Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-10

| nave only got n1teen minutes. a
! howl of indignation from the creek
greeted this order. but out we came
Discipline Is discipline. We lined VI
| in front OF our billet with rifles and
bayonets (why you need rifles and
hayopets to take bath gets mc), q
| full quota of ammunition, and our tin
hats. Each man had a piece of soap
and n towel. After an eight-kilo march
| along dusty road, with an occasional
shell whistling overhead. we arrived
at a little squat frame building upon
| the bank of creek. Nailed over the
which read divisional Baths" In a
wooden shed in the rear we could hear
a wheezy old engine pumping water
We lined UP in front of the baths
soaked with perspiration, and piled
our rifles into stacks. a sergeant OF
F! the r. a. NJ c. with a yellow band
around his left arm on which was
rs. r." SANITARY police) In black let
| ters, took charge, ordering US to take
| off our equipment, unroll our puttees
the right of the line, he divided us
| into squads OF fifteen. I happened to
| be in tho first squad.
We entered small room where we
| were given five minutes to undress.
| then filed into the bathroom. In here
there were fifteen tubs (barrels sawed
| in two) half-full OF water. Each tub
contained a piece OF laundry soap
| The sergeant informed US that we had
| just twelve minutes In which to take
our baths. Soaping ourselves all over.
we took turns in rubbing each others
washed the soap Off. The water was
| ice cold. but felt fine.
| Pretty soon bell ing. and the
| water was turned OK. Some of the
| slower ones were covered with soap.
but this made no difference to the ser
ny,s Ohio s,~y-
room. where we lined up in front or a
little window. resembling the box Of
| flee In a theater, and received clean
underwear and towels. From here we
went into the room where we had first
undressed. Ten minutes was allowed
in which to get into our "clabbcr."
My pair OF drawers came up to my
chin and the shirt barely reached my
| diaphram. but they were clean-no
strangers on them, and so was salts
| fed.
At the expiration OF the time allotted
dressing on the grass.
When all of the company had bathed
it was case of march back to biIlets.
That march was the most uncongenial
one imagined just cussing and blind
ing all the way. We were covered
with white dust and felt greasy from
sweat. The wooden underwear issued
was itching like the mischief.
After eating our dinner OF stew,
which had been kept for us-it was
now o'clock-we went into tho creek
and had another bath.
IL Holy joe could have heard our
| remarks about tho divisional baths and
army red tape, he would have tainted
at our wickedness. But Tommy is
only human after all.
l just mentioned Holy Joe" or the
chaplain. In an irrevcrent sort OF way.
but no offense was meant. as there
were some very brave men among
them.
There arc so many instances OF
heroic deeds performed under fire In
reScung the wounded that 1 twould
take several books to chronicle them,
but have to mention one instance err
formed by a chaplain. Captain Hall by
name, in the brigade on our left. be-
cause II particularly appealed to me.
a chaplain Is not fighting man: he
Is recognized as a noncombatant, and
carries no arms. In q charge or trench
raid the soldier gets feeling OF con-
fidence from contact with his rife. re-
volver or bomb he is carrying. He has
something with which he can inflict
harm on the enemy-in other words,
he is able to get his own back
But the chaplain is empty handed
and is at the mercy of the enemy If
he encounters them. SO it is doubly
p'"' io' hihi 10 30 over the Top, I'M
der fire, and bring in wounded. Also
chaplain is not required by the Kings
regulations to go over in a charge,
but this one did. made three trips
under the hottest kind OF fire, each
time returning with a wounded man
on his back. On the third trip he re-
ceived a bullet through his left arm,
but never reported the matter to the
doctor until late that night-just spent
his time administering to the wants
of the wounded lying on stretchers
waiting to be carried to the rear by
ambulanccs.
The chaplains in the British army
are fine. manly set of men. and are
greatly respected by Tommy.