The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-04-13

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 a-tives Limited N~dc0s 7urg. New York. retreating Turks.
 Stretcher-bearers were busy and Turkish prisoners were being brought in in patches.
 We left the boat and made our way to the R. E. c. camp.
 The machines were stuck in the slush, and everything was dreary, cold, and clammy. Our rations for the day were one slice of bully beef and a handful of biscuit crumbs. l had not imagined that such a desolate land could exist on the face of the ] world. And so we came ito the end of a perfect day"
 The monitors on the river were still banging away at the Turks, who had come to their next position and were | sticking it."
 l This new position had to be photo graphed completely. With the aid of some rubber waterproof sheets we managed to erect a darkroom in the corner of a workshop barge. | Every day photos were taken, de- 1 complete picture map of the position. | Meanwhile, iron rations were being continually unloaded from the river boats close by and taken up to the trenches in mule wagons. As the carts were filled they drove on, creaking and grooming, the mules knee deep in slush, with hair matted, and disap- peared in a long line over the hori- zon.
 Such are the preparations for an attack. For one or two days the rain continued, but regiments moved quietly up into position. Pontoor bridges in sections passed us, to be ready, if needed, for crossing the riv- Ter.
 The next night it seemed as if the
 world had sudden gone mad. Moni ltors, batteries, machine-guns, ant
 rifle fire from both sides combined
 to make an ear-splitting din. The sight was superb and tremen
 dous. The night was dark. Flames spurted from the gun muzzles, ant
 the shells burst with sudden brillian
 flashes, one after another, down thu entire length of the Turkish line Starshells periodically lighted up tn whole desert, and the noise, empha sized by the desert night, was ter rife.
 Then the Turks found the range o
 our aerodrome. A shell dropped in tn
 river fifty yards away and anothe ' landed just short of the machines. W could not see them coming in tn , dark, so we just waited, huddled an, shivering in the rain, but no nor
 reached us.
 The pop! pop! pop! of the ma , chine-guns was still furious, however 1 and when daylight came the fightin
 continued.
 By three o'clock in the afternoo
 things began to get quieter. Tn
 Turks would not be shifted, though
 and gradually the firing diminished fThen I noticed moving column O the horizon. It consisted of the sam
 ration carts, which, day or two pre- viously, had been hurrying up wit ,; iron rations. Now they were returnin slowly through the sIush and mut ; pumping, sticking. some nearly over turning, the mules tired, with head : hanging down. They were bringin II back the wounded.
 
 t in answer to their repeated entreat ies was Tigris water, red with mu U through the heavy rainfall
 The weather brightened and tt IT Flying Corps" became busy agai1 I, The attempt to relieve General Tow1 d shend in Kut had failed but prepars g tions were soon in hand for anoth' n attempt. We still had wireless con
 
 g. which proved useful on more tha r. one occasion. One morning the me ar sage came through that Fritz" W;
 just leaving his aerodrome. The Ge Id man aerodrome was under observ 1e tion by the British in Kut, and u 1e enemy's goings and comings were r re ported.
 nt The emergency pilot and observ 1e for the day were immediately sent u CT and when the Fokker arrived he h; Id hot reception. The machines whee ss ed around each other with the guI 7 barking.
 ID Again they changed, hanking out
 each others way just second t a late. The wing tips collided, and t he machines staggered a second befo Ve they continued their flights. IT
 fight was unfinished. The Germ; lp flew away surrounded by shrapI IT, bursts from the anti-aircraft gu1
 Our pilot managed to land, and n- was found that nearly two feet of t ho wing had been carried away by t
 collision. 70, Every time the enemy flew over e. found some of our men already ne and waiting. He began to smell nd rat and soon afterwards the Ge
 man aerodrome was moved to a me to secluded spot.
 ny The mud and slush grew worse, a he the river began to rise rapidly. Bres