The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-04-26

pared IN TINS Important department. "
frhtinr as in many others At bomb
ing school an old sergeant OF the Gren-
adler guards. whom ! had the good
fortune to meet. told me OF the diseour-
agements this branch Of the service
suffered before they could meet the
Germans on an equal footing. tfaci-
fists and small army people In the
u. S. please read with care) The nrst
English expedItIonary forces had no
bombs at ali. but had clicked lot or
casualties from those thrown by the
Boches. One bright morning someone
higher up had an idea and issued an
order detailing two mcn from eaeh
platoon TO go 10 bombing school TO
learn the duties OF bomber and how
TO manufacture bombs. Noncommls-
stoned officers were generally selected
for this course. After about two
weeks at school they returned 20 thelr
units in rest billets or In the nre
trench. as the case might be. and got
busy teaching their plaloons how to
mike siam tins"
Previously an order had been Issued
fer all rDrks TO save empty jam tins
for the manufacture Of bombs. 4 Pre-
fcssor of bombing would sit on the
fire step in the front trench with the
remainder Of his section crowdins
around TO see him work.
on his left would be pile Of empty
and rusty jam tins. while beside him
on the ERE step would be miscella-
neOus assortment OF material used In
the manufacture OF the "jam tins
Tommy would stoop down. get an
empty Siam tin" take a handful OF
clayey mud from the parnpet and line
the inside OF the tin with this sub
stance. Then he would reach over.
pick up his detonator and explosive.
and insert them In the tin. fuse pro-
truding. On the FIRE step would be a
pile OF fragments % shell. shrapnel
balls, bits Of iron. nails. etc.-anythlng
that was hard enough TO send over TO
Fritz; he would scoop Up handful OF
this junk and put II in the bomb. Per
haps one OF the platoon would ask him
what he did this for. and he would
explain that when the bomb exploded
these bits would fy about and kill or
wound any German hit by same; the
questioner would immediately pull 4
button on his tunic and hnnd II 10
the bomb maker with. swell. blame
me. send this over A. souvenir" or
another Tommy would volunteer an
old rusty and broken jackknife; both
would be accepted and inserted.
Then the professor would take an
other handful Of mud and MI the tin,
after which he would punch a hole IN
the lid OF the tin and put II over the
top Of the bomb, the fuse sticking out
Then perhaps he would tightly wrap
wire around the outside Of the tin. and
the bomb was ready TO rend over to
Fritz with Tommy.s compliments
A piece OF wood about four inches
wide had been issued. This was to BE-
strapped on the left forearm BY means
Of two leather straps ard was Ike the
side OF match box; II was called a
striker" There was q tip like the
head Of a match on the Fuss OF the
bomb. To ignite the fuse. you had to
rub II on the striker just the same
as striking a match. The fuse was
timed to I'VE seconds or longer, Some
OF the fuses issued in those days would
burn down in a second or two. while
others would "slxz" for q week before
exploding. Back in Bliehiy the muni
tlon workers weren't quite up 10 smuff
the way they are now. 1.-THE fuse took
a notion to burn too quickly they gen
ernlly buried the bomb maker next
day. So making bombs could not b.
called n -cushy" or safe Job.
After making several bombs the pro
lessor instructs the platoon In throw
ing them. He takes "jam tin" from
the fire step. trembling little. be
cause II II nervous work, especially
when new at II. lights the fuse on his
striker. The fuse begins to "sirzr and
sputter and spiral Of smoke, like
that from a smoldering fag. rises IRON
It. The platoon splits In two and
ducks around the traverse nearest e
them. They don't like the looks and
sound of the burning fuse. When that
fuse begins TO smoke and "siEs- you
want to say good-by to It as soon as
possible, 30 Tommy with all his might
chucks II over the top and crouches
against the parapet waiting for the
explosion.
Lots Of times in bombing the 'jam
tin" would be picked up by the Ger.
mans. before II exploded, and thrown
back Mt Tommy with dire results.
After lot Of men went West In this
manner an order was issued, reading
something like this:
ITO all ranks In the British army
After ignlting the fuse and before
throwing the jam-tin bomb. count
slowly one twol threew
This in order to give the fuse time
enough to burn down, so that the bomb
would explode before the Germans
could throw 1t back.
Tommy read the order-he reads
them all. but after he ignited the fuse
and 1t began TO smoke-orders were
forgotten. and away she went in record
time and back she came to the further
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