The Cordova daily times., 1918-04-06

rleu Oi His instructions To the best of my memory I recall them es follows: At eleven a wiring party will go out ln front and cut lanes tbrongb our bafOeu Wire for the passage of troops in the morning. At two o'clock our artlilSiy VIII open up with an in- tense bOmoardment, which will last un- til four. Upon the lifting of the bar rage the n,st of the three waves will go over Then he left. Some of the Tommies' hFst getting permission from the sergeant went into the machine gunners' dugOut and wrote letters home. saying that in the morning they were going over the top, and also that if the letters reached their deetinotion it would mean that the writer had been killed
 These letters were turned over to the captain with instructions +o mall same in the event of the writer's being killed. some of the men made out their wills in their pay books. under the caption will and Last Testa- ment."
 Then the nerve-racking wait com menced, Every now and then I would glance at the dial of my wrist watch and was surprised to see how fast the minutes passed by. About five minutes to two lAgot nervous waiting for our guns to open up. I could not take my eyes from my watch. I crouched against the parapet and strained my muscles Tn deathlike grip upon my rife. As the hands on my watch showed two o'clock blinding red flare lighted up the sky in our rear. then thunder intermixed with a sharp, whls. tling sound in the air over our heads. The shells from our guns were speed ing on their way toward the German lines. With one accord the men Sprang up on the fire step and looked over the top in the direction of the German trenches. A line of bursting shells lighted up No Mans Land. The din was terrific and the ground trem- bled. Then, high above our heads we could hear signing moan. Our big boys behind the line had opened up and 9.2's and 15-inch shells commenced dropping into the German lines. The flash of the guns behind the lines. the scream of the shells through the air and the flare of them, bursting, was g spectacle that put Pains greatest dis play into the shade. The constant pup pup, of German machine guns an( an occasional rattle of rifle firing gave me the impression of a huge audience applauding the work of the batteries
 Our 18-pOunders were destroying tht German barbed wire, while the heavier stuff was demolishing their trenches and bashing in dugouts or funk holes
 Then Fritz got busy.
 Their shells went screaming over head, aimed in the direction of tn flares from our batteries. Trench nor tars stated dropping "Minnies" 1T our fAaA1ine. We clicked several cas ualties. Then they suddenly ceased Our artillery had taped or silence, them.
 During the bombardment you cOul almost lead a newspaper in our trench Sometimes in the flare of a shell-burs mans body would be silhouette against the parados of the trench an it appeared like a huge monster. YO could hardy hear yourself think. Whe an order was to be passed down tn trench you had to yell 1t, using you hands as funnel into the ear of tn man sitting next to you on the fire steI In about twenty minutes a generOu rum issue was doled out. After drlni ing the rum, which tasted like varuis and sent a shudder through you frame, you wondered why they mad you wait until the lifting of the bal rage before going over. At ten mir utes to four word was passed dowI Ten minutes to go!" Ten minute to live! We were shivering all owe My legs felt as if they were asleel Then word was passed down: "Firs wave get on and near the scaling laC ders."
 These were small wooden ladder which we had placed against the par' pet to enable us to go over the top O the lifting of the barrage. Ladders ( death" we called them, and veritabl they were,
 Before charge Tommy is the p, litest Of men. There is never any pusl ing or crowding to be first up thes ladders. We crouched around the bas of the ladders waiting for the wor to go oVer' was sick and faint. an was pulling away at an unlighted fla Then came the word, "Three minute to go; upon the lifting of the barrae and on the blast of the whistles, 'Ovt the top With the best O luck and giy them hell, The famous phrase ( the western front. The Jonah phras Of the western front. To Tommy means if you are lucky enough to con back you will be minus an arm or leg. Tommy hates to be wished th best Of luck; so, when peace Is d. ciared' II II ever is, and you meet Tommy on the street, Just wish him th best or luck and duck the brick tht follows.