Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-08-22
cnAPTsR xxvi-cenAau.d.

AN0 RAG1C&NV VI h.N y. ~ SAs - :,
I'D not seem to disturb the raiders. be-
cause many q Joke made In an under.
tone. was passed along the winding
column. a. to who would be first to
take Q ride on one Of the stretchers.
This was generally followed by a wish
that, II you were to be the one. the
wound would be Q ''cushy Blighty
ene."
The stretcher bearers, no doubt,
hoping that. II they did have to carry
anyone 70 the rear. he would be small
and light. Perhaps they looked at me
when wishing. because | could feel m
uncomfortable, boring sensation be-
tween my shoulder blades. They got
their wish all right.
Going up this trench. about every
sixty yards or so we would pass a lone
~ sentry, who in a whisper would
wish US "thc best O. luck. mates" We
would blind at him under our hreaths
that Jonah phrase to us sounded very
ominous.
"lthput uus SuSuhttiNs luC ulkuStICt
troop arrived at Suicide ditch. the
front-line. trench. Previously, a wiring
party Of the Royal Engineers had cut
. lane through our barbed wire to en-
able us to get out into No Mans Land.
Crawling through this lane, our
party Of twenty took up an extended
order formation about one yard apart.
We had q tap code arranged for our
movements while in No Mans Land,
because for various reasons 1t Is not
safe to carry on a heated conversation
. few yards in front Of Fritz lines.
The officer was on the right Of the
line, while l was on the extreme left.
Two tips from the right would be
passed down the line until | received
them. then ! would send hack M tan.
The officer, In receiving this one tap.
would know that his order had gone
down the whole line. had been UNDER
stood, and that the party was ready
to obey the two-tap signal. Two taps
meant that we were to crawl forward
siowly--and believe me, very slowly
for five yards, and then halt to await
further instructions. Three taps meant,
when you arrived within striking dis
lance of the German trench, rush 1t
and infict as many casualties as pos
nbie, secure a couple Of prisoners, and
tnen back to your lines with the
speed clutch open. Four taps meant,
I have gotten you into a position from
which 1t Is impossible for me to extri.
cate you, so you are on your own"
After getting Tommy into a mess on
the western front he Is generally told
That he Ii "on his own" This lean
Save your skin In any way possible"
Tommy loves to be con his own" behind
the lines. but not during Il trench raid.
The star shells from the German
tines were falling In front Of US, there
fore We were safe. After about TWEEN
iy minutes we entered the star shell
Zone. A star she'll from the German
anes fell about five yards In the rear
n to the right Of me; we Rugged the
ground and held our breath until It
burned out. The smoke from the star
she'll Travelled along the ground and
crossed over the middle Of our line.
Some Tommy sneezed. The smoke had
gotten up his nose. We crouched on
the ground, cursing the offender under
our breath, and waited the volley that
generally ensues when the Germans
nave heard a noise In No Mans Land.
Nothing happened. We received two
taps and crawled forward slowly for
I'VE yards; no doubt the officer be-
heved what Old Pepper had said, "Per.
sonally l believe that that part Of the
German trench Is unoccupied." BY be-
Ing careful and remaining motionless
when the star shells fell behind US, we
veached the German bnrbed wire with.
out mishap. Then the fun began. I
was scared stiff as It Is ticklish work
cutting your way through wire when
about thirty feet In front Of you there
10 4 line Of Boches looking out into No
Mans Land with their rides lying
across the parapet. straining every
q to see or hear what IL going on
N No Mans Land; because at night,
Jnts never knows when q bomb with
his name and number on 1t will come
hurtling through the air aimed In the
direction Of Berlin. The man On the
right, n man In the center and my.
self on the extreme left were equipped
With wire cutters. These are insulated
With soft rubber not because the Ger.
nan wires are charged with electricity,
bat to prevent the cutters rubbing
against the barbed wire stakes which
are Of iron, and making . noise
which may warn the inmates Of the
trench that someone Is getting fresh
In their front yard. There is only one
way to cut a 'barbed wire without noise
and through costly experience Tommy
has become an expert In doing this.
You must grasp the wire about two
inches FROM the stake ia your right
hand and cut between the stake and
your hand.
II you cut a wire Improperly, Z
loud twang will ring out on the night
cir like the swapping Of . banjo
string. Perhaps this noise can b
heard only for atty or seventy.nvs
yards. but 10 Tommy's mind Il makes
. loud noise In Berlin.
NEANA 49, - N-N4 AEL.NL.a -LH 49, LFWg