Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-28
OVER THE TOP
BY
ARTHUR GUY EAIPEY,
An American Boy Who Went.
Copyright. 1917. by Arthur Guy Empey,

NETS, a shccpskin coat. rubber mackin-
tosh, steel helmet. two blankets, tear
she'll goggles. q balaciava helmet.
gloves. and n tin of antifrostbite
the boots. Add TO this the weight OF
his rations, and can you blame
Tommy for growing at twenty-kilo
route march?
Having served as scrgcant-major in
tho United States cavalry, 1 tried TO
teil tho English drill sergeanta their
business. but 1t did not work. They
Immediately put mo as batman in their
mess. Many q greasy dish OF stew was
accidentally spilled over them.
would sooner fight than BIO
waiter. SO when the order came
through from headquarters calling for
draft OF $50 re-enforcemcnts for
France, | volunteered.
Then we went before the NJ. o. (medi-
cal oiilcer) for another physical ex-
animation. This was very brief. He
asked our names and numbers and said.
Fit" and wo went out to fight.
Wa were put into troop trains and
sent to Southampton. where we de-
trained. and had our trench rifles
issued us. Then in columns of twos
we went up the gongplank of Il little
steamer lying alongside the dock.
AT the head OF the gangplank there
was an old sergeant. who directed that
we line ourselves along both rails OF
tho ship. Then he ordered us to take
life belts from the racks overhead and
put them on. J. have crossed the ocean
several times and knew was not sea-
sick. but when l bucklcd on that life
belt, / had u sensation Of sickness.
After we got out into the stream, all
] could think Of was that there were
million German submarines with
torpedo on each, across the warhead
Of which was inscribed my name and
address.
After five hours we came alongside
pier and discmbarhed. had attained
another one OF my ambitions. | was
Somewhere in France" We slept in
the open that night on the side of
road. About the next morning we
were ordered to entrain. looked
around for tho passenger coaches, but
all l could sec on the siding were
cattle cars. We climbed into these.
on the side of each car was sign
reading '.Hommes 40, Chcvaux s." When
we got inside of the cars, We thought
that perhaps the sign painter had re-
verscd the order OF things. After
forty eight hours in these trucks we
went through an intensive training for
ten days.
This training consisted OF the rudi-
mcnts of trench warfare. Trenches had
been dug. with barbcd wire entanSle-
mcnts, bombing saps. dugouts, observa-
ton posts. and machinc-gun cmplace
rnents. We we're given q smattcring of
trench cooking. sanitation. bomb throw
ing, accommodating, listening posts,
constructing and repairing barbcd wire,
carrying in" parties methods used in
attack and defense. wiring parties.
mass formation. and the procedure for
pois gas attacks.
friends. "lIommcs 40, Chevaux s."
Thirty-siS hours more OF misery. and
we arrived at the town of r.
After unloading our rations and
equipment. we lined UP on the road In
columns OF four waiting for the order
TO march.
y dull rumbGnE could be heard.
The sun was shining. ] turned to the
man on my left and asked. What's
the noise. B,l?' He did not know. hut
his face was of n pea green color Jim.
on my right, also did not know. but
suggested that ! 'awsk" the sergeant.
Coming towards was old
griZzlcd sergeant. properly fed up with
the war. SO 'awskcd" him.
Think it's going to rain, sergeant"
lie looked at me in contempt, and
rrunted, lows it a'soin' ter rain with
the bloomin' sun 'shinin'?' | looked
guilty.
"'rhcm's the guns UP the line, me
lad. and you'll get enough OF 'cm be-
fore you gets back to Blighty."
My knees seemed to wilt. and !
sQucakcd out Il weak OH"
Then VIC started our march up to tho
line in ten kilo tricks. After the first
days march we arrived at our rest
/ hilicts In France they call them rest
billcts, because while in them Tommy
works seven days Il week, and on the
eighth day OF the week he is given
twcnty-four hours ION his own"
Our billet was n spacious affair, a
large barn on tho left side of tho road,
which had one hundred entrances,
nincty-nine for shells. rats, wind and
rain. and the hundrcdth one for
Tommy. WAS tired out. and using
my shrapncl-proof helmet tshrapncl
proof until a piece or shrapnel hits it,,
or tin hat. for a pillow. lay down in
the straw. and was soon fast asleep. 7
must have slept about two hours. when
| awokc with a pricklinE sensation all
over inc. AS thought. hestraw had
worked through my uniform. | woke
UP tho fellow lying on my left, who
had been up the line before, and asked
him:
Does the straw bother you, mate?
It's worked through my uniform and
| can't sleep"
In sleepy voice. he answer: THAT
amt straw, thems Coolies"
From that time on my friends, tho
"cootics.' wcro constantly with me.
Coolies" or body lice, are the banc
OF Tommys existence.
Tho aristocracy of the trenches very
seldom call them Coolies" they speak
Of them az flcas.
To an American. flea means a small
insect armed with bayonet, who is
wont to jab 1t into you and then hop,
skip. and jump to the next place to be
attacked. There is an advantage in
having nCaS instead of
coolies" i'll that in one Of his extended
jumps said flea is liable to land on the
fellow next to you; he has the typical
energy and nIISh O th.. An,nrican uhiln