The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1918-02-26
CHAPTER XXI.
Punishments and Maehne.oun Stunts,

Punishments and Machne.Gun Stunts,
Soon after my arrival in France; in
fact, from my enlistment, | had found
that in the British army discipline is
very strict. One has to be very care
ful in order to stay on the narrow path
of government virtue.
There are about seven million ways
of breaking the kings regulations; to
keep one you have to break another.
The worst punishment is death by d
firing squad, or 'up against the wall"
as Tommy calls it.
This is for desertion, cowardice, mu-
tiny, giving information to the enemy,
looting, rape, robbing the dead, forcing
safeguard, striking a superior, etc.
Then comes the punishment of sixty
four days in the front-line trench with
out relief. During this time you have
to engage in all raids, working parties
in No Mans Land, and every hazardous
undertaking that comes along. If you
live through the sixty-four days YOU
are indeed lucky
This punishment is awarded where
there is Il doubt as to the wlllful guilt
of a man who has committed an Of
fence punishable by death.
Then comes the famous field pun.
ishment No l. Tommy has nicknamed
it "crucifxion." II means that man
Is Spread.eagled on Timber wheel,
two hours a day for twenty-one days,
During this time &e only gets water,
bully beef and biscuits for his chow.
You get "crucited" for repeated miner
0ffenses.
Next in order is field punishment
No. ..
TSis is confinement in the "clink,"
without blankets, getting water, bully
beef and biscuits for ratl0ns and doing
all the dirty work that can be found,
This may be for twenty-four hours or
twenty days, according to the gravity
of the offense.
Then comes pack drill or default
ers' parade. This consists of drilling,
mostly at tho double, for two hours
with full equipment. Tommy hates
this, because it Is hard work. Some
times he fills his pack with straw to
tighten ii, and sometimes he gets
caught. If he gets caught, he grouses
at everything in general for twenty
one days, from the vantage point of a
timber wheel.
Next comes &C. B." meaning cor
fined to barracks" This consists of
staying in billets or sarracks for twen'
ty-four hours to seven days. You also
get an occasional defaulters' parade
and dirty jobs around the quarters.
The sergeant major keeps what is
known as the crime sheet. When a
man commits an offense, he Is
"crimed," that is, his name, number
and offense is entered on the crime
sheet. Next day at 8 n. N. he goes to
the orderly room"sSefore the captain
who either Furnishes him with SC. T.
or sends him before the O. G. (oflcet
commanding battalion). The captain
of the company can only award &c. b.
Tommy many time has thanked
the king for making that provision in
his regulations.
To gain the title Of "smart soldier
Tommy has to keep clear of the crime
sheet, and you have to be darned smart
to do it.
| have been on it few times, most
ly for yankee impudence."
During our stay of two weeks In
rest bilets our captain put us through
Il course of machine-gun drills, trying
out new stunts and theories.
After parades were over, our guns
crews got together and also tried cui
some theories of their own in reference
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