The Robesonian., 1918-07-15

IN rest billets. The next day our cap
tain asked for volunteers for bombers'
school. gave my name and was ac-
cepted. / had joined the Suicide club,
and INV troubles commenced. Thirty
two men of the battalion, including my
SELF were sent to L, where we
went through a course In bombing.
Here we were instructed in the uses,
methods of throwing and manufacture
Of various kinds Of hand grenades,
from the old liam tin," 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 bomber" and give you med
ais, while in neutral countries they
call you an anarchist and give you
qife."
From the very start the Germans
we're well equipped with effective
bombs and trained bomb throwers, but
the English army was as little pre-
pared in this 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-
agements this branch of the service
suffered before they could meet the
Germans on an equal footing. (Paci-
nsts and small army people in the
U'S' please read with care.) The first
English expeditionary forces had no
bombs at all, but had clicked a lot of
casualties from those thrown by the
boches. One bright morning someone
mgher up had an idea and issued an
O,Oer detailing two men from each
pAtoon to go to bombing school to
Nafn the duties of a bomber and how
" manufacture bombs. Noncommis'
aOned officers were generally selected
tOr thls course. After about two
weeks at school they returned to theil
unlS IN rest billets or in the fire
uench' as the case might be, and go1
uuSy reaching their platoons how tt
make 31am tins"
PREVIOUSLY an order had been ISSUED
.0 -. al ranks to save empty jam tim
.Oi ue manufacture of bombs. A pro
s. tSsSor or bombing would sit on tn
.te step in the front trench with tn
,suainder of his section crowdin
A'ouhu to see him work.
~, vi MS left would be pile Of empt
auu rusty jam tins, while beside hir
ra. NJ sle IRE step would be a miscella
~ ue assortment of material used i
'T III manufacture of the ''jam tins"
sn., rVluny would stoop down, get a
c,nI npV Jam tin," take handful c
II" NY mud from the parapet, and lin
Vo. lDSiue or the tin with this sui
rio. 'e' Then he would reach owe
sns s,a up his detonator and explosiv
trra,l ru insert them in the tin, fuse pr
nna On the fire step would be
han. VI fragments of shell, shrapn
,bo. OitS OF iron, nails, etc.-anythir
prt, +s was hard enough to send over
tMs H., ne would scoop up handful
han JUNK and put it in the bomb. Pc
wbo. Vie OF the platoon would ask hi
er,s, s ne did this for, and he wou
thss" n that when the bomb explod
von Jus would fly about and kin
ousas 4a any German hit by same: t
bpttonUo would Immediately pull
tho ~ ~ OH his tunic and hand it
mo ., oollo maker with, swell, blar
aDotbe henu this over as souvenir"
Old % ,n tommy would volunteer
vorlS luS'y and broken jackknife: be
m 'e accepted and inserted.
oba. 'I the professor would take s
afte. nahdful Of mud and fill the t
he rs "illch he would punch a hole
top % p ,, VI the tin and put it over t
?ion the bomb, the fuse sticking O
rire perhaps he would tightly WI
The bo, round the outside of the tin, a
Frt,, ,',no r! was ready to send over
WIN Tommy's compliments.
Wide M Piece PIE Of wood about four incl
stsnnaa.u au oeen issued. This was to
n w. Spea on the left forearm BY mes
sasner straps and was Ike |,