Daily Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1918-191?, 1918-03-20
CHAPTER XVI.
Battery D ga


glad tidlngs that would occupy the
machine gunners' dugout right near
the advanced artillery observation
post. This dugout was a roomy affair.
dry as finder. and real cots in II.
These cots had been made by the
Il. Els who had previously occupied
the dugout. ] was the first 20 enter
and promptly made n signbOard with
my name and number on II and sus-
pended II from the foot OF the most
comfortable cot therein.
In the trenches Il II always "nrst
come first served" and this II lived
up 10 by all.
Two II. +. A. men (Royal Field ar
tlllery) from the nearby observation
post were allowed the privilege OF
stopping I'm this dugout when on duty.
one Of these men. Bombardier VIII
son by name, who belonged 90 Bat
terry ID 23S. seemed 20 take liking
10 me. and returned this feeling.
In two days time we were pretty
chummy. and he told me how his bat
terry In the early days of the war had
put over n stunt on Old Pepper, and
had gotten awny with II.
will endeaver 20 give the story as
far as memory viii permit I'm his own
words:
II came out with the first expedi.
tlonnry force. and. like all the rest.
thought we would have the enemy
licked In Jig time. and be able 10 eat
Christmas dinner az home. Well. so
far. I have eaten two Christmas din
ncrs In the trenches. and am liable 20
eat two more, the way things are
pointing. That Is. II Fritz don't drop
n 'whlzz-bnng' on me, and send me 20
Bllghty. Sometimes wish I would
get hit, because It's no great picnic
out here, and twenty-five months OF II
makes YOU fed up.
"lts fairly cushy now compared 20
what N used 90 be. although l admit
this trench Is a trlfe rough. Now.
We send over five shells 10 their one.
We are getting cur own back. but In
the carly days II was different. Then
YOU had 10 take everything without
reply In fact, we would get twenty
shells IN return for every one we sent
over. Fritz seemed 20 enjoy II. but
we British didn't; we were the SUI.
fcrcrs. Just one casualty after nn-
other. Sometimes whole platoons
would disappear. especially when
Jack Johnson plunked into their
middle. II got so bad that a fellow.
when writing home. wouldn't ask for
any cigarettes 20 be sent out, because
he was afruid he wouldn't be there 20
receive them.
after the drive 20 Paris was turned
back. trench warfare started. Our
general grabbed a map, drew a pencil
across II. and said. Dig here Then
he went back 10 his tea, and Tommy
armed himself with a pick and shovel
and started digging. He's been dig
ging ever since.
"Of course we dug those trenches nj
night. but II was hot work. what with
the rifle and machine-gun Ere. The
stretcher bearers worked hardNr than
the dlggers
Those trenches. bloomin' bitches, !
call them. were nightmares. They were
only about i've feet deep, and you used
10 get the backaehe from bending
down. II wasn't exactly safe 20 stand
upright. either. because as soon as
your napper showed over the top n
bullet would bounce on II. or else come
30 close II would make your hair stand.
eve used TO an Sapdbags aud stick
them ON top Of the parnpet 10 make IL
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 20 be sore from
ducking shells and bullets.
"where my battery was stationed
hasty trench had been dug. which
the boys nieknamed Suicide ditch
and. believe me. Yank. this was the
original Suicide ditch All the others
are limitations.
"When fellow went into that
trench II was an even gamble that he
Mould eome ont on 4 kitstchak At one