The Bamberg herald. (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, June 20, 1918, Page 6, Image 6
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I?Fired by the news of the
Inking of the Lusitania by a German j
ubmarine, Arthur Guy Empey, an American,
leaves his ofnce In Jersey City and
joes to England where he enlists in the !
jeriusn army.
CHAPTER II?After a period of training,
Empey volunteers for immediate service
and soon finds himself in rest billets i
^somewhere in France," where he first
makes the acquaintance of the ever-present
"cooties."
i CHAPTER III?Empey attends his first !
(church services at the front while a Ger- I
.man Fokker circles over the congregation.
CHAPTER IV? Empey's command goes
flnto the front-line trenches and is under
(fire for the first time. \
CHAPTER V?Empey learns to adopt
(the motto of the Brtish Tommy, "If you i
iftre going to get it, you'll get it, so never
[worry." . _ _ i *
CHAPTER VI?Back in rest billets, Em- ]
,'pey gets his first expedience as a mess
(orderly.
CHAPTER VII?Empey learns how the
British soldiers are fed. 1
1 CHAPTER VIII?Back in the front-line .
(trench, Empey sees his first friend of the J
trenches "go West." | ]
CHAPTER IX?Empey makes his first ,
(visit to a dugout in "Suicide Ditch."
CHAPTER X?Empey learns what con- '
.stitutes a "day's work" in the front-line I
i ' tnanch
CHAPTER XI?Empey goes "over tne
'top" for the first time in a cnarge on wc i
German trenches and is wounded by a
} bayonet thrust. ?
CHAPTER XII?Empey joins the sm- ?
tdde club" as the bombing squad is called.
CHAPTER VIII?Back in the front t
liDe trench, Empey sees his first i
friend of the trenches "go West." 8
CHAPTER IX?Empey makes his r
first visit to a dugout in "Suicide
Ditch." i
CHAPTER X?Empey learns what j,
constitutes a "day's work" in the
front-line trench.
CHAPTER XI?Empey goes "over r
the top" for the first time in a charge
on the German trenches and is ft
wounded by a bayonet thrust.
CHAPTER XII?Empey joins the;
"suicide club" as the bombing squad
is called.
CHAPTER XIII?Each Tommy *
gets an official bath. T
CHAPTER XIV?Empey helps dig I
an advanced trench under German
fire. h
CHAPTER XV?On "listening tJ
a \ post" in No Man's Land.
CHAPTER XVI?Two artillery-, 8
men "put one over" on Old Pepper,
their regimental commander.
CHAPTER XVII?Empey has narrow
escape while on patrol duty in
No clan's Land.
CHAPTER XVIII?Back in rest
billets Empey writes and stages a
farce comedy.
CHAPTER XIX?Soldiers have
many ways to amuse themselves while
"on their own." ;
Chapter XX?Empey volunteers
for machine gun service and goes
hack into the fronj line trenches.
CHAPTER XXI?Empty again goes
'"over the top" in a charge which
cost his company 17 killed and 31 i
wounded.
j . CHAPTER XXII?Trick with a
machine gun silences one bothersome
Fritz.
. Atweu tnea to get in front of tne
sentry to explain to him that it really
was the general he had under arrest,
but the sentry threatened to run his j
bayonet through him, and would have
done it, too. So Atwell stepped aside, i
and remained silent. I was nearly
, bursting with suppressed laughter. One |
word, and I would have exploded. It;
is not exactly diplomatic to laugh al
your general in such a predicament, j
: The sentry and his prisoner arrived
at brigade headquarters with disastrous
results to the sentry. *
The joke was that the general .had *
personally issued the order for tire 0
spy's arrest. It was a habit of the general
to walk through the trenches on ri
rounds of inspection, unattended by |
any of his staff. The Irishman, being: ri
new in the regiment, had never seen .
the general before, so when he came a
across him alone in a communication e
trench, he promptly put him under ar- e
rest. Brigadier generals wear a red: ^
band around their caps.
Next day we parsed the Irishman ^
tied to the wheel of a limber, the be- ?
ginning of his sentence of twenty-one d
' days, field punishment No. 1. INever 0
"before have I seen such a woebegone c
expression on a man's face. *J
For several days, Atwell apd I made a
ourselves scarce around brigade head- a
quarters. We did not want to meet a
the general.
The spy was never caught e
CHAPTER XXIV. *
o
The Firing Squad.
A few days later I had orders to re- a
port back to divisional headquarters, n
about thirty kilos behind the line. I
reported to the A. P. M. (assistant provost
marshal). He told me to report
to billet No. 78 for quarters and rations.
It was about eight o'clock at night j
and I was? tired and soon fell asleep in j
the straw of the billet. It was a mis- j r<
erable night outside, cold, and a drizzly ^
rain was falling. t !
About two in the morning I was
awakened by some one shaking me by
the shoulder. Opening my eyes I saw
a regimental sergeant major bending
war rnp. Hp had a lisrhted lantern in
MI
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MKM 50IMR
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: mm, otng in niawct-?
~ ?1917 BY
ARTHUR CUY ?HPEY
his right hand. I started to ask him
what was the matter, when he put his
finger to his lips for silence and whispered
:
"Get on your equipment, and, without
any noise, come with me."
This greatly mystified me, but I
obeyed his order.
Outside of the billet, I asked him
what was up, but he shut me up with: 1
:4Don't ask questions, it's against or- 1
ders. I don't know myself." J
It was raining like the mischief.
We splashed along a muddy road for
about fifteen minutes, finally stopping
at the entrance of what must have
been an old barn. In the darkness. I
could hear pigs grunting, as if they \
had just been disturbed. In front of J
the door stood an officer in a mack
(mackintosh).. The R. S. M. went up
to him, whispered something, and then J
[eft. This officer called to me, as*ed
my name, number and regiment, at the ]
same time. In the light of a,lantern he ]
*as holding, making a notation ix a 1
itfle book. *
'When he had finished writing, be 1
vl ispered: 1
kUl?4. ?,nU aiJ.im I i
\jru iniv tnut uiiioL auu watt vivicao?
rnd no talking. Understand?" t
I stumbled into the barn and sat on *
he door in the darkness. I could see
10 one, but could hear men breathing *
ind moving; they seemed nervous and c
'estless. I know I was. ' 1
During my wait, three other men I
mtered. Then the officer poked his
tead in the door and ordered:
"Fall in, outside the billet, in single fi
ank." J
We fell in, standing at ease. Then
i? commanded: 1
"Squad?'Shun! NumberT J
There were twelve of us. f
"Right?Turn! Left?Wheel! Quick ?
-March!" And away we went. The
ain was trickling down my back and ?
was shivering from the cold.
With the officer leading, we must 8
ave marched over an hour, plowing _
hrough the mud and occasionally
tumbling into a shell hole in the road,
Buried With Honors.
'hen suddenly the officer made a left
'heel, and we found ourselves in a sort i
f enclosed courtyard.
The dawn was breaking and the j
ain had ceased. |
In front of us were four stacks of I
Lfles, three to a stack. ;
The officer brought us to attention :
nd gave the order to unpile arms. We s
ach took a rifle. Giving us "Stand at
ase," in a nervous and shaky voice,
e informed:
"Men, you are here on a very solemn
uty. You have been selected as a
ring squad for the execution of a solier,
who, having been found guilty
f a grievous crime against king and
ountry, has been regularly and duly
ried and sentenced to be shot at 3:28
?rrv??? e?AnfAr?/?A V?oc? Knnn j
? III. 11I1S Utile. I.U10 OCUICUV.C UUO UbUl
pproved by the reviewing authority
nd ordered carried out It is our duty
a carry on with the sentence of the
ourt.
"There are twelve rifles, one of
rhich contains a blank cartridge, the
ther eleven containing ball cartridges.
!very man is expected to do his duty
nd fire to kill. Take your orders from
ie. Squad?'Shun !"
We came to attention. Then he left
[y heart was of lead, and my knees
hook.
After standing at "attention" for
'hat seemed a week, though in reality
: could not have been over five mintes,
we heard a low whispering in our
sar and footsteps on the stone flagIng
of the courtyard.
Our officer reappeared and in a low,
ut firm voice, ordered:
"About?Turn I"
We turned about In the gray light
f dawn, a few yards in front of me, I
)uld make out a brick wall. Against
lis wall was a dark form with a white ,
square pinned on its oreast. We were
supposed to aim at this square. To the
right of the form I noticed a white spot
on the wall. This would be my target.
"Ready! Aim! Fire!"
The dark form sank into a huddled
heap. My bullet sped on its way, and
hit the whitish spot on the wall; I
could see the splinters fly. Some one
else had received the rifle containing
the blank cartridge, but my mind was
at ease, there was no blood of a
Tommy on my hands.
"Order?Arms! About?Turn I PileArms
! Stand?Clear."
The stacks were re-formed.
"Quick ? March! Right ? Wheel!"
And we left the scene of execution behind
us.
It was now daylight. After marching
about five minutes, we were dismissed
with the following instructions
from the officer in command:
"Return, alone, to your respective
companies, and remember, no talking
about this affair, or else it will go hard
wiin me guuiy uues.
We needed no urging to get away. I
did not recognize any of the men on
the firing squad; even the officer was a
stranger to me.
The victim's relations and friends in
Blighty will never know that he was
executed; they will be under the impression
that he died doing his bit for
king and country.
In the public casualty lists his name
will appear under the caption "Accidentally
Killed," or "Died."
The day after the execution I re*
celved orders to report back to the
line, and to keep a still tongue in ray
head.
Executions are a part of the day's
work, but the part we hated most of
all, I think?certainly the saddest The
British war department is thought by j
many people to be composed of rigid
regulations all wound around with red
cape. But It has a heart, and one ox
Che evidences of this is the considerate
tfay in which an execution is concealed
rad reported to the relative of the anmu
TT nAT?A* ATir f 1"> A
mniuovc uiau. ajucj ucvci nuuw uic
it^h. He is listed in the bulletins as
unong the "accidentally killed."
In the last ten years I have several
imes read stories in magazines of
:owards changing, in a charge, to he*
oes. I used to laugh at it. It seemed
iasy for story-writers, but I said,
"Men arent made that way.V But over
n Prance I learned once that the
itreak of yellow can turn all white. I
>icked up the story, bit by bit, from
he captain of the company, the sen- j
ries who guarded the poor fellow, as
rell as from my own observations. At
Irst I did not realize the whole of his ;
tory, but after a week of investiga- j
Ion It stood out as clear in my mind
js the mountains of my native West In i
he spring sunshine. It impressed me
0 much that I wrote it all down In j
est billets on scraps of odd paper.!
?he Incidents are, as I say, every bit ]
rue; the feelings of the man are true
-I know from all I underwent in the
ghting over in France.
We will call him Albert Lloyd. That
rasn't his name, but it will do: ,
Albert Lloyd was what the world
erms a coward. * ,
In London they called him a slacker. ,
His country had been at war nearly ,
ighteen months, and still he was not ]
1 khaki. (
He had no good reason for not ensting,
being alone in the world, hav- ,
ig been educated in an orphan asy- x
lm, and there being no one dependent' ?
pon him for support He had no good ,
osition to lose, and there was no j
weetheart to tell him with her lips 1
o go, while her 6yes pleaded for him
3 stay. a
Every time he saw a recruiting ser- f
eant he'd slink around the corner out c
f sight, with a terrible fear gnawing *
t his heart. When passing the big re- I
riiiting Dosters. and on his way t? t
usiness ana dock ne passea many, ne a
muld pull down his cap and look the
ther way from that awful finger a
ointing at him, under the caption, ^
XTinr, o rw? Pnnnfm VooH Vnil " n
JLUU1 auu wuuw J AVU J J
r the boring eyes of Kitchener, which v
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1 Whether in
? a picnic, a;
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I CHERO-O
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= Marie of the
EE bean, it is re1
Durnea mro ms very stnn, causing mm
to shudder.
Then the Zeppelin raids?during
them, he used to crouch in a corner of
his boarding-house cellar, whimpering
like a whipped puppy and calling upon
the Lord to protect him.
Even his landlady despised him, although
.she had to admit that he was
"good pay."
He very seldom read the papers, but
one momentous morning the landlady
put the morning paper at his place before
he came down tc breakfast. Taking
his seat he read the flaring headline,
"Conscription Bill Passed," and
nearly fainted. Excusing himself, he
stumbled upstairs to his bedroom,
with the horror of it gnawing into his
vitals.
Wnvintr nn ? fpTxr nrmnrtc hp
decided not to leave the house, and to
sham sickness, so he stayed in his room
and had the landlady serve his meals
there.
Every time there was a knock at the
door he trembled all over, imagining It
was a policeman who had come to take
him away to the army.
One morning his fears were realized,
Sure enough, there <etood a policeman
with the fatal paper. Taking it in his
trembling hand he read that he, Albert
Lloyd, was ordered to report himself
to the nearest recruiting station for
physical examination. He reported Immediately,
because he was afraid to
disobey.
The doctor looked with approval
upon Lloyd's six feet of physical perfection,
and thought what a fine
guardsman he would make, but esiamined
his heart twice before he passed
him as "physically fitit was beating
so fast. j
From the recruiting depot Lloyd was
taken, with many others, in charge of
a sergeant, to the training depot at Aldershot,
where he was given an outfit
of khaki, and drew his other equipment.
He made a fine-looking soldier,
except for the slight shrinking in his
shoulders and the hunted look in his
eyes.
At'"the training depot it does not
take long to find out a man's .character,
and Lloyd was promptly dubbed
"windy." In the English amy "windy"
means cowardly.
The smallest recruit in the barracks
looked on him with contempt, and. was
not slow to show it in many ways.
Lloyd was a good soldier, learned,1
quickly, obeyed every order promptly, j
never groused at the hardest fatigues.
He was afraid to. He lived in deadly
fear of the officers and "noncoms" over j
him. They also despised him.
One morning about three months
after his enlistment Lloyd's company j
was paraded, and the names picked out
for the next draft to France were read.
When his name was called, he did iibt i
step out smartly, two paces to the i
front, and answer cheerfully, "Here, j
sir," as the others did. He just faint-;
ed in the ranks and was carried to barracks
amid the sneers of the rest.
That night was an agony of misery
to him. He could not sleep. Just cried
and whimpered in his bunk, because
on the morrow the draft was to sail
for France, where he would see death
on all sides, and perhaps be killed himself.
On the steamer, crossing the
channel, he would have jumped over*
board to escape, but was afraid of
drowning.
Arriving in France, he and the rest
svere huddled into cattle cars. On the
side of each appeared in white letters,
'Hommes 40, Chevaux 8." After hours
rf bumping over the uneven French
roadbeds they arrived at the training
-?opp of Ronon
At this place they were put through
week's rigid training in trench warare.
On the morning of the eighth
lay they paraded at ten o'clock, and
vere Inspected and passed by General
I , then were marched to the quar- !
ermaster's, to draw their gas helmets i
md trench equipment.
A' four In the afternoon they were j
.gain hustled into cattle cars. This |
Ime the journey lasted two days, i
?hey disembarked at the town of Fre- j
ent and could hear a distant d?a?!
i)i)iii/a:iiiiiii)iiiiifiiiiiiiiii!iiii)iii)))ii))iiiliiii
H TT
mug to nave
Hand
the home, at the office or
t the fount or in camp
None so Good
3LA is sold only in sealed,
>ttles, to insure purity, uniy
and eternal goodness.
pure juice of fruits and the cola
freshing with no bad after effect.
o
Dooming, vvitn Knees snaking, L.ioya
asked the sergeant what the noise was,
and nearly dropped when the sergeant
replied In a somewhat bored tone:
"Oh, them's the guns up the line.
Well be up there in a couple o' days
or so. Don't worry, my laddie, you'll
see more of 'em than you want before
you get 'ome to Blighty again, that is,
If you're lucky enough to get back.
Now lend a hand there unloadin' them
cars, and quit that everlastin' shakln\
I believe yer scared." The last with a
contemptuous sneer.
They marched ten kilos, full pack,
to a little dilapidated village, and the
sound of the guns grew louder, constantly
louder.
The village was full of soldiers who
turned out to inspect the new draft,
the men who were shortly to be their
mates in the trenches, for they were
going "up the line" on the morrow, to
"take over" their certain sector of
trenches.
The draft was paraded in front of
battalion headquarters and the men
were assigned to companies.
Lloyd was the only man assigned to
D company. Perhaps the officer in
charge of the draft had something to
do with it, for he called Lloyd aside
and said:
"Lloyd, you are going to a new company.
No one knows you. Your bed
will be as you make it, so for God's
sake, brace up and be a man. I think
you have the stuff in you, my boy, so
good-by and the best of luck to you."
The next day the battalion took over
their part of the trenches. It happened
to be a very quiet day.- The artillery
behind the lines was still, except for
an occasional shell sent over to let the
I PEACE TO YOl
LET YOUR FEE^
WEAR
WEAR SHOE;
WHILE ALL OTI
GET STYLES 1
ISH AND THAT j
AND WEAR LIK
BL
vutsm
HMI UICB
ffll UMITH
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I Buy Th<
I IT pin Win
II FOR SALE E
| AND PA1
I I RENTZ 4
I BAMBE
llllllllllllllllilllillllltolllllllllllllllllllli ll
on
lllililililliillllilllillllllllllllillllllllllilllllllllllllMli'l
omniums Know tne gunners were not
asleep.
In the darkness, in single file, the
company slowly wended their way
down the communication trench to the
front line. No one noticed Lloyd's
white and drawn face.
After they had relieved the company
in the trenches, Lloyd, with two of the
! old company men, was put on guard in
one of the traverses. Not a shot was
fired from the German lines, and no
one paid any attention to him
crouched on the firing step.
On the first time in, a new recruit is
not required to stand with his head
"over the top." He only "sits it out,"
while the elder men keep watch.
At about ten o'clock, all of a sudden,
he thought hell had broken loose, and
crouched and shivered up against the
parapet. Shells started bursting, as he
Imagined, right in their trench, when in
fact they were landing about a hun*
dred yards in rear of them, in the second
lines.
One of the older men on guard, turning
to his mate, said:
"There goes Fritz with those d?d
trench mortars again. It's about time
our artillery 'taped' them, and sent
;over a few. Well, HI be d??d,
Where's that blighter of a draft man
gone to? There's his rifle leaning
against the parapet. He must have
legged it. Just keep your eye peeled,
Dick, while I report it to the sergeant.
I wonder if the fool knows he can be
shot for such tricks as leavin' his
nnst?"
(To be continued next week)
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