The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-08-23

ers In the bunch. Pat sure thought he
was rolling IN wealth
After We we're rested up we were
issued rihes. shrspneI helmets end
belts. and then started down the con-
rgrnieation trench. These trenches
are e8trances % the fighting trenches
and run AZ varying angles and vary
Ing distances apart They are SCI
dom wide enough 70 hold more than
one man. 50 you have 10 march single
file In them They wind IN and out.
according 20 the lay Of the land. some
parts o. them being more DANGEROUS
than others. When you come 20 q
dangerous spot you have 20 crawl
s.letimes.
There are 30 many cross trenches
and blind alleys that you have 20 have
q guide for q long time. because with
oct one you are apt 20 walk through
an embrasure in q IRE trench and
right out into the open. between the
German front line and yo1r own
Which Is hardly worth whflei
II any part Of the line q under FIRE.
the guide At the head Of the line f. on
the lookout for shells. and when he
hears one coming he gives the signsl
and you drop 10 the ground and wait
until IL bursts. You never get all the
time you want. but at that you have
plenty Of time 70 think about things
While you are lying there with your
face In the mud. waiting 20 hear the
sound Of the explosion when you
hear Il. you know you have got at least
one more 10 dodge. II Jon do not hear
it-veIl. most likely you are worrying
more about tuning your thousand
string harp than anything else.
II the communication trench you
have to keep your dis.zEoe from the
man ahead Of you. This IS done 30
that you win have plenty of room to
fall down IN. and because II q shell
should ind the trench. there would be
fever casualties in an open formation
than in q closed The German eTtil-
lery Il keen on oonrnunicaiIon
trenches. and whenever they spot one
they stay with II Q long time Most
Of them are caRouhaged along the top
and sides. 80 that enemy aviAtors can
not see anything but the earth or
bushes. when they throw an eye down
IN orr lines.
We took over our section Of the
front line trenches from a French line
regiment that had been on the JOB for
~ days That was the longest time
/ have heard Of any troops remaining
on the firing line.
Conditions at the front and ways Of
fighting are changing AL the time. as
each side Invents new methods Of
butehering. 20 when try 10 describe
the Dixmude trenches. you must real
be that II is probably Just history by
now. II they are stin using trenches
there they probably iook entirely DIFF
ferent-
But when vss At Dixmude they
were something like this:
Behind the series Of frontIine
trenches are the reserve trenches; in
this case i've 10 seven miles away. and
stiII farther back are the blIIets- These
may be houses or barns or ruined
churches-any place that can possibly
BE- used FOR quarter1ng troops when
Of duty
Troops were usually In the 'front.'
line trenches SIX TO eight days. and
fourteen to sixteen days In the reserve
trenches Then back to the biIIets for
six or eight days
We were not allowed to change our
in the fronf-Ilne Trenches
not even TO remove socks unless for
Inspection Nor would they let you
as much IS unbutfon your shirt. unless
there was an Inspection Of identified
ton disks We wore q disk at the
wrist and another around the neck
You know the gag about the disks. Of
course: II your arm Is blown on they
can tell VINO you are By the neck disk :
u your head Is blown on. they do not
care who Jon are
make yourself more comfortable. but
you cannot 90 to such extreme lengths
Of luxury as changing your clothes en-
tirely. That Is for billefs. where you
spend most Of your time bathing
changing clothes. sleeping and eating
Believe me. q billet Is great stuff: II
Is Ike a sort Of temporary heaven
OF course you know what the word
Coolies means. Let rs hope you
viii never know what the coolies
mean When you get In
Or near the trenches. you take course
IN the natural history Of bugs. lice.
rats and every Kind OF pest that has
EVER been invented
II Is funny to see some OF the new
romers when they first discover Z
rootie on them Some OF them cry.
II they really knew what Il was going |
10 be like they would do worse than |
hat. maybe.
Then they start hunting all over each |
,thcr. Just like monkeys. They team |
NJ for this purpose. and many times Il |
s IN this why that > couple OF men get |