Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1919-11-07
PEACE IN SIGHT MEN
DREADED DUMPING OFF
DIDN'T WANT LAST SHELL. OF
WAR TO GET HIM
Many Big Guns Fired After Armistice
Signed But There Was No
Rifle Fire
(By Percy M. Sarll

(By Percy M. SarD .
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
LONDON, Nov. 7.-"Well, l don't
want to be the last man killed" Prob.
ably twelve or fifteen million men
said that on the western front year
ago on this coming Tuesday, after
the magic telegram, "Hostilities cease
at II a m.," had been flashed from in,
Vulnerable army corps, divisional,
brigade and battalion headquarters.
Of course, there were the men who
wantedto "fire the last shot," and
those new arrivals who felt they had
not a long enough run for their
money, Il met one American officer,
who after all his training at home,
had one months war a dose of infu-
enza, and then the armistice-He
thought it a put up job to keep him
out of it, Then, too, there were
many injured men brooding over be-
reavements and planning yeas ,arce
which required many more Sillirgs.
but the majority of the fighting men
forces were glad to cry "content"
when the last shot was fired. Four
and quarter years war, however,
easily satisfied the British, French
op1 Cor,,oop n r,,oiac
While troop movements and pre-
parations went on as usual right up
to the last moment, there was MOTTO
cable desire to dodge the last shells
that screamed over the opposing
lines. Especially was this marked
among those who got into the war
good and early. Men whose courage
was above suspicion, wearers of many
a famous medal, looked at one an
other during the last hours and said
Fancy being knocked out by the
last shetland perhaps the last shot
of the warp Yes, we had optomists
who thought it might be the end of
international strife. Men who used
to laugh amid the crash of an attack
ing barrage, ducked like the veriest
novice or "nervy" soldier as a stray
"pip-squeak," and in the front line
there was general desire to keep in
side dug-outs unless there was some
thing to be done outside during the
last hours.
My own part of the line intended
making a big attack on the night OF
November 18th if the armistice nego-
tiations had broken down, and my
battery went into action at little
place called Pecq, just north of Lille.
One section-two guns-took up po-
sitions on the night of the 10th, some
six hundred yards from the front line
and the remaining four overcoming
up the following evening, just in the
old-sweet way. We knew nothing def
mite then, but we did know that the
war might end any minute, and the
main battery condoled with the" for
ward section" at their bad luck in
having to run the extra risk. And
that was bunch of gunners who had
forgotten nerves in two solid years
of such movements from one end of
the line to the other.
Never did such an ordinary move
ment for section of guns seem such
tricky business Our battery com
mander, who declared war" with the
original British "Old Contemptibles"
in August, 1914, personally visited
the position and as soon as every
thing was shipshape he gave very def
mite orders every man under cover
until he is needed. There is no need
for you to be last one shot"
The next day when "hostilities
ceased" order came around he came
back and repeated this even more
forcibly; Only the guard to be
above ground, and if catch any Of
YOU d fools getting killed before
II o'clock I'll court-martial you"
Of course, there were shells fired
after II o'clock There was practical
iy no rife fire. but nobody seemed to
think they were "fired with intent"
Laughing souvenir hunters regard
them as something pretty in the fire,
works line.
1t was good to know that hostili-
ties had ceased.