Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-09

Ine TIC IMPRESSION VI q uusS duuieuSS
applauding the work OF the batteries.
Our 1S-pounders were destroying the
German barbed wire. while the heavier
stun was demolishing their trenches
and bashing In dugouts or funk holes
Then Fritz got busy.
Their shells went screaming over
head aimed in the direction of the
flares from our batteries. Trench NOR
tars started dropping "Minnies" in
our front line. We clicked several cas-
ualties. Then they suddenly ceased.
Our artillery had tapped or silenced
them.
During the bombardment you could
almost read newspaper in our trench.
Sometimes in the fare Of n shcli-burst
a mans body would be silhouetted
aeains. the parados. Of the trench and
II appeared like huge monster. You
could hardly hear yourself think. When
nm order was to be passed down the
trench you had to yell 1t, using your
hands rs funnel into the ear of the
man sitting next to you on the fire step.
In about twenty minutes n generous
rum Issue was dolcd out. After drink
ing the rum, which tasted like varnlsh
and sent a shudder through your
frame, you wondered why they made
you wait until the lifting of the bar
rage before going over. At ten min
utes to four word was passed down,
"Ten minutes to go!' Ten minutes
En- 1.-Two 20 chtx,artror al
My legs felt as If they We're asleep.
Then word was passed down: "First
wave get on and near the scaling lad
ders."
These were small wooden ladders
which we had placed against the para
pet to enable us to go over the top on
the lifting of the barrage. Ladders of
death" we called them, and vertically
they were.
Before charge Tommy Is the po-
litest of men. There is never any push
ing or crowding to be first up these
ladders. We crouched around the base
of the ladders waiting for the word
to go over I was sick and faint. and
was putting away at an unlighted fag.
Then came the word, "Three minutes
to go; upon the lifting Of the barrage
and on the blast Of the whistles, Over
the top with the best O. luck and give
them HE'LL" The famous phrase Of
the western front. The Jonah phrase
of the western front. To Tommy 1t
means If you are lucky enough to come
back you will be minus an arm or
leg. Tommy hates to be wished the
best Of luck; so, when peace Is de-
clared, If 1t ever Is, and you meet
Tommy on the street just wish him the
best Of luck and duck the brick that
follows.
I glanced again at my wrist watch.
We all wore them and you could hardly
call us "sissies' for doing so. 1t was n
minute to four. I could see the hand
move to the twelve, then dead ST.
lence. 1t hurt. Everyone looked up
to see what had happened, but not for
long. Sharp whistle blasts rang out
along the trench, and with a cheer the
men scrambled up the ladders. The
bullets were cracking overhead, and
occasionally machine gun would rip
and tear the top of the sandbag para
pet. How got up that ladder I will
never know. The first ten feet out In
front was agony. Then we passed
through lanes in our barbed wire. l
knew was running, but could feel no
motion below the waist. Patches on
the ground seemed to float to the rear
as II I were on treadmill and seen
cry was rushing past me. The Ger
mans had put barrage Of shraphel
across No Mans Land, and you could
hear the pieces slap the ground about
you.
After had passed our barbed wire
and gotten into No Mans Land q
Tommy about fifteen feet to my right
front turned around and looking In my
direction, put his hand to his mouth
and yelled something which could not
make out on account Of the noise from
the bursting shells. Then he coughed,
stumbled, pitched forward and lay still.
His body seemed to float to the rear
Of me. 1 could hear sharp cracks in
the aiT about me. These were caused
by passing rife bullets. Frequently
to my right and left, little spurts Of
dirt would rise into the air and rico
Chef bullet would whine on its way.
If Tommy should see one Of these
little spurts in front of him, he would
tell the nurse about it later. Tho
orocc;p0 of No Mans Land rpmainS a
blank to me.
Men on my right and left would
stumble and fall. Some would try to
get up, while others remained huddled
and motionless. Then smashed-up
barbed wire came into view and
seemed carried on tide to the rear.
Suddenly, in front Of me loomed
bashed-in trench about four feet wide.
Queer-looking forms like mud turtles
were s,.ambling up its wall. One Of
these forms seemed to slip and then
rolled to the bottom of the trench. I
leaped across this intervening space.
The man to my left seemed to pause in
midair, then pitched head down into
in my delirium. Upon alighting on the
other side of the trench came to with
sudden JOLT. Right In front Of me
doomed a giant form with rifle which
looked about ten feet long, on the end
of which seemed seven bayonets. These
flashed in the air in front Of me. Then
through my mind flashed the admoni-