Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-10

and pebbles which. hitting our steel
helmets, sounded like haiIstones.
Upon arrival in tho fire trench an
officer OF the Royal Engineers gave us
our instructions and acted as guide.
we were to dig an advanced trench
200 yards from the Germans (the
trenches at this point ;were 600 yards
| apar). -
Two winding lanes, five feet wide,
had been cut through our barbed wire.
ior the passage OF the diggers. From
these lanes white tape had been laid
on tho ground to the point where We
we're to commence work This in order
that we would not get lost In the
| darkness. The proposed trench ,was
also laid out with tape.
The covering party went out drst.
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" 1t was nervous work; every
minute We expected q machine gun to
open hre on us Stray bullets
| overhead.
Arriving at tho tapped diagram of
the trench. rifles slung around our
shoulders, we lost no time In rettinr
to work. We dug as quietly as pos
sible, but every now and then the
noise OF pick or shovel striking
stone would send tho cold shfvers down
our backs. Under our breaths we
heartily cursed the offending Tommy.
At intervals star she'll would 70
up from the German lines, and we
would remain motionless until the giaro
OF Its white light died out.
When the trench had reached q depth
OF two feet. we felt safer. because
were discovered and fired 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 rifle fire.
We dropped down on our bellies IN
the shallow trench, bullets knocking
up the ground and swapping In tho air,
Then .the shrapnel butted In. Tns
music was hot and Tommy danced.-s..,s
The covering party was having
rough time Of It; they had no cover:
just had to take their medicine.
Word was passed down the limo to
beat it for our trenches. We needed
no urging: grabbing our tools and
STOPPING low. we legged 1t across emo
mans land" The covering party get
away to poor start, but beat US in.
| They must have had wings. because
we lowered the record.
Painting and out OF breath, we tum-
bleed into our front-line french,
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
| slxty-three casualties. e-rr~'y
Our artillery put barrage6n
| Fritz's front line and communication
trenches, and their machine gun and
rifle fire suddenly ceased.
Upon the cessation Of this are
stretcher bearers went out to look for
killed and wounded. Next day we
learned that twenty-one Of our men
had been killed and thirty-seven
wounded. Five men were missing;
lost in tho darkness. they must have
wandered over into the German lines
where they were either killed or cap
tured.
Speaking OF stretcher bearers and
wounded. It Is very hard for the aver
age civilian to comprehend the enor-
nous cost Of taking care Of wounded
and the war in general He or she
gets so accustomed to seeing billions
of dollars In print that the Significance
| Of the amount Is passed over without
thought
From an oficial statement published
In one of the London papers. It Is
stated that It costs between $4,000 end
$1,000 (SS0o0o to $35.o00) to kin .-or
wound soldier. This result was At-
to date and dividing It by tho killed
and wounded.
1t may sound heartless and inhunakn,
but It is a fact, nevertheless, that from
military standpoint it Is better for
man to be killed than wounded.
If a man is killed he is buried. and
the responsibility Of the government
ceases, excepting for the fact that his
people receive pension. But * a
man is wounded it takes three men
from the firing line. the wounded man
and two men to carry him to the rear
TO the advanced first-aid post Here
lie is attended by a doctor. perhaps
assisted by two r A. NJ. C. men. Then
he is put into a motor ambulance.
manned by crew OF two or three.
At the field hospital, whore he general
ly goes under an anaesthetic, either
to have his wounds cleaned or to BIO
operated on. he requires tho services
Of about three to five persons. From
this point another ambulance ride i'm
presses moro men i'll his service, and
then at tho ambulance train. another
corps OF doctors, r A. NJ. G. men. Red
Cross nurses. and the trains crew.
From the train he enters the base hos
pital or casualty clearing station.
where Eood-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 Blighty
moro ambulances and perhaps a ride
for five hours on an English Red
Cross train with its crew OF Red Cross
workers. and at last he reaches tho
hospital. Generally he stays from two
W Sih HiOHtnS, OF longer, In this nos
pital. From here he is sent to q con-
valesccnt home for six weeks.
IL by wounds he is unified for fur
Their service, he is discharged, given.a
pension. or committed to n soldiers
home for the rest Of his life-and stfi1
the expense piles up. When you realize
that all the ambulanccs, trains and
ships, not to mention the man power.
used in transporting a wounded man,
could be used for supplies. ammunition
and rc-cntorcements for the troops at
the 'front.' 1t VIII not appear strange
that from a strictly military stand
point, dead man Is sometimes bettor
than 1.-Two one (f wounded). 80
Net long after the first digging
party. our general decided. after care.
full tour Of inspection OF the communt.
cation trenches. upon "an ideal spot"
as he termed 1t. for a machine gun. am.
placement. Took his map. made g.-dot
on it, and as he was wont. wrotc'NdiS
4, A. ~.