The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-31

describe THE last time over the top.
y"
nearly on them. Each OF us got out
a bomb. pulled the pin with our teeth
and waited for the signal. 1t was
fairly still Away off to the rear guns
were going. but they seemed long
way Off. Forward and away off
to the right beyond the Wood. there
was a lot of rife and machine gun
flre.> and VIC could see the sh&sw Halle
lavender stabs of fame Ike electric
flashes. It was light enough so that
We could see dimly.
Just ahead we could hear the muir
muir of the Huns as they chatted In
the trench. They hadn't seen us.
Evidently they didn't suspect and
were more or less careless.
Mr.. May waited uutil the sound OF
voices was little louder than before,
the Boches evidently being in a. Are
side argument of some kind. and then
he jumped 10 his feet. shouting:
Now then, my lads. All together
We came up all standing and let
en- ger II Was about fifteen yards
TO Fritz and that is easy 10 a good
bomber as my men all were, A yell
of surprise and fright went up from
the trench and they started to run
We spread out so az 10 get room. gave
them another round of Miilses and
rushed.
The trench wasn't really a trench
at All II was the remains Of a per
fectly good one. but had been dashed
all 10 pieces and was now FIVE or sis
shell craters connected by the ruined
traverses. At no point was IT more
than waist high and in some places
only knee high. We swarmed int
what there was left of the trench and
after the Feinies
There must have been forty OF them
and u didn't take them long TO fnd
out thar We we're only dozen. Then
they came back at US we got into a
crooked bit Of traverse that was in
relatively good shape and threw
n barrtcade OF sandhags. There was
any amount of them lying about
The Germans gave us a bomb or
tNo ana considerable rife FIRE. and we
beat II around the corner OF the bay,
Then we had ii back and forth.
regular see-saw game. We would
chase them back from the barrtcads
and then they would rush us and
back we would go. After we had lost
three men and Mr. May had got
slight wound we got desperate and
got out Of the trench and rushed them
for further orders
We fairly showered them and fol.
lowed up regardless of danger TO our
selves. All through this scrap they
hadn't done anything with the ma
chine guns One was In our end Of
the trench and We found that the
other was out Of commission They
must have been short of small arms
ammunition and bombs. because ON
tina, last straf,ng they cleared out and
stayed.
After the row was over we counted
noses and found four dead and three
slightly wounded. including Mr. Mav
l detailed two men to take the wound
ed and Mr. May back That lef, four
of us 10 consolidate the position. Mr.
May promised TO return with relief.
AS 1t turned out he was worse than
he thought and he didn't get back.
NEEDEn RELIEF NEVER CAME
I turned to and inspected the posi-
ton. lit was pretty hopeless. There
really wasn't much ta consolidate.
The whole works was Knocked about
ard was only fit for temporary de-
Tense. There were about a dozen
German d2ad and we searched them
but found nothing OF value. So we !
our cross-trench BART |
cade and waited for the relief III
never came
When il began 10 get light the place
looked even more aiscoura wing. |
There was little or no cover. We
knew that unless we got some sort
OF concealnlent that the airniane s !
would spot us and that we would get
a shell or two. So we Rot out the en-
trenching tools and dug into the side I
OF the best part Of the shallow
traverse We finally got slight over
hang scraned out.
We didn't dare go very Far under
for fear that it would cave We got I
some sandbags un on the sides andi
three Of US crawied into the shelter. I
'he other man made a similar place
FOR himself little distance Oft.
The day dawned clear and bright
and save promise OF BEING i,et Along
bout We began to get hungry. Al
Tommy II ALWAYS hungry whether he
Is danger or not, When We took az
count of stock and found that none
IL us hsd brought along iron rationsi
---------~-------