The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-04-18
nareu wrist watcn-1t was eleven

nareu wrist watcn-1t was eleven
o'clock
Before entering this trench, word
was passed down the line, mo talking
or smoking, lead off in single file, COW
ering party first"
This covering party consisted of 80
men, armed with rifles, bayonets,
bombs, and two Lewis machine guns.
They were to protect us and guard
against a surprise attack while dig
gfng in No Mans Land.
The communication trench was
about half a mile long, a zigzagging
ditch, eight feet deep and three feet
wide.
Now and again, German shrapnel
would whistle overhead and burst in
our vicinity. We would crouch against
the earthen walls while the shell frag-
ments "slapped" the ground above us.
Once Fritz turned loose with a ma
chine gun, the bullets from which
"cracked'' through the air and kicked
up the dirt on the top, scattering sand
and pebbles, which, hitting our steel
helmets, sounded like hailstones.
Upon arrival in the fire trench an
officer of the Royal Engineers gave us
our instructions and acted as guide.
We were to dig an advanced trench
two hundred yards from the Germans
(the trenches at this point were six
hundred yards apart).
Two winding lanes, five feet wide,
had been cut through our barbed wire,
for the passage of the diggers. From
these lines white tape had been laid
on the ground to the point where we
were to commence work. This in or
der that we would not get lost in the
darkness. The proposed trench was
also laid out with tape.
The covering party went out first.
After a short wait, two scouts came
back with information that the work
ing party was to follow and "carry on
with their work.
In extended order, two yards apart,
we noiselessly crept across No Mans
Land. It was nervous work; every
minute we expected a machine gun to
open fire on us. Stray bullets 'cracked'
around us, or a ricochet sang over
head.
Arriving at the taped diagram OF
the trench, rifles slung around our
shoulders, we lost no time in getting
to work. We dug as quietly as pos
sible but every now and then the noise
of a pick or shovel striking a stone
would send the cold shivers down our
backs. Under our breaths we heartily
cursed the offending Tommy.
At intervals a star shell would go up
from the German lines and we would
remain motionless until the glare Of its
white light died out.
When the trench had reached q
depth of two feet we felt safer, be-
cause it -,ould afford us cover in case
we were discovered and fred on.
The digging had been in progress
about two hours, when suddenly hell
seemed to break loose in the form Of
machine gun and rife fire.
We dropped down on our bellies in
the shallow trench, bullets knocking
up the ground and swapping in the air.
Then shrapnel butted in. The music
was hot and Tommy danced.
The covering party was having q
rough time of it; they had no cover;
just had to take their medicine.
Word was passed down the line to
beat it for our trenches. We needed no
urging; grabbing our tools and stoop-
ing low, we legged it across No Mans
Land. The covering party got away
to a poor start but beat us in. They
must have had wings because we low
cred the record.
Painting and out of breath, we tum-
bled into our front-line trench. tore
my hands getting through our wire,