The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1919-01-02
OVER THE TOP
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY

Overhead Shrapnel was bursting.
! couid hear the frngmeats slap the
ground. Then I went ont once more.
When came to everything was silence
and darkness in No Mans Land.
was soaked with blood and big flap
from the wound In my cheek was hang
Ing over my month. The blood run
nH% from this fap chokcd me. Out OF
the corner of my mouth | would xry
aud blow II Rack but it would not
move r.ached for my shell dressing
md tried with one hand, 20 handage
ny face TO prcYcnt the How. l had
an awful horror Of bleeding to dentb
ana WINS CejtInC very faint You would
have laughed if YOU had seen my
mdicrou~ attempts NJ bandaging with
one hand The pains in my wounded
shoulder were awful and was getting
sick a. the stomach. ! gave up the
handHgiug stunt as a bad job. and then
tainted.
When | came to, he'll was let loose.
An Intense bomhurdmont was on, and
on the whole my position was dccidcd-
ly unpleasant. Then, suddenly, our
barrase ceased The silence almost
hurt, bun not Tor long because Fritz
turned loose with Shrapncl machine
guns, and riflc fire Then all along our
line came Il cheer and our boys came
over the top in a charge The first
wave WAS composed of "JOcks." They
a ttrbt
In the wind, bare knees showing, aud
their bayOnCtS gliStening. In the first
wave that passed my shell hole, one of
the Jocks" an immense fellow, about
six feet two inches in height jumped
right over me. On the right and left
Of me several soldiers In c0lored kits
were huddled on the ground, then over
came the second wave, also Jocks"
one young Scottic, when he came
abreast of my shell hole, leaped into
the air. his rife shooting out of his
hands. landing about six feet in front
of him, hayOnet first, and stuck in the
ground. the butt trembling, This i'm
pressed me greatly.
Right now can see the butt of that
gun trembling. The SCottie made a
complete turn in the air, hit the
ground rolling over twice, each time
clawing mt the earth, and then re-
manned still, about four feet from me,
in sort Of sitting position. called to
him. Are You hurt badly, JockT' but
no answer. He was dead. A dark red
N thrnnuh -
right under the heart. The blood RAJ
down his bare knees making Il horrible
sight. On his right side he carried his
wafer bottle. | was crazy for drink
and tried to reach this, but for the life
of me could not negotiate that four
feet. Then | became unconscious.
When | woke up was in an advanced
frst-aid post. | asked the doctor If
we had taken the trench. ave took
the trench and the wood beyond, all
right" he said, "and you fellows did
yolr bit but, my lad, that was thirty
six hours ago. You were lying in No
Mans Land in that bally hole for day
and a half. It's a wonder you are alive"
He also told me that out of the twenty
that were in the raiding party, seven
teen were killed. The officer died of
wounds in crawling back to our trench
and l was severely wounded, but one
fellow returned without scratch, with
out any prisoners. No doubt this chap
was the one who had sneeZed and i'm
properly cut the barbed wire.
In the official communique our trench
raid was described as follows;
"All quiet on the western front, ex-
cepting in the neighborhOod of Com
mecourt wood, where one of our raid
ing parties penetrated into the German
lines"
1t Is needless to say that we had no
use for our persuaders or cOme-alOngS,
as we brought back no prisoners, and
until | die Old Peppers words, Per
sonally | don't believe that that part
of the German trench Is occupied" will
always come to me when ! hear some
fellow trying to get away with fishy
statement. | will Judge 1t accordingly.