Oxford eagle., 1918-07-25
Till TOD
~
AN Ar1ERICAN SOI,DIER
WHO WENT 9 a
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
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the blade Of which Is about eight
inches long with a heavy steel guard
over the grip. This guard is studded
with steel projections AT night In
trench. which is only about three TO
four feet wide, II makes q very handy
weapon. One punch in the face gen.
orally skaters q mans jaw and you
can get him with the knife as he goes
down.
Then we had what we called our
-come-alongS" These are strands Of
barbed wire about three feet long.
made into q moose az one end; at the
other end. the barbs are cut OF and
Tommy Sins his wrist through g loop
70 get a good grip on The wire. II The
prisoner wants 10 argue the point why
Just place the large loop around his
neck and no matter IL Tsnmy wishes
to return 10 his trenches al the walk.
trot, or Callop. Fritz is perfectly agree
able 10 maintain Tommy's rate OF
speed
We were ordered to black our faces
and hands. For this reason; At night.
the English and Germans use what
they call star shells. sort Of rocket
affair. They are fired from q large
pistol about twenty inches long, which
ts held over the sandbag parapet of the
trench, and discharged into the air.
These star shells attain a height OF
about sixty feet. and a range Of from
fifty 70 seyenty-five yards. When they
hit the ground they explode. throwing
out q strong calcium light which lights
up the ground in circle Of radius OF
between ten TO fifteen yards. They
also have q parachute star shell which,
after reaching q height Of about sixty
feet. explodes. A parachute unfolds
and slowly floats 10 the ground, light
ing up large circle In No Mans Land.
The Official name OF the star shell Is
-yery-light" yery-lights are used
ID prevent night surprise attacks on
the trenches. II q star shell falls in
front OF you, or between you and the
German lines. you are safe from detec-
ton. as the enemy cannot see you
through the bright curtain Of light
But II IL falls behind you and. as Tom
NY says. you get in the star shell
zone" then the fun begins; you have
b lie fat on your stomach and remain
absolutely motionless until the light Of
the shell dies out This takes any
where from forty TO seventy seconds.
n you haven't time 70 fall 10 the
ground you must remain absolutely
aill In whatever position you were In
when the light exploded; II is advis-
able not 10 breathe. rs Fritz has an
ere Ike an eagle when he thinks you
are knocking al his door. When q star
shell In burning In Tommys rear be
can hold his breath for q week.
You blacken your face and hands 50
that the light from the star shells viii
not reaect on ycur pale face In 6
meant that we were TO crawl forward
elowly-and believe me. very slowly
Tor i've yards. and then halt TO await
further instructions Three taps meant
when you arrived within striking dis
tance Of the German trench, rush II
and infiict as many casualties as pos
1ble. secure couple Of prisoners. and
then back 10 your own lines with III.
speed clutch open -Four taps meant
Il have gotten YOU into a position from
which II is impossible for me 10 extri
cate you. so you are on your own"
After getting Tommy into a mess OF
he western front he is generally told
0at he is ION his own" This means
Save your skin in any way possible
npmmy loves 10 be ION his own" bshint
DE lines. but not during q trench raid
The star shells from the German
fnes were falling In front Of US, there
fore We were safe After about twen
u minutes We entered the star shel
zone. A star shell from the Germal
lines fell about Eve yards In the rea
and TO the right OF me; We hugged tn
ground and held our breath until 1
burned out. The smoke from the sta
shell travelled along the ground an
Qossed over the middle Of our linz
@<--t LOAAA4t c1CtLc4- 44G eAlOkc In
eptten ny his nose. We crouched o
0e ground. cursing the offender unde
ow breath. and waited the volley ths
generally ensues when the German
have heard a noise In No Mans Ian.
Nothing happened We received w
txps and crawled forward slowly fc
I'VE yards; no doubt the ofhcer b
heyed what Old Pepper had said. Pc
pnally believe that that part Of u
German trench Is unoccupied-" By b
fg careful and remaining motionles
when the star shells sell behind MS, "
reached the German barbed wire wit
out mishap. Then the fun began.
vas scared stiff as IL is ticklish wo,
Otung your way through wire whe
peout thirty feet in front Of you thel
is line OF Boches looking out into \
Mans Land with their rifles lyir
across the parapet. straining eyei
sense TO see or hear what Is going &
IN No Mans Land; because ar nigh
Fritz never knows vhen q bomb Wit
his name and number on II win con
hnz<azng throngh she air aimed In q