up the ladders. The
bullets were cracking overhead, and !
machine gun would rip |
and tear the top of the sandbag para
pet. How l got up that ladder will |
never know. The first ten feet out in |
front was agony. Then we passed |
through lanes in our barbed wire. l
knew l was running. but could feel no
motion below the waist. Patches on
the ground seemed to float to the rear
rs If l were on q treadmill and seen
cry was rushing past me. The Ger
mans had put barrage of shrapnel
lcross No Mans Land. and you could
hear the pieces slap the ground about
you.
After had passed our barbed wire
md gotten into No Mans Land a
Tommy about fifteen feet to my right
'ront turned around and looking In my
direction, put lis hand to his mouth
md yelled something which could not
make out on account of the noise from
ne bursting shells, Then he coughed.
stumbled. pitched forward and lay still.
His body seemed to float to the rear
4 me. could hear sharp cracks In
he air about me. These We're caused