The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1918-09-20

that train: II was all bis fault ESQ we
reasoaedl why hhj1't he spesded up q
TITLE or been on time. then We would
have gotten on before The order ar
riyed1 Now II was no Bighty for u.s.
Tha, return journey WIS taisery to
us. iuat can't describe IL.
Nhru we got back to rest billets. we
fouai that our brigade was 10 the
ssesases tsnesAsr agreeable saTprlsei
and that m attack was contemplated.
Seventeen Of the forty-one will never
ee. another chance to 60 on leave.
they were killed In the attnek. Just
think II that train had been On time.
those seventeen would still be alive.
hH.s to tell yoa how WAS kladsd
by the boys when 40, hack. but II was
good aud plenty,
Our machine gun company took over
their part OF the line at seven o'clock.
the night after l returned from my
near leave.
AT 3 80 the following morning three
waves went over and captured the arst
and second German trenches. The
machine gunnerS went over With the
fourth wave 20 consolidate the cap
tared line or "dig H." ss Tommy calls
II.
Crossing No Mans Land without
clicking any casualties. we came TO
the German trench and mounted our
guns on the parades Of same.
never saw such mess In tny life
punches OF twisted harbed wire lying
about. she'll holes everywhese. trenth
all dashed In. parnpets gone. ana dead
hs.iierss why, that ditch MAS M Oh
them, theirs and ours. II was reca-
iar margue. Some were mangied hor-
rihly from our she'll Are. while others
were wholly or partly buried Ia the
mud, the result Of shell explosions cav.
Ing In the wallis II the trench. one
dead German was lying On bis back.
with u rifle sticking straight up In the
air. the hayonrt OF which was buried
to the hill In his chest. Across his feet
lay dead Enelish soldier With a hui-
let hole in his forehead This Tommy
must have been killed just "a he ran
his haycnei through the German.
Rifles ana equipment were scattered
about. and occasionally steel helmet
could be sesn sticking out Of the mud.
AT oae point, Just In the entrance to
a communication trench. was q stretch
er. 90 this stretcher a German was
living with a white handaxe around bis
knec. near 10 him lay one Of the
s,rs,rhrr-hearvrs, the red cross on his
arm covered with mud and bis helmet
hlled with hlosi and brains, Close by.
sitting M against the wall Of the
trrneh. with head resting on his chest.
WAS the other stretcherhearer. He
seemed 10 he alive, the posture was 50
natural aud easy; bat when ! gos
eaosrr could see large. iaSxsvi hole
In his temple. The taree must have
been Killed by the same sheil-harst.
The daseuts were all sma shed In aud
knocked aheu,, big sauareeut .imhers
spslnssrcd into bits. walls cayesi In and
eatranevs chckci,
Tommy. after taking trench. learns
to his serrow that the hardest part Of
the work Is 10 bod II.
In our case this proved to Be -
The German artillery and machine
euas had as tapped tranSed, for fair
II was verth yoar life to expose your
self "a instant.
noar think for q minute that the
Germans were the eely sufferers; re
we're clicking casualties so 1aSs that
yaa needed an adding machine 10 keep
track Of taem.
IVA yuu essr see ere Of the steam
shcvels at work co the leusma canall
Wei. II would le,ss like q aen scratch
5las alongside ct ToGamy "dsssine la
ah;le under hre. You casstsAt s,e day
N-h, through the CLOUDS Of dirt frurn
his showed.
After losing thre~ cat Ct ssr inca os
eur crew we managed ts sci W oar
fa9,h3ne gun 0ne ef the fex~ II the
ts5fs'd MAS resting On the cheat Of
h2EAasa,d body. whca = ssn was
E.E;. IL gave the lnpreSssoa that the
ady VAS arcashinx. This was caused
y ,Ne exersSivs sshrassca.
TArsNr or scHr fees down the tr~nsA
3 at iaree feet fcuca tAe gTolnd,