The Robesonian., 1918-07-15
PAGE SEVEN

There We're twenty in me party, my
self included. Armed with picks,
shovels and empty sandbags we ar
rived at the "ideal spot and started
digging. The moon was very bright.
but We did not care as we were well
out Of sight of the German lines
We had gotten about three feet
down, when the fellow next to me. aft
'er mighty stroke with his pick. let go
of the handle, and pinched his nose
with his thumb and forefinger. at the
same time letting out the explosion,
"GOtt strafe me pink. I'm bloody well
gassed, not 'alf / amt" / quickly
turned in his direction with an inquir-
ing look, at the same instant reaching
for my gas bag. / soon found out what
was ailing him. One whiff was enough
and / lost no time in also pinching my
nose. The stencil was awful The rest
Of the digging party dropped their
picks and shovels and beat il for the
weather side of that solitary pick. The
officer came over and inquired why the
work had suddenly ceased. holding our
noses, we simply pointed in the direc-
ttion of the smell. He went over to the
pick, Immediately clapped his hand
over his nose, made an about turn"
and came back. Just then our cap
tain came along and Investigated, but
after abcut a minute said we had bet
ter carry on with the digging, that he
stopped as the odor was very faint,
but If necessary he would allow us our
gas helmets while digging. He would
stay and see the thing through, but he
had to report back to brigade head
] quarters Immediately. We wished that
we were captains and also had a date
at brigade headquarters. With our gas
! helmets on we again attacked that hole
and uncovered the decomposed body Of
a German; the pick was sticking in his
, chest. One of the men tainted. ] was
, that one. Upon this our lieutenant
halted proceedings and sent word back
) to headquarters and word came back
? that after we filled in the hole we could
= knock off for the night. This was well
: come tidings to us, because
q
= dot on his map and another emplace-
e ment was completed the following
). night.
Y The odor from the dug-up, decom
posed human body has an effect which
d is hard to describe. 1t first produce,
+ nauseating feeling, which, especial!
after eating. causes vomiting. This re
h,f 4
- weakening sensation follows, whicl
% leaves you limp as a dishrag. You
spirits are at their lowest ebb and yol
. feel q sort of hopelessness and q ma,
:, desire to escape it all, to get to tn
1o open fields and the perfume of the flow
~ ers in Elighty. There is q sharI
20 prickling sensation in the nostril!
=, which reminds one of breathing coa
~ ~ gas through a radiator in the floor, an
=, you want to sneeze, but cannot. Thi
was the effect on me, surmounted by
~ vague horror Of the awfulness Of tn
thing and an overcoming ref1ectio
- that, perhaps /, sooner or later, wOul
-, be in such a state and be brought
=. light by the blow of pick in the hand
:, of some Tommy on digging party.
70 Several times have experienced th
-. odor, but never could get used to il
the enervating sensation was alway
- present. 1t made me hate war an
wonder why such things were count
"a nanced by civilization, and all the spit
: = and glory of the conflict would disa
=, pear, leaving the grim reality. b
-. after leaving the spot and filling yol
by -. o,, 80 ora anao - 90.
be "up and at them"
)m