The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-04-30
TEN DAYS RESTWITH THE A. AZ r. + !.
BY JAMES LLOYD CLINE
Co. b, 18th Reg, A. E. F., A Native of Rugby


came to our support Nand we hune
out till morning. We then pushed on
till farther protected by heavy bar
rage, the Germans shelled us some
but with few losses to US. A piece OF
shell cut through my cartridge belt
but did not touch flesh. We kept on
through wooded ravine and dug in
as soon as we came to open ground
on the side nearest the Germans.
There was a railway empankment
between the enemy and US and we
We're sheltered from the shell.fire they
sent over, as long}as we stayed down.
There was a small creek (which ran
fill ones tcaiiteen u the risk. of being
dumped Off as it was exposed to the
enemy fire The Germans knew that
we were in Their and kept Smelling us.
We were thirsty, so we took "a chance
and filled our canteens from the creek
and got back safely. took by SHOW
ell and started to dig a shelter for my.
self and had it almost completed. One
of our wounded boys was sitting near
.me.ta nilycriticizing my work, and fin.
ally he asked me If he might have my
duguut. 8 ri gave IT ito him sand taking
my rifle, climbed up nearer the rail-
way. Here one of the boys asked me
if | was going to dig in, and he said
he would help me and we could make
a dugout for two. We made the dirt
fly, throwing it down the bank. A
lieutenant a few feet from us was 60
inp down into hn aar t1 Si1yn 'ho1
ger; the fresh earth from the digging
showed much more than ours, but he
stopped digging long enough to- say:
"You fellows must. camouflage that
fresh dirt l answered, Eyes SIR" as
had learned by experience not to
argue with an officer. We cut some
branches with our bayonets and COW
cred the fresh dirt and also covered
our dugout. There was just room for
the two of us to sit in our new home
and we felt pretty safe, and compile
mented each other on our good work,
although every time shell would
strike on the railway the dirt would
rattle down the bank and into our
dugout and down the back of our
neckS. va ~ :
The German ayiators soon got busy
dropping bOn1ba These looked like
baseballs when seen from distance,
but they tore things up when they
struck. The Germans concentrated
their artillery on our ravine and made
1t hot place. Large trees were
torn up by the roots, earth, twigS and
bark were in the air all the time, some
falling in the door of our dugout. In
that ravine, with steep bank on eth.
er side the noise was deafening. held
my hands over my ears to relieve
them. This heavy fire was kept up all
the rest of the day. There were at
least half a dozen enemy planes cir
cling over us all the time, dropping
their loads of bombs and going back
for more. My room mate and stuck
close to home, you may well believe.
A piece of shrapnel came whizzing
into our house and buried itself in
the sand. My room mate picked it up,
but he dropped it mighty suddenly
it was almost red hot The frag-
ment struck the bank right between
us, and my partner bawled be out for
not selecting safer place.
From the door of the dugout we
SOuAu oCC oouiC HIGH TCulOVluk the
wounded from the trees and carrying
them to a safe place near the bank
where the shells could not strike
They would dart into the wood and
come back with a. wounded man, or
sometimes two men would bring in a
fellow who had been hurt in the leg :;
they would have the wounded man be.
tween them and run as fast as they
could, the poor fellow hopping along
as best he could on his good leg.
About this time l thought 1 should
like to see what was going on in front
OF us SO took pair of German field
glasses and climbed up the bank and
looked over. l could see nothing but
scattered punches. of trees and our
shells bursting behind the enemy line
One of the boys had climbed UP be.
side me to see what the Germans were
doing and just as I was going to hand
the glasses to him he fell over back.
ward and rolled down the bank into
the trees below; a piece OF shFabnel
had struck him in the back, killing
him instantly. took the glasses
back to the dugout and told my buddy
of my experience He suggested that
Il control my curiosity and stay there
- =.