Williston graphic., 1918-04-18
ARI1lUQ GUY fF|pFY
I OIN7 eY
INjhM af Enlr
MACHINE GUNNER SERVING N FRANCE

The covering party went out first
After short wait, two scouts came
back with information that the work
ing party was to follow and "carry on"
with their work.
In extended order, two yards apart.
We noiselessly crept across No Mans
Land. It was nervous work; every
minute we expected a machine gun to
open fire on us. Stray bullets "cracked"
around US, or q ricOchet sang over
head.
Arriving at the taped diagram OF
the trench, rifles slung around our
shoulders we lost no time In getting
to work. We dug as quietly as pos.
sible but every now and then the noise
Of q pick or shovel striking stone
would send the cold shivers down our
backs. Under our breaths we heartily
cursed the offending Tommy.
At intervals star shell would 20 up
from the German lines and we would
remain motionless until the glare of its
white light died out.
When the trench had reached Z
depth of two feet we felt safer, be.
cause it would afford US cover In case
We were discovered and fred on.
The digging had been In progress
about two hours, when suddenly he'll
seemed to break loose in the form Of
machine-gun and rife fire.
We dropped down on our bellies In
the shallow trench, bullets knocking
up the ground and swapping in the air.
Then shrapnel butted in. The music
! was hot and Tommy danced.
The covering party was having Q
rough time of it; they had no cover {;
just had to take their medicine.
Word was passed down the line 60
beat it for our trenches. We needed no
urging; grabbing our tools and stoop-
ing low, we legged 1t across No Mans
Land. The covering party got away
to a poor start but beat us in. They
must have had wings because we low.
cred the record.
Painting and out Of breath, we tum.
bled into our front-line trench. tore
my hands getting through our wire
but, at the time, didn't notice it; my
Journey was too urgent.
When the roll was called we found
that we had gotten 1t In the nose for
63 casualties.
Our artillery put barrage on Fritz
fr0nt-line and communication trenches
and their machine-gun and rife fire
suddenly ceased.
Upon the cessation Of this fire
stretcher bearers went out to look for
killed and wounded. Next day we
learned that 21 Of our men had been
killed and 81 wounded. Five men were
missing; lost in the darkness, they
must have wandered over into the Ger.
man lines, where they were either
killed or captured.
Speaking Of stfetcher bearers and
wounded, it is very hard for the aver.
age civilian to comprehend the enor.
nous cost Of taking care Of wQYnded
and the war in general. He or she gets
SO accustomed to seeing billions of dol.
lars in print that tine significance of
the amount is passed over without
thought. ,.''-'"--~--~'"--7>.
From an official statement published
In one Of the London papers, it Is
stated that it costs between six and
seven thousand pounds ($3O, 900 to 1885,
OOO) to kill or wound soldier. This
result was attained by taking the cost
of the war to date and dividing 1t by
the killed and wounded.
1t may sound heartless and inhuman,
but it is fact, nevertheless, that from
a military standpoint 1t Is better for Z
man to be killed than wounded.
II man is killed he is buried, and
the responsibility of the government
ceases, excepting for the fact that his
people receive pension. But II a man
is wounded 1t takes three men from
the firing line, the wounded man and
two men to carry him to the rear to
the advanced frst-aid post. Here he is
attended by doctor, perhaps assist
ed by two r. A. NJ. c. men. Then he 10
put into motor ambulance, manned
by crew Of two or three. At the field
hospital, where he generally goes un-
der an anesthetic, either to have his
wounds cleaned or to be operated on,
he requires the services of about three
to five persons. From this point an
other ambulance ride impresses more
men In his service, and then at the am
bulance train, another corps Of doc
tors, r. A. NJ. G. men, Red Cross nurses
ana the trains crew. From the train
ne enters the base hospital or casualty
clearing station, where a good-sized
corps of doctors, nurses, ETC., are kept
busy. Another ambulance journey is
next In order-this time to the hospital
ship. He crosses the channel, arrives
IN bitghty-more ambulances and per.
haps ride for flve hours on an Eng
lish Red Cross train with its crew Of
Red Cross workers. and at last he
reaches the hospital. Generally he
stays from two to six months, or long
er, In this hospital. From here he IL
sent to convalescent home for six
weeks