Show I I OVER THE TOP I By An Am UlY Gy Empey 0 Machine Gunner Serving in France t I Copyright tilT 1917 by Arthur Ouy l w. w s EMPEY GETS INTO THE FRONT LINE TRENCH TRENCH AND AND WISHES HE WERE BACK IN JERSEY CITY Synopsis FIred Fired by the sinking of the Lusitania with the loss of American lives Arthur Guy Empey an American living In Jersey City goes to England and enlists as a private in the British army After a ash sh short rt experience as a recruiting officer in London he is sent to training traInIng trainIng train- train Ing quarters In France where he first hears the sound of big guns and makes the acquaintance of cooties CHAPTER 11 Continued 3 The greatest shock a n recruit gets when he arrives at his battalion in France is to see the men engaging In a cootie hunt With an air of con conn contempt tempt and disgust he avoids the company company company com com- pany of the older men until a couple of days later In a torment of Itching he also has to resort to a shirt hunt bunt or spend many many manya a sleepless night of misery During these hunts there are tots lots of pertinent remarks bandied back and forth among the the explorers explorers such as Say Bill Bm Ill I'll swap you yon two little ones for a n big one or Ive got a ablack ablack ablack black one here that looks like Kaiser Bill nm One sunny day Jay In the line front-line trench I saw three officers sitting outside outside outside out out- side of their dugout cooties are no no respecters of rank I have even noticed a suspicious uneasiness about a certain well known general one of them was wasa a major two of them were exploring their shirts paying no attention to the occasional shells which passed over over- head The major was writing a letter every now and then he would lay aside his writing pad writing pad search his shirt for a afew afew afew few minutes get an Inspiration and and then resume writing At last he finished fin fin- ched his pis letter lette and gave It to his runner runner runner run ner I was cu ous to see whether he was writing to an Insect firm so when the runner passed me I engaged him himIn himIn himin In conversation and got a glimpse at atthe atthe atthe the address on the envelope It was addressed to Miss Alice Somebody in London The runner Informed me that Miss Somebody was the majors major's sweetheart and that he wrote to her every day Just imagine it writing a alove alove alove love letter during a cootie hunt but such is the creed of the trenches CHAPTER III I 1 Go to Church Upon enlistment we had Identity disks issued to us These were small disks of red fiber worn around round th the neck by means of a string Most of the Tommies Tommies Tom Tom- mies also used a little metal disk which they wore around the left wrist wilst by means of a chain They had previously previous previous- ly Iy figured It out that if their heads were blown off the disk on the left wr wrist st would Identify them If they lost their left arm the disk around the neck would serve the purpose but if their head hend and left arm were blown off no noone noone noone one would care care who they were s so It did not matter On one side of the disk was Inscribed your rank name name number and battalion while on the theother theother other was stamped your you religion C. C of E E. meaning Church of England England England Eng Eng- land R. R C C. Roman Catholic W. W Wesleyan Wesleyan Wesleyan Wes- Wes leyan P. P Presbyterian but if you happened to be an atheist they lef left It blank and just handed you a pick and shovel On my disk was stamped C. C of E. E This is how I got it The lieu lieuten lieutenant lieutenant fen fen- ant who enlisted me asked my religion I was not sure of th the religion of the th British army so I answered Oh any old thing and md he promptly put down down C. C of E. E Now just Imagine my hard luck Out of five religions I was unlucky kY enough to pick the only one wl where church parade was compulsory I IThe The next morning was Sunday I Iwas Iwas Iwas was sitting In the billet blUet writing writing home tome to my sister telling her of my wonderful wonder wonder- wonderful dex- dex ful exploits while under fire fire nil all recruits recruits recruits re re- do this The sergeant maj major r put his ills head In in the door of the billet and und shouted C 0 of E E. E o outside for church i par parade de I II I Inept on writing Turning to me In a loud voice he asked Empey arent aren't you C C. of E E. I answered Yep In an angry tone he commanded Dont you yon yep me Say Yes s 's sergeant ser ser sergeant r- r geant major I did so Somewhat mollified he ordered Outside for church parade I looked up and answered I am amnot amnot amnot not going to church this morning He said Oh yes you yon are 1 I II I answered Oh no Im I'm not But l But ButI I went We lined up outside with rifles and bayonets rounds of ammunition wearing our tin hats and the march I Ito to church began After marching about five kilos we turned off the road Into an open field At one end of this field into the chaplain was standing In a limber Umber We Ve formed a semicircle around him Overhead there was a black speck circlIng circling circling cir cir- cir cir- cling round and round In the sky This This was a German Fokker The chaplain had a book In his left hand left hand left eye on the book right book right eye on the airplane We Tommies were lucky we had no books so had both eyes on the air air- plane I After church parade we were marched back td our billets and played football all afternoon I CHAPTER IV Into the Trench The next morning the draft was Inspected Inspected inspected In In- by our general and we were assigned to different companies The boys in the brigade had nicknamed this gener general 1 Old Pepper and he certainly certainly earned the sobriquet net I was assIgned assigned assigned as as- signed to toB B B B company with another American named Stewart For the next ten days we rested repairing roads for the forthe the drIlling drillIng drilling drill- drill Ing and digging bO bonding bIng trenches One morning g were Informed that we were go goon nf up the line and our march began It took us us three days to re reach ch reserve reserve reserve re re- re- re serve billets each billets each days day's march bringIng bringing bringing bring bring- ing the sound of the guns nearer and nearer nearer At night way off in the distance distance distance dis dis- tance we could see their flashes which lighted up the sky with a red rod glare Against the horizon we could see numerous observation balloons or sausages sausages sausages sau sages as they are called On the afternoon of I the third days day's march I witnessed ed my first first airplane being shelled A thrill ran through me and I gazed In awe The airplane was making wide circles In the air while little puffs of white smoke were were burstIng burstIng bursting burst- burst Ing all around It These puffs appeared like Ilke tiny balls of cotton while after each burst could be heard a dull dun plop The serg sergeant ant of my platoon Informed us that It was a German al airplane airplane air air- plane and I wondered how he could tell from such a distance because the plane seemed like Uke a little black speck In the sky I expressed my doubt as ItEr to whether It was English French or Ger Ger- man With a look of contempt he further further further fur fur- ther Informed us that the allied antiaircraft anti antl- aircraft shells when exploding emitted white smoke while the G German Geman shells sheIls gave forth b black ack smoke an and anlo as he expressed ex expressed ex- ex x- x pr pressed It It must Le be an A Iemand because because because be be- cause our pom are spelling shelling and andI I know our batteries are riot not off their bally and are certainly pot not our own planes and another piece of advice dont advice don't dont chuck your w weight about until youve you've been up theline theline the line an and learnt ear t something l' l I I Im Immediately ly quit chucking my weight about from that time on Just before reaching reserve billets COMMUNiCATION COMMUNICATION TRENCH I I diagram Sh Showing owing Typical Frent Line Front and Communication Trenches I ts 4 we e w were ere marching along laughing and singing one of Tommys Tommy's trench ditties I want to go home I want to go home I dont don't want to go to the trenches no nomore nomore nomore more Where sausages and bangs are galore galore ga ga- ga lore Take me over the sea sea Where the Alle- Alle Allemand Allemand mand cant can't get at atme me me Oh my I dont don't want to die I want to EO go home home- when overhead came a swish through the air rapidly followed by three oth oth- ers rs Then about two hundred yards to our left in a large field four columns of black earth and smoke rose Into theaIr the aIr and the ground trembled from the report the report the explosion of four German nines five or coal boxes A sharp whistle blast Immediately followed by two short ones rang rang out from the head of our column This was to take up artillery formation We divided into small squads and went into Into the fields fieldson on the right and left of the road and crouched on the ground No other shells followed this salvo It was our first baptism by shell fire From the waist up I was all enthusiasm but from there down everything was missing I thought I should die with fright After awhile we reformed Into col cl columns columns col- col of fours and proceeded on our ur way About five that night we reached the ruined village of H H- H Hand and I got my first sight of the awful destruction caused by Germ German n Marching down the main street we came to the heart of the v village and took up quarters in shellproof f cellars shellproof until hit by a shell shem Shells SheIls were constantly whistling over the vii vil village lage and bursting In our rear searchIng searchIng searching search- search Ing for our artillery ry I These cellars were cold damp and smelly and overrun with large rats rats rats- big black k fellows Most of the Tommies Tommies Tom Tom- mies sl slept pt with their with their overcoats over I their faces I did not In the middle le leof of the night I woke up In terror The cold clammy feet of a rat had passed over my face I immediately ered myself In my overcoat but co could ld not sleep for the rest of that night Next evening we took over our sector sector sec sec- tor of the line In single file we wended wended wend wend- ed our way through a zigzag communication communication com com- trench six sir Inches deep with mud This trench was nas called called- Whisky street On our way up to the front line an occasional flare fiare of bursting shrapnel would light up the sky and we could hear the fragments sl slapping the ground above us on our right and left Then a Fritz would traverse back and forth with his typewriter typewriter type writer or machine machIn gun The bullets made a sharp cracking noise overhead The boy in iu front of me named PrentIc Prentice Pren Pren- I tics tice tIc crumpled up a word A Apiece Apiece Apiece piece of shell shen had go goat through his I shrapnel-proof shrapnel helm helmet t I felt sick tek and weak In about thirty minutes we reached the front line Une It It was dark as pitch Every now and then thee a German star shell would pierce the blackness o out t tIn In front with its silvery light I was trembling all over and felt very lonely and afraid All orders were given in whispers The company we relieved filed past us and disappeared Into th the blackness of the communication trench leading to the rear As they passed us they whispered The best o o 0 luck mates I sat on the fire step of the tren trend trench l. l with the rest of the men In each traverse two of the older men ha had been put on guard JUard with their hearts o over er the top and with their eyes tryIng tryIng try- try Ing log to pierce the blackness In No NoMans NoMans NoMans Mans Man's Land In this trench there were only two dugouts and these were used by Lewis and VIckers machine gunners so it was the fire step for our ours Pretty soon It started to rain We Ve put on our mucks marks but they were were net not much protection The rain trickled down our backs backs and and it was not long before v we e were wet and cold How J passed that night Ight I will never know without but but without any unusual occurrence d dawn wn arrived The wore word ord stand stan down was passed along the line Une and the sentries got down off the fire step Pretty soon the therum therun run rum issue came along and it was a Godsend It warmed our our chilled bodies and put new life Into us Then from the communication trenches came or or Iron pots filled with ste steamIng steam steam- inIng in- in Ing tea which had t two t to wooden stakes through their handles and were ca caNed car car- tied Ned by two men I filled fined my canteen and drank the hot tea lea without out taking It from my lips Ups It was not long before before before be be- fore I was asleep In the mud on the fire step My ambition had been attained I I Ivas Iwas Iwas was vas In a line front trench on the western western western west west- ern front and aud oh how I wished I were i iback I Iback iback back In Jersey City I ie Empey takes his first turn on the firing step of the trench while the machine gun bt lets whiz over his head He soon learns why Tommy has adopted the motto If youre you're going to get It you'll get It so never worry Dont Don't alias ml ms the next Installment r OTO TO BE I |