The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-07-12

How we blinded al the engineer Of
that train; II was all bis fault ESQ we
rcasoned) why hadn't he speeded up
little or been on timc. then we would
have gotten on before the order ar
rlvedi Now II was no Bllghty for as.
That return Journey was misery 20
Us; just can't describe II.
When we got back 10 rest blllets. we
found that our brigade was In the
trenches tanother agreeable surprisel
and that an attack was contemplated.
Seventeen of the forty-one will never
get another chance to 20 on leaye'
they were killed In the attack. just
think Ii that train had been ON time.
those seventeen would stili be alive.
hate to tell you how was kldded
by the boys whom got back. but II was
good and plenty.
Our machine kun company took over
their part OF the line at seven O'clock.
the night after l returned from my |
near leave.
At $50 the following morning three
waves went over aud captured the FIRST
and second German trenches. The
machine gunners went over with the
fourth wave TO consolidate the cap
tured line or "dlg In az Tommy calls
II.
Crossing No Mans Land without
clicking any casualties, we came TO
the German trench and mounted our
guns on the parados OF same.
1 never saw such mess In my life
lunches of twisted barbed wire Tying
| about. shell holes everywhere, trench
all Dashed la. paranets gone, and dead
bodies, why. that ditch was full OF
them, theirs and ours. II was q regu-
lar morguc. Some were mangled hor-
rlbly from our shell fire. while others
were wholly or partly buried In the
mud, the result Of she'll explosions cav
ing In the wallis OF the trench. One
dead German was lying on his back.
with rifle sticking strnight up Ia the
air, the bayonet az which was buried
% the hiit in hts chest. Across his feet
lay dead English soldier with q bull
let hole III his forehead. This Tommy
must have been killed just as he ran
bis bayonet through the German.
Rifles and equipment were scattered
about. and occasionally steel helmet
could be seen sticking out Of the mud.
At one point, Just in the entrance 70
communication trench. was a stretch.
er. ON this stretcher German was
lying with white bandage around his
knce. near to him hay one Of the
! stretcher.bearers the red cross ON his
arm covered with mud aud his helmet
| filled with blood and brains, Close by,
sitting up aguinst the wall Of the
trench. with head resting on his chest.
was the other strctcherbearcr, lie
seemed 60 be alive. the posture was SO
natural and easy; but when l got
J closer | could see large, jagged hole
J la his temple. The three must have
been Killed ny the same shvli.hurst
The dugauts were an smashed Ia md
knocked about. bic squnrecu timbers
splinterod Into bits. walls eayed in and
entrances ehO6ed
Tommy. AFTER taking trench. learns
, 60 his sorrow that the hardest part Of
the work IL /, hold II.
Ia sur casa tds proved 20 be so.
! The Germaa artillery aud machine
J guns had as gaped trangedl for fair ;
, Il was worth your life to expose your
I self en Instant
Don't think for a minute that tho
Germans were the only snHererss we
2 were ellekiAg casualties SO fast that
sou needed IN adding machine to keep
. track ot them.
= Did y0u ever see one OF the steam
e sllaSels az work on the Panama canal
5 Web, IL would look ike hen scratch.
4 ing alongside Of Tommy "digging in
{ while under Ore. You couldn't see day,
u light through the clouds u dirt from
. his shovel.
Is After losing three out Of six men OF
n our crew we managed 10 set up our
4 machine gun. one Of the legs Of tbs
I. tripod was resting ON the chest Of 1
"a haifburied body. When the gun wat
"a firing. 4 gave the impression that tbs
b. body was breathing. This was causes
te ~ the excessive vibration,
ir Three OF four feet down the trench
Ut rbont three feet from the ground,
soot Was protruding from the earth