Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-03-13

glance ut the Q1ai Of my Wrl3L W8{lR
and was surprised to see how last ti3a
minutes passed BY. About ave minslses
TO stwosI got nervous waiting for our
guns to open up. 4 could not take my
eyes from my watch. II ttouchsd
against the parapet and strained my
muscles ina deathIike grip upon my
rifle. As the-shands san lInt watcl,
showed two o'clock binding red flare
lighted up the sky In our rear, then
| thundeFs .intermixed with q sharp Wits
Ting sound In the air over our heads.
The shells from oar guns lwee,es speed
ing on their way toward the German
lines. With one accord the men
| sprang upon the fire step and IookSai
over the. top in the direction u the
German trenches. a line of bursting
shells lighted up No Mans Land. The
din. was terrific and the ground .tresi,
bled.s Then, high above our heads We
could hear signing moan.8 0ur.bis
boys behind the line had opened, up
and -9.2's and 15-fnch shells .coQnienc6t
dropping into the German lines. The
flash Of the guns behind the lines, Inc
scream Of the shells through the air
and the fare OF them. bursting. wac
spectacle that put Pain's greHtest
/ play into the shade. The con-
pup, pup, Of German machiHa 8z1ng Kna
an occasional rattle Of rifle fFlnx A
| me the impression Of q huge 6n iAhSt''
applanding the work of the bntt
Our 1s-pounders were dssff1S 'tRa'
German barbed wire, while The heavier
stuff was demoIishing their rduehas
and bashing in dugonfs or. funk holes,
Then Fritz got busy. sssss Hi III
Their shells went screaming over
head, aimed in the direction 0Esth
flares from our batteries. Trench f16rt
tars started dropping MiAt}je
our front line. We clicked several. cas-
uaItiess Then they sndiieAIy eeaaelz
Our artillery had taped pr silslCsd
them. ge. q s. s..s s24.ssss !. ss
During the bombardments you eeslt]
almost read newspaper In our frencb.
| Sometimes In the flare OF. shell-burst
a mans body would be silhouetted
against the parados Of the. trench and
it appeared Ikea huge monster. You
could hardly hear yourself think. When
an order was to be passed down the
trench you had to yell it., using your
hands as funnel into the ear Of the
man sitting next to you on the fire step.
In about twenty minutes a generous
rum issue was doled out. After drink
| ing the rum, which tasted like varnish
and sent a shudder through your
frame. you wondered why they made
you. wait until the lifting Of the bar.
rage before going over. At ten min
utes to four word was passed down,
"Ten minutes to go r. Ten minutes
to live! We were shivering sall sover.
EMy legs felt as II they swere xesleep.
Then word was passed Gown y SFfrst
wave get on and near the scaling lad:
| ders."
These were small wooden LADDERS
which we had placed against The pafhs
pet to enable us, to go over the top. ~
| the lifting OF the barrage.~ ''LaddeEss0f
death" we called them, and verbally
| they were. Ns Esx s'gs-A
| Before 8zcharge Tommy n tho ~
| litest Of men. There is never any paeAt
ing or crowasngs 70 pc nFsss eg n
ladders. we ereueneo afoAnQ S1s 49,
OF the LADDERS waning for tnc N "a z.
60 go over was sack ana 1s.sss. tna
was pumng away az an uni'ense
Inen came me wore, .a tnfeA msn
70 GO ;:suppn the hIuns q tne spet5ea II
anu on me ptast OF tne whlstaess N1vs 81
me Top Win me oesL 9. sluck sn8T ~ III.
them nens" Inc famous Rnsnes2 oz'
me western front. Ine. yonan pnlsee
% the Wsstefn Lfont. ~ y :. q
means = you are tucsy enough: 70 consc
PACK You VINE % minus AM s.s - 81. =
leg. tommy mares ~ Det 49, y. D, NJ
pest q luck go wnen. peacss = 1..' go
c.areo' Z v. ever ~ anos yous uess ~
tommy On the slseet. 3uss WIN. s!n ~
pest Of luck ana suucK inc DITCH stua0