The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-05-10
enApTER xlI.



Borbine.
the boys in the section welcomed me
back, bot there were many F,rnnge
fsces. Several % our men had gone
West Ia that charge. and were lying
~sosnewhsre ID France" with little
wooden cross az their heads. We were
in rest bllleta. The next day our cap
tain asked for volunteers for bombers'
school gave my name end was ac-
cspted ! had Joined the Suicide club,
and my troubles commenced. Thirty
two men OF the battalion. including my
self. were sent 20 Ls~--, where we
went through course In bombing.
Here we were instructed In the uses
methods OF throwing and manufacture
of various Kinds OF hand grenades,
from The old 'jam TIM now obsolete,
20 the present Mills bomb, the standard
of the British army.
II all depends where you are MS TO
what you are called. In France they
call you a bomber" and give YOU med
ais. while IN neutral countries they
call you an anarchist and give you
-iife.-
From the very start the Germans
WEIR well equipped with effective
bombs and trained bomb throwera but
the EnKilsh army was an little pre-
pared IN this Important department OF
aghtlng as Ia many others. AT bomb
ins school an old sergeant Of the Greu-
asier guards. whom had the good
fortune 10 meet. told me OF the discour-
agements this branch Of the service
suffered before they could meet the
Germans on an equal footing. lPaci-
fiSts and snail army people Ia the
Y. =, please read with care) The first
English expedltIonary forces had no
bombs at all, but had eliekedsa lot OF
casualties from those thrown By the
Boches One bright moralng someone
higher up had al Idea aud issued an
9rdsr detailing two men from each
platoon TO 20 20 bombing school 10
learn thu duties OF a bomber and how
10 manufacture bombs. NoncoInmis-
stoned officers were generally selected
for this course After about two
weeks al school they returned to their
units ia rest billets or Ia the FIRE
trench. as the case might be, and got
busy teaching their platoons how TO
make "jam tins"
Previously an order had been issued
for all ranks 70 save empty jam tins
for the manufacture Of bombs. A pro.
fess0r of bombing would slt 90 the
Ore step 10 the front trench with the
remainder % bis section crowding
around 20 see bin work.
On his left would be a pile ot empty
and rusty jam tins while beside him
on the ara step would be miseella-
aeoas assortment % material used la
the manufacture OF the siam tins
Tummy would stonp down, get an
empty Jam tn. take handful o.
eiayry mud from the pArapeg, ana line
the Inside OF the tia with this sub
stAnrs Then be would reach over,
plek ~ his deiUnator and explosive.
and insert lhom Ia the tin. fuse pro-
tradlnE on the Are step would DO a
Pile % fragments ~ she'll, shrupnel
ieils bits 81 iFen. nails. etc anything
thar wua hard enough O. send over Ia
FritE; he upuld srpop 20 q handful 0f
tsiis junk ard pct n % the bomb Per-
haE.s uns ~ ths plaiOug wuJld ask him
plGi BE did thia for, and he would
rEtlnip that WHEN the bomb exploded
these hits RoHid ~ about and kili on
wound any Gerinau hts By same thu
qaeEt.6oer wunl1 imAsdlately pub d
batton gr bis tunic and hand Il 90
~ batsh mNker with, @well. blame
lae seta this grer Ha souvenir" 81
another Touay would volunteer On
10 rusty and brukrn jaesknife; bgtl
nyEid - aeceptsd and inserted
Tlsen tiss professor would take an
ertaer kanafui u Elua and hll the tin
SITTER wbiek b. s0ulG punch \ hole a
tfss bd u ths ia and pct a over th'
top " ~ bomb, the fuse sticking out
Thsb psrtups he would tightly wsal
Nire argcad the outside ~ tte tiB an'
the bespb was ready 70 sead over q
Fritz with Tomm3's compliments.
A piece % wood about four tnehe
vide had been issued 1iiis was % b
strapped on the left forearm BY mean
81 two leather airnps RBd was IKE III
Side ~ = match box II was called
STRIKER There vas q to like IA
s@zd ~ match on the fuse " u