Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-08-23
non uno rronr.line trenches, mas,ns

non nnd fr0nv-line trenches, mna,ng
note Of unusual occurrences, and ar.
resting anyone who should, to us, ap.
pear to be acting In suspicious man
ner, We slept during the day.
Behind the lines there was great nc
tivlty, supplies and ammunition pour
Ing In, and long columns Of troops con.
stnntly passing. We were preparing
for the big offensive, the forerunner
OF the battle OF the Somme or big
Push"
The never.endlng stream OF men,
supplies, ammunition and guns pour
Ing into the front lines made mighty
spectacle, one that cannot be de-
scrlbcd. II has to be witnessed with
your own eyes to appreciate Its vast
ness.
Al our part OF the line the influx Of
supplies never ended. II looked like
n huge snake slowly crawling forward,
never hitch or break, wonderful
tribute to the sysrlu and efficiency Of
Great Britaln's contemplate little
army" of five millions Of men.
Huge fteeninch guns snaked along,
foot by foot, by powerful steam tract.
tors. Then long line of -four poin,
five batteries, each gun drawn by six
horses, then n couple Of nine point
two" howitzers pulled by immense
caterpillar engines
When one of these caterpillnrs would
pass me with its mighty monster in
Tow, 4 flush of pride would mount to
my face, because could plainly read
on the name plate, MADE in U. s. A."
and | would remember that II wore n
name pnte 1t would also read, From
the t. :. A." Then would stop to
think how thin aud straggly that
mighty stream would be II all the
Made in U. s. A. parts Of II were
withdrawn.
Then would come hundreds Of lin.
beers and &c. s. wagons drawn by
sleek, wellfed mules, ridden by sleek,
well-fcd men. ever smiling, although
srimy with sweat and covered with the
fine, white dust OF the marvelousy
well-made French roads.
What discournging report the Ger
man airmen must have taken back to
their division commanders, and this
stream is slowly but surely getting big.
ger and bigger every day, and the pace
is always the same. No slower, no
faster. but ever onward, ever forward.
Three weeks before the big push Of
July las the battle OF the Somme has
been ralled-started. exact duplicates
OF the German trenches were dug
about thirty kilos behind our lines.
The layout OF the trenches was taken
from airplnne photographs submitted
by the Royal flying corps. The trench.
es were correct 10 the foot; they
showed dugouts, saps. barbed wire de-
lenses and danger spots.
Battalions that were to 60 over In
the first waves were sent back for
three days to study these trenches, en-
gage In practice attacks and have night
maneuyers. Each man was required to
make mp Of the trenches and ia
mllarize himself with the names and
location OF the parts his battalion was
TO attack.
In the American army noncommis-
stoned officers are put through course
Of map making or road sketchng, and
during my six years service In the
United States cavalry | had plenty Of
practice In this work. therefore map
ping these trenches was compare
lively easy task for me. Each man
had to submit his map TO the company
commander TO be passed upon, and |
was lucky enough to have mine select.
ed as being sufficiently authentic TO use
In the attack,
No photographs or maps are allowed
10 leave France, but in this case II APP
pealed to me as a valuable souvenir OF
The great war and | managed to SNUG.
gle 1t through. At this time 1t carries
no military Importance as the British
lines, am happy TO say, have since
been advanced beyond this point, so
In having II In my possession am not
breaking any regulation or cautions
Of the British army.
The whole attack was rehearsed
and rehenrsed until we heartily cursed
the one who had conceived the idea.
The trenches were named according
10 system which made It very simple
for Tommy to find, even in the dark,
any point in the German lines.
These imitation trenches, or trench
models, were well guarded from obser-
Walton by numerous allied planes
which constantly 0Wled above them
No German airpiane could approach
within observation distance. A re-
Stricted area was maintained and no
civilian was allowed within three
miles. so we felt sure that we had Q
great surprise In store for Fritz.