Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-07-12

that train; 1t was al his fault ESQ we
reasoned) why hadn't he speeded up a
little or been on time, then we would
have gotten of before the order ar
rived? Now II was no Bllghty for US.
That return journey was misery to
us; | Just can't describe Il.
When we got back to rest blllets, we
found that our brigade was In the
trenches (another agreeable surprlse)
and that an attack was contemplated.
Seventeen OF the forty-one will never
get another chance to 60 on leave;
they were killed In the attack. Just
think II that train had been on time,
those seventeen would still be alive.
hate to tell you how | was kdded
by the boys when got back, but II was
good and plenty.
Our machine gun company took over
their part OF the line at seven o'clock
the night after I returned from my
near leave.
At $3.50 the following morning three
waves went over and captured the first
and second German trenches. The
machine gunnerS went over with the
fourth wave to consolidate the cap
tured line or dig in" rs Tommy calls
II.
Crossing No Mans Land without
clicking any casualties. We came TO
the German trench and mounted our
guns on the parados OF same.
| never saw such mess in my life
punches Of twisted barbed wire lying
about, she'll holes everywhere, trench
, all Dashed In, parapets gone, and dead
: bodies. why, that ditch was full OF
e them, theirs and ours. II was a regu
lar morgue. Some were mangled hor
! ribly from our shell fire, while other'
e were wholly or partly buried In tn
0 mud, the result Of she'll explosions cav
Ing in the walls Of the trench. on
2 dead German was lying on his back
j with rifle sticking straight up In III
q air, the bayonet of which was burie'
:. to the hllt In his chest. Across his fee
D lay dead English soldier with bu
let hole In his forehead. This Tomm
/ must have been killed just as he ra
: his bayonet through the German.
e Rifles and equipment were scattere
e about, and occasionally steel helm'
could be seen sticking out Of the nut
e At one point, just in the entrance
e communication trench. was stretcl
!. err on this stretcher German WI
}. lying with a white bandage around h
knee. near to him lay one of Il
n stretcher.bearers. the red cross on h
N arm covered with mud and his helm
I. filed with blood and brains. Close b
1; sitting up against the wall of Il
re trench, with head resting on his ches
was the other stretcher-bearer. /
Of seemed to be alive, the posture was
n natural and easy; but when l 6
lie closer could see large, jagged no
es In his temple. The three must ha
,h been killed by the same shell-burst.
n. The dugouts were all smashed In al
knocked about, big square-cut tlmbe
ne splintered into bits. walls caved In al
cd entrances choAed.
Tommy, after taking trench, lear
In, to his sorrow that the hardest part
nd the work is TO hold 1t.
Ia In our case this proved to be so.
Ike The German artillery and mach
so guns had US tapped tranged) for fa
We 1t was worth your life to expose 20,
re self an instant.
In Don't think for a minute that
Of Germans were the only sufferers;
IRE were clicking casualties so fast Il
you needed an adding machine to Ike
TO track of them.
his Did you ever see one OF the ste
ere shovels at work on the Panama can
i'd Well, 1t would look like hen scrat
ust ing alongside of Tommy digging
II while under fire. You couldn't see d
'ou light through the clouds Of dirt fr
In his shovel.
ons After losing three out Of six men
urn our crew we managed to set up
ms. machine gun. One Of the legs Of
eft. tripod was resting on the chest o
nen half-burled body. When the gun '
on firing, 1t gave the impression that
9TH. body was breathing. This was eau
,me by the excessive vibration.
heir Three or four feet down the treI
ent about three feet from the ground
foot was protruding from the ea