Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1918-06-06
Till TOP
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AN AMERI(AN SOLDIER
WHO WENT * 4
ARIT1Ul GUY EfIpEY
MACHINE GUNNER SERVING M FRANCE
| 0l97 eY
IMThlR GUY EhHvl

At one point of the line the trenches
were about thirty-two yards apart.
This sounds horrible, but in fact 1t was
easy, because neither side could shell
the enemy's front-line trench for fear
shells would drop into their own. This
eliminated artillery fire.
In these trenches when up against
the Prussians and Bavarians, Tommy
had hot time of 1t, but when the Sax
ons "took over" 1t was a picnic; they
would yell across that they were Sax
ons and would not fire. Both sides
would sit on the parapet and carry on
a conversation. This generally consist
ed Of Tommy telling them how much
he loved the kaiser, while the Saxons
Informed Tommy that King George
was a particular friend of theirs and
hoped that he was doing nicely.
When the Saxons were to be relieved
by Prussians or Bavarians, they would
yell this information across No Mans
Land and Tommy would Immediately
tumble into his trench and keep his
head down.
If an English regiment was to be re-
lieved by the wild Irish, Tommy would
tell the Saxons, and Immediately vol
ley Of Bonner und BlitZens" could
be heard and it was Fritz's turn to get
a crick in his back from STOPPING, and
the people in Berlin would close their
windows.
Usually when an Irishman takes over
a trench, just before "stand down" in
the morning, he sticks his rifle over
the top, aimed in the direction of Ber-
lin, and engages in what is known as
the mad minute" This consists of
firing fifteen shots in a minute. He
is not aiming at anything in particular
just sends over each shot with
prayer, hoping that one of his strays
will get some poor unsuspecting Fritz
in the napper hundreds of yards be-
hind the lines. 1t generally does that's
the reason the Boches hate the man
from Eriu's isle.
The Saxons, though better than the
Prussians and Bavarians. have g aas.s So
trait OF tfeachery In their makeup
At one point e the ,:ne where the
trenches '7ers very close, ss=ke was
driven Int &A> s=>=-.z =e.:-aa====Y ee-
tween the hostile Enes. At Night when
it was his turn, Tommy would crawl
to this stake and attach some London
papers to 1t, while at the foot he would
place tins of bully beef, flags, sweets,
and other delicacies that he had re-
ceived from Blighty in the ever looked
for parcel. Later on Fritz would come
out and get these luxuries.
b. The next night Tommy would go out
to see what Fritz put into his stocking.
The donation generally consisted of a
paper from Berlin, telling who was
; winning the war, some timed sausages,
cigars, and occasionally q little beer,
but funny thing, Tommy never re-
turned with the beer unless 1t was in
side of him. His platoon got Whit of
his breath one night and the offending
Tommy lost his job.
One night young English sergeant
crawled to the stake and as he tried to
detach the German paper a bomb ex-
ploded and mangled him horribly. Fritz
had set trap and gained another vic
! tim which was only one more black
mark against him in the book of this
war. From that time on diplomatic re-
lations were severed.
Returning to Tommy, I think his
spirit is best shown in the questions he
! asks. 1t Is never "who Is going to win"
! but always show long will it take?"