The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1918-04-25
XII.
Bombing.

6OmDlnS.
The boys in the section welcomed me
back, but there were many strange
faces. Several Of our men had gone
West in that charge, and were lying
somewhere in France" with Il little
wooden cross ut their heads. We were
in rest billets. The next day our cap
tain asked for volunteers for bombers'
school. l gave my name and was ac-
cepted. l had joined the Suicide club,
and my troubles commenced. Thirty
two men Of the battalion, including my
self, were sent to L, where we
went through Il course in bombing.
Here we were instructed In the uses,
methods of throwing and manufacture
of various kinds Of hand %grenades,
from he old "jam TIM" now obsolete.
to the present Mills bomb. the standard
Of the British army.
1t all depends where you are as to
what you are called. In France they
call you q bomber" and give you med
ais, while in neutral countries they
call you an anarchist and give you
"life."
From the very start the Germans
were well equipped with effective
bombs and trained bomb throwers, but
the English army was as little pre-
pared in his important department Of
lighting as in many others. At bomb
Ing school an old sergeant OF the Gren-
adler guards, whom I had the good
fortune to meet, told me Of the discour-
agelnents this branch Of the service
suffered before they could meet the
Germans on an equal footing. (Paci-
fists and small army people in the
U. ). please read with care.) The first
English eNpeditlonary forces had no
bombs at all. but had clicked q lot Of
casualties from those thrown by the
Boches. One bright morning someone
higher up had an idea M issued an
order detailing two men from each
platoon to go to bombing chOOl to
learn the duties Of a bomber and how
to manufacture bombs. Noncommis-
stoned officers were generally selected
for this course. After about two
weeks Mt school they returned to their
units in rest billets or In the fire
trench. as the case might be. and got
busy teaching their p~latoons how to
make "jam tins"
Previously an order had been issued
for all ranks to ave empty jam tins
fNr the manufacture Of bombs. A pro-
fessor Of bombing would sit on the
fire step in the front trench with the
remainder Of his section crowding
around to see him work.
On his left would be a pile Of empty
aud rusty jam tins, while beside him
on the fire step would he 81 miscella-
ncous assortment Of material used In
the manufacture Of the Jam tins"
Tommy would stoop down. get an
empty "jam tin," take a handful Of
clayey mud from the parapet, and line
the inside of the tin with this sub
stance. Then he would reach over,
pick up his detonator and explosive,
aud insert them in the tin, fuse pro-
truding. On the fire step would be a
pile Of fragments Of shell, shrapnel
balls, bits Of iron, nails. etc.-anything
that was hard enough to send over to
Fritz; he would scoop up n handful OF
this junk and put 1t 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 fly about and kill or
wound any German hit by same; the
Questioner would Immediately pull a
button off his tunic and hand 1t, to
the bomb maker with, "Well, blame
i me, send this over as 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 fill the tin
after which he would punch a hole In
the lid Of the tin and put 1t over the
ton of the bomb. the fuse sticking out
Then perhaps ne would tightly wral
] wire around the outside of the tin. ant
the bomb was ready to send over t.
Fritz with Tommy's compliments.
; A piece Of wood about four inches
wide had been issued. This was to b
strapped on the left forearm by meal,
g OF two leather straps and was like tn
3 side of q match box; 1t was called
striker" There was a tip like tn
head OF a match on the fuse Of tn