The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-03-16

Z. s. please read with care) Inc HTSt
English expeditionary forces had no
bombs at all, but had clicked Il lot Of
casualties from those thrown by the
Roches. One bright morning someone
HIGHER up hal an i,:ta nnd issued an
order detailing two men from each
nIatoon TO go to bombing school to
learn the duties OF a bomber and DOW
to manufacture bombs. N0n"ommis-
stoned officers were generally selected
for This course. After about two
weeks at school they returned /" h2lr
units in rest hillcis or in the ire
french. as the case might be. and got
busy teaching their platoons how to
make clam tins"
Previously an order had been issued
for all ranks to save empty jam tins
for the manufacture of bombs. a pro-
fesSor OF bombing would sit on the
fire step in the front trench with the
remainder of his section crowding
around TO see him work.
On his left would be pile of empty
and rusty Jam tins, while beside him
on the fire step would be miScella-
neous assortment of material SSed In
the manufacture of the liam tins
Tommy would stoop down get an
empty clam tin" take handful of
clayey mud from the parapet, and line
the inside of the tin with this sub
stance. Then he would reach over,
pick up his detonator and explosive,
and insert them in the tin. fuse pro-
truding. On the fire step would be
nile of fragments of shell, Shrapnel
balls. bits of iron, nails, etc.-anythlng
that was hard enough to send over TO
Fritz; he would scoop up handful of
this junk and put it in the bomb. Per-
haps one of the platoon would ask him
what he did this for, and he would
explain that when the bomb exploded
these bits would fly about and kill or
wound any German hit by same; the
questioner would Immediately pull n
button off his tunic and hand it TO
the bomb maker with, swell, blame
me, send this over as a souvenir" or
another Tommy would volunteer an
old rusty and broken jackllnife; both
would be accepted and inserted.
Then the professor would take an
other handful of mud and fill the tin,
after which he would punch hole in
the lid of the tin and put it over the
top of the bomb, the fuse sticking out
Then perhaps he would tightly wrap
wire around the outside of the tin, and
the bomb was ready to send over to
Fritz with Tommy's compliments.
A piece Of wood about four inches
wide had been issued. This was to be
strapped on the left forearm by means
Of two leather straps and was like the
side of a match box: it was called a
striker" There was tip like the
head of q match on the fuse of the
bomb. To ignite the fuse, you had TO
rub it on the STRIKER Just the same
as striking q match. The fuse was
timed to five seconds or longer. Some
of the fuses issued in those days would
burn down in a second or two, while
others would "sizz" for a week before
exploding. Back in Blighty the NUM-
ton workers weren't quite up to snuff,
the way they are now. If the fuse took
a notion to burn too quickly they gen.
orally buried the bomb maker next
day So making bombs could not be
called "cushy' or safe job.
After making several bombs the pro-
fessor instructs the platoon in throw
ing them. He takes a liam tin" from
the fire step, trembling a little, be-