The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1918-07-18
CHAPTER XXI.
punisaments and maehlne.cun Stunts

that In the British army discipline Is
very strict. one has to be very care
full 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 a
firing squad. or up against the WALL"
us Tommy calls II.
This Is for desertion. cowardlce. mu-
tiny. giving information To the enemy.
looting. rape. robbiug 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
I'm No Mans Land. and every hazardous
undertaking that comes along. II you
live through the sixty-four days you
are indeed lucky.
This punishment is rvarded where
there Is doubt ms To the wllful guilt
Of man who has committed an Of
fence punishable by death.
Then comes the famous neld pun
ishment No. l. Tommy has nicknamed
Il "crucifxion." II means that man
Is spread-eagled on Timber wheel,
two hours "A day for twenty-one days
During this time he only gets water,
bully beef and biscuits for his chow.
You get "crucihed" for repeated minor
Offensos.
Next in order is field punishment
No. ..
This is confinement in the "cilnk,"
without blankets, getting water. bully
beef and biscuits for ratious 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 ofrense.
Then comes pack drili" or default.
ers' parade. This consists Of drilling,
mostly at the double. for two hours
with full equipment. Tommy hates
this. because II Is hard work. Some
times he fills his pack with straw to
tighten Il. and sometimes he gets
caught. II he gets caught, he grouses
at everything In general for twenty.
one days. from the vantage point OF a
timber wheel.
Next comes &C. H." meaning econ
fined to barracks" This consists of
staying In billets or barracks for TWEEN
ty-four hours to seven days. You also
get an occasional defaulters' parade
md dirty Jobs around the quarters.
The sergeant major keeps what is
known MS the crime sheet. When
man commits an offense, he Is
"crimed." that is his name. number
and offense is entered on the crime
sheet. Next day at o Il. IN. he goes to
the orderly room" before the captain.
who either Furnishes him with &C. H."
ar sends him before the q. e. toiilcer
commanding battlllon). The captain
of the company can only award &C. H."
Tommy many a 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
10 do IT,
have been on II few times, most
ly for Yankee impudence."
During our stay OF two weeks In
rest billets our captain put US through
a course Of machlne-gun drills, trying
out new stunts and theories.
After parades were over. our guns
crews got together and also tried out
some theories OF their own in reference
to handling guns. These courses had
nothing TO do with the advancement OF
the war. consisted mostly Of causing
tricky jams in the gun. and then the
rest of the crew would endeavor TO To-
cate as quickly as possible the cause
Of the stoppage. This amused them
for few days and then things came to
standstill.
One Of the boys on my gun claimed
that he could play tune while the
gun was actually firing. and demon
strated this fact one day on the target
range. We were very enthusiastic and
decided TO become musicians.
After constant practice ! became
quite expert In the tune entitled "All
Conductors Have Big Feet"
When l had mastered this tune, our
two weeks rest came 10 an end, and
once again we went up the line and
took over the sector In front of G.
wood.
At this point the German trenches
ran around the base of a HILL on the !
top of which wns a dense wood. This