The Washington herald., 1918-02-11

platoon leader came TO the rescue. It
was a marvel to me how quickly he
assembled the equipment. After he
had completed the task. he showed
me how to adjust It on my person.
Pretty soon I stood before him q
proper Tommy Atkins in heavy
marching order, feeling like an over
loaded camel.
On my feet were heavy-soled boots.
studded with hobnails. the toes and
heels of which were reinforced by
steel half-moons. Ny legs were en-
cased in woolen puttees. olive drab In
color, with my trousers overlapping
them at the top. Then a jwoolen
khaki tunic. under which was a
bluish-gray woolen shirt. minus a
collar. beneath this shirt a woolen
belly-band about six inches wide,
held in place by tie strings Of white
tape. On my head was a heavy
woolen trench cap. with huge ear
laps buttoned over the top. Then the
equipment: A canvas belt, with am
munition pockets, and two wide can
vas straps like suspenders. called
ID" straps, fastened to the belt In
front, passing over each shoulder.
crossing in the middle Of my back.
and attached by buckles to the rear
Of the belt. On the right side of the
belt hung a water bottle, covered
with felt; on the left side was my
bayonet and scabbard. and entrench-
ing tool handle, this handle strapped
to the bayonet scabbard. In the rear
was my entrenching tool, carried in
canvas case. This tool was a COM
bination pick and spade. A canvas
haversack was strapped to the left
side Of the belt, while on my back
was the pack, also of canvas. held In
place by two canvas straps over the
shoulders; suspended on the bottom
Of the pack was my mess tin or
canteen in a neat little canvas case.
Ny waterproof sheet. looking like
jelly roll. was strapped on top Of the
pack, with a wooden stick for clean
ing the breach OF the rifle projecting
my waist hung a huge jackknife with
a can-opener. an extra pair Of socks,
change of underwear, hold-all (con-
toothbrush. lather brush, shaving
soap. and a razor made of tin, with
Made in England stamped on the
this 1t made you wish that you were
at war with Patagonia, so that you
could have a hollow ground" stam-
ped Made in Germany'D; then your
housewife. button-cleaning outfit,
consisting of a brass button stick.
two stiff brushes. and a box Of Sol
diers' FRIEND paste; then a shoe
brush and a box OF dublin, a writing
pad, indelible pencil, envelopes. and
pay book. and personal belongings.
such as small mirror, a decent
razor, and a sheaf OF unanswered
letters. and fags. In your haversack
you carry your iron rations, meaning
a tin OF bully beef, four biscuits, and
a can containing tea, sugar. and Oxo
cubes: a couple OF pipes and a pack
age OF shag, a tin of rifle oil, and a
pull-through. Tommy generally car
ries the oil with his rations: it gives
the cheese a sort OF sardine taste.
Add to this a first-aid pouch and a
long ungainly rifle patterned after
the Daniel Boone period. and You
have an idea OF a British soldier in
Blighty.
Before leaving for France. this rifle
Is taken from him and he is issued
a Iee-Enfeld short-trench rife and a
ration bag.
In France he receives tvs gas he'll
NETS, a sheepskin coat. rubber mack
intosh. steel helmet, two blankets,
tear-shell goggles, a Balaclava he'll
met, gloves, and a tin OF anti-frost-
bite grease which is excellent for
greasing the boots Add TO this the
weight OF his rations, and can you
blame Tommy for growing at a
twenty kilo route march?
Having served as sergeant-major in
the United States Cavalry. I tried TO
tell the English drill sergeants their
business. but it did not work. They
Immediately put me as batman in
their mess. Many a greasy dish of
stew was accidentally spilled over
them.
1 would sooner fight than be a
waiter. SO when the order came
through from headquarters calling for
a draft Of go reinforcements for
France, I volunteered.
Then we went before the NJ. o.
(medical officer for another physical
examination. This was very brief.
He asked our names and numbers
and said, Fit" and We went out TO
fight.
we "tTc put lTlO NIOOp tTdlilS anu
sent to Southampton, where we de-
trained, and had our trench rifles is
sued to us. Then in columns OF twos
We went up the Fangplank of 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
the ship. Then he ordered US to take
lifes belts from the racks overhead
and put them on. I have crossed the
ocean several times and knew l was
not seasick, but when buckled on
that life belt, had a sensation OF
sickness.
After we got out into the stream
all I could think of was that there
were a million German sumarines
with a torpedo on each, across the
warhead OF which was inserted my
name and address.
After five hours we came alongside
a pier and disembarked. I had at
tained one of my ambitions. was
somewhere in France" We slept In
the open that night on the side of a
road. About the next morning we
were ordered to entrain. I looked
around for the passenger coaches, but
all I could see on the siding were
cattle cars. We climbed into these.
On the side of each car was a sign
reading "Hommes 40. Chevuax s."
When we got inside Of the cars, we
thought that perhaps the sign painter