Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-24
trench and its bullets were raking the

parapct.
Then over they came. bayoncts glis-
tenins. In their respirators, which
have large snout in front. they
looked like some horrible nightmare.
All along our trench rifles and ma
chine guns spoke, our Shrapnel was
F.. bursting over their heads. They went
down in heaps. but new ones took the
place of the fallen. Nothing could stop
| that mad rush. The Germans reached
our barbcd wire, which had previously
been demolished by their shells, then
II was bomb against bomb, and the
devil for all.
/ Suddenly. my head seemed to burst
/ from loud crack in my ear Then
my head began to swim, throat got dry.
and a heavy pressure on the lungs
warned me that my helmet was leak
ing. Turning my gun over 10 No. =.
, l changed helmets.
The trench started TO wind like a
snake. and sandbagS appeared to be
floating in the air. The noise was hor-
ribie; | sank onto the fire step, needles
seemed to be pricking my flesh. then
. blackness.
was awakened by one of my mates
removing my smoke helmet. How de-
| licious that cool, fresh air felt i'm my
lungs.
n strong wind had risen and dis
persed the gas. They told me that
thought | was dead.
\ The attack had been rcpulscd after
Il hard fight. Twice the Germans had
gained foothold in our trench, but
/ had been driven out by COMMENTATORS
/ The trench was filled with their dead
and ours. Through Il pcriscopc.
counted eighteen dead Germans in our
wire; they were CHASTITY sigh, in
their horriblc-lo looking rcspirators.
examined my first smoke helmet a
bullet had gone through ii on the left
side, Just grazing my car. the gas had
penetrated through the hole made in
the cloth.
out OF our crew of six, We lost two
I Killed and two wounded
That night we buried all of the dead
excepting those in mo mans land" In
death there is not much distinction.
friend and foe are treated alike.
After the wind had dispersed the
gas. the Il. y. NJ. &. got busy with
their chemical sprayers, spraying out
the dusouts and low parts OF the
trenches to dissipate any fumes of tho
German gas which may have been Turk
ing in same.
Two days after the gas attack.
was sent TO division Headquarters i'm
answer to an order requesting that cap
tainS of units should detail a man
whom they thought capable of passing
an examination for the divisional in
teliigcnce department..
Before leaving for this assignment
! went along the front line trench say
ing Eood-by to my mates and lordinc
IL over them, telling them that | had
clicked a cuShy job behind the lines.
and how sorry | felt that they had 10
stay in the front line and argue OUT
the war with Fritz. They were en-
vious but still good naturcd. and as |
! left the trench 10 go to the rear they
! shouted after me:
| GOOD luck iank, old boy, don't for
get 10 send up a few fass TO your old
mates"
promised to do this and left.
reported at headquarters with six.
teen others and passed the required
examination. Out of the sixteen appIi-
cants four were selected.
was highly elatcd because I was.
as thought In for a cushy job back n
the base.
The next morning the four reported
to division headquarters for instruc-
! tons. Two OF the men were sent 10
Large towns in the rear OF the lines
! Wiih an easy job. When il came cur
! turnthe officer told us we were good
men and had passed a very creditable
| examination.
My tin hat began TO get too small
TO- me. ana noted that the other
man. Atwcll by name, was sticking his
. chest out more than usual
The officer continued: 81 thinl,
can use YOU two men TO great advan-
iaSc in the front line. Here are your
orders AID Instructions. also the pass
which gives You fun authority as spe-
cial NJ u. detailed on intelligence wor,;
! report at the front line according to
! Your instructions. IT is risky work,
a:d wish you both the best OF luck"
MY heart dropped 10 zero, and At
| wclis race was study. We saluted
and left.
That wishing US the "best of luck"
sounded very ominous in our cars; IL
he had said ~ wish you both a svift
AMI painless DEATH" 1t would have
| been more 10 the point
When we had read our instructions
We knew we were in for it good and
plenty.
What Atwell said Is not fl for pub
lcation, but | strongly seconded his
| opinion OF the war. army and divi-
sional headquarters in general
After bit our spirits rose We were
4 fuil-hedGed -catchers. because our
I instructions and orders said So
We Immediately reported to the
nearest French estamnct and had sew
eral glasses OF muddy water which
| the" called beer. After drinking orr
peer we left the estaminet and hailed
an empty ambulance.
-h:er showing the driver our passes
we got in. The driver was going to
/ trc part of the line where we had to
/ report.
/ Tie ambulance was a Ford. and lived
In TO its reputation.
I Low the wounded ever survived ,
r:de IL II was inexplicable to me- II
. was worse than riding on gun car
rage over rocky road.
The driver OF the ambulance was
/ corporal Of the r. a. NJ. c., and he
/ had the wind up that is. he had an
aversion 10 being under fire.
/ was riding on the seat with him
I while Atwcii was sitting in the am
hu!ancc. with his legs hanging out Of
J the back.
4 As we passed through shell.
destroyed village. mounted military
policeman stopped us and informed the
. driver to be very careful when we got
out on the open road. as it was very
; dangerous. because the Germans lately