Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-04-25
CHAPTER XII.
Bombing.

Bombing.
The boys In the section welcomed me
back, but there were many strange
faces. Several Of u men had gone
West In that charge, and were lying
.somewhere In France with a little
wooden cross at their heads. We were
In rest billets. The next day our cap
tain asked for volunteers for bombers'
school, l gave my name and was &C.
cepted. l had Joined the Suicide club,
and my troubles commenced. Thirty
two men Of the battalion, including my
self, were sent to r., where we
went through a course In bombing.
Here we were instructed in the uses,
methods Of throwing and manufacture
Of various kinds OF hand grenades,
from the old liam TIM" now obsolete,
to the present Mills bomb, the standard
Of the British army.
1t all depends where you are as to
what you are called. In France they
call you q bomber" and give you med
ais, while In neutral countries they
call you an anarchist and give you
"life."
From the very start the Germans
were well equipped with effective
bombs and trained bomb throwers, but
the English army was as little pre-
pared in this important department OF
lighting as in many others. At bomb
Ing school an old sergeant Of the Gren.
adler guards. whom l had the good
fortune to meet told me Of the discour'
,agements this branch Of the service
suffered before they could meet the
Germans on an equal footing. (Paci"
flsts and small army people in the
q. s. please read with care.) The first
English expeditionary forces had no
bombs at all, but had clicked a lot OF
casualties from those thrown by the
Boches. Ono bright morning someon
higher up had an idea and issued an
order detailing two men from each
platoon to go to bombing school TO
learn the duties Of a bomber and no"
to manufacture bombs. N0ncommis
stoned officers were generally selected
for this course. After about two
weeks at school they returned to thei1
units In rest billets or in the flr'
trench, rs the ease might be, and so
busy teaching their platoons how tt
make "jam tins"
Previously an order had been ISSUED
for all ranks to save empty jam tin!
for the manufacture of bombs. A pro
lessor Of bombing would sit ON tn
fire step in the front trench with tn
remainder Of his section crowdinl
around to see him work.
On his left would be a pile OF empt!
and rusty jam tins, while beside mn
on the fire step would be a miscella
neous assortment Of material used II
the manufacture Of the "jam tins
Tommy would stoop down. get o.
empty siam tim" take a handful 0
clayey mud from the parapet, and In
the inside Of the tin with this sui
stance. Then he would reach ove'
pick up his detonator and explosive
and insert them In the tin. fuse pr
trudlng. On the fire step would be
pi,e Of fragments Of shell, shrapnt
balls, bits Of iron. nails, etc.-anythin
that was hard enough to send over I
Fritz: he would scoop up a handful {
this Junk and put It In the bomb. rel
hups n Of the platoon would ask NIL
what he did this for, and he woui
explain that when the bomb explode
these bits would fly about and XIII 9
wound any German hit BY same; u
ouestioner would Immediately pull
hutton OF his tunic and hand 1t
.he bomb maker with. swell, olon
me. send this Y er as a souvenir"
another Tommy would volunteer q
old rusty and broken jackknlfe; bo'
would be accepted and inserted.
Then the professor would tnke a.
other handful Of mud and fill the u
infer which ne would punch a hole
the lid Of the tin ind put 1t yer u
ION Of tho bomb. the fuse sticking OF
Then perhaps he would tightly W.T.
wire around the outside Of the TIN. ~
me bomb was, ready to send owe
I1ritz with Tommy's compliments.
J 4 niece Of wood about four incn
wide had been issued. This was TO
strapped on the left forearm BY inca =
A. two leather straps and was Ike !
silc Of Il match box; 1t was ca'ica
a.trikcr." There was u tip like !
h.md Of q match on the 1uSe q I