Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-03-28

ShS Si l''S -SsS
to get the bacliaehe from bending /
down. II wasn't exactly safe TO stand \
upright, either, because as soon us
your nnpper showed over tie top Il
so close ii Wnnld make Your hair stand.
eve used to fill sandbags and stick
them on top of the parapet To make 1t
higher. but no use; they would be
there about an hour and then Fritz
would turn loose and blow Them to
bits. My neck used to he sore from
ducEing shells and bullets.
"Where my battery was stationed a
hasty trench had been dug. which
the boys nielnamed Suicide ditch
and, believe me, Ianll. this was the
original Suicide ditch All the others
IRE limitations.
"When fellow went into that
trench it was an even g;lInble that he
would come out on a stretcher At one
time a Scotch battalion held it, and
when they heard the betting was even
money that they'd come ont on
in sight. Like n lot of ballY iiliois, sew
eral Of the battery men fell for their
game, and put UP real money The
Jocks suffered a LOT of casualties. ard
the prospects looked bright for the
battery men to collect some easy
money. So when the battalion was re-
lieved the gamblers lined up. Several
~, Al,
safely, but the ones who clicked 1t
weren't lre TO pay. The artillery
men Ii ever thought If out That
way. Those Seotties We're bound 10
be sure winners, no matter how the
r5nd blew. So take a tip from me,
ravcr bet with a Scottie, cause you'll
.ose money.
al osa part of our trench where
n communication trench j, he
front line d Tommy had stu 6 n
wooden signpost with three hands or
arms on it, one of the hands. point
ing TO the German lines, read, TO Ber-
linz the one pointing down the com,
munication trench read TO BHehty,'
while the other said, Suicide Ditch,
Change Here fer Stretchers
Farther down from this guide post
the trench ran through an old orchard.
On the edge of this orchard orr bat
terry had constructed an advanced oh
seryation post. The trees sc1eened it
from the enemy airmen and the roof
was turfed. 1t wasn't cus!y like ours,
no timber or concrete rc-enforccments.
just walls of sandllags From il a
splendid view of the German lines
could be obtained. This post wasn't
exactly safe. II WIS u hot corner,
shells plunling all around, and The
bullets cutting leaves off the trees.
Many a time when relieving the sig
mailer at the phone, had TO crawl on
my belly like ii worm to keep from
being hit.
at was IN observation post sure
enough. That's all the use it was Just
observe all day, but never a message
back for our battery to open up. You
see. at this point of the line there
were strict orders not to fire a SHELL
unler specially ordered to do so from
brigade headquarters. Blime me- if
anyone disobeyed that command, our
general--yes, it was Old Pepper
would have court-martiaied the whole
expeditionary force. Nobody went out
of their way to dsobey Old Pepper in
those days, because he couldn't be
called parsou; he was more like a
pirate. If at any time the devil should
feel lonely and sigh for u proper mate,
Old Pepper would get the first call.
Facing the Germans wasn't half bad
compared with an interview with that
old firebranl.
'If company or battalion should
give way Il few yards against SUI
perior force Of iBoches, Old Pepper
would send for the commanding Off
Ger. In about half an hour the officer
would come back With his face the
color of brick. and in Il few hours
what was left of his command would
be. holding their original position.
i have seen an officer who wouldn't
SOY d--n for thousand quid spend