The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-08-08
(By Lewis M. Grist in Yorkville En-
Quirer)

who were in the battle lines in the
recent war, no doubt. You have Sc
cured from some of them, no doubt, a
description of just how they felt with
rifle bullets and machine gun hail and
shrapnel and real big guns bursting
every minute and expecting that the
next minute would bring over bull
let with their name and number on
it," / have talked scores of these
fellows and have gotten some graphic
descriptions from some of them as to
just how it feels. 1 never experienced
it myself. l missed it by one day.
You have heard some of the boys
who have been discharged tell how
they were on the ocean going over on
the day that the armistice was signed
and were turned back to the port of
embarkation because the hig show
was over and their services would not
be required. My outfit had its orders
to go up to the front and had pre-
pared to leave for the battle areas on
the very day the armistice was signed.
And because Of the signing we didn't
go. No, nobody cried because they
didn't have the chance to go to the
front. If there was any crying done
IL was done by those who cried out of
sheer JOY that the business was over
and that it would not be necessary for
anybody to go up to the front on
fighting business any more. while
those who had been up to the front
so long would be privileged to retire.
Workmcn Fought Also.
We fellows of the Motor Transport
companies whose duty It was to drive
automobiles and Lizzies and patch up
those that were tired of running. were
as well as fixing. That was true of
soldiers of all organizations. For in
stance. one would naturally think
that the engineers duties lay in dig
ging trenches and building bridges.
These were their duties: but it often
times became necessary for them to
defend the trenches they had dug and
the bridges they had built after they
were completed. 1t was so with the
motor corps. Many a lad ordinarily
engaged in repair work or in driving
a car, got bumped off sudden like by
a Hun shell or other missile, and en-
emy airplanes dropping bombs on the
allied lines knocked off many a lad
who aspired to be an expert motor
mechanic.
A goodly part of our instruction
and training Included practice in in
fantry drill and the manual of arms.
Many a day have / laid aside my
hammer and wrench and screw driver
and drill to take up my Enfield and
gas mask and practice and as a result
thereof ! can today hold my own with
any buck in squad right" and in the
infantry drill regulations. Had it not
been for that ever to be remembered
November IL, suspect / would have
pretty soon thereafter had an oppor-
tunity to put all that instruction into
practice.
Ordered To Front.
In the army organization every
seventh motor company is known as
a replacement company. That is. six
companies are sent up to the front to
serve the troops on the front line. The
seventh company is kept back in the
interior to remain until it is needed
10 replace the six companies who may
have suffered through killed and
wounded and those who had died Of
disease. The six companies for which
my company, the seventh, was re.
placement, suffered like everything
during September, October and No
vember last. Hence the order for Us
to move up to the slaughter pen on
November IL
There were several members of the
company, myself included in the hos
pital at the time the order was re-
ceived. / recall that in my own case
fever was the trouble, having had a
stretch OF it for about 20 days, the
result of flu. The top sargcant came
over to the hospital and informed rs
OF the order, saying that he would
like to have we cripples go with him
If we felt anything like it because he
wanted the company as complete as
possible. Every one of us managed
10 get release from that hospital in
time to GO We were not especially