"SLIGHT ARTILLERY ACTIVITY"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 44, 15 November 1917, Page 5

"SLIGHT ARTILLERY ACTIVITY"

PERSISTENT ENEMY ATTENTIONS

The peril which the Y.M.C.A. workers close up to tho trenches have to face is described in an interesting article recently published in "The lied Triangle " The wood was being , heavily shelled (saye the writer). A large calibre shell dropped just outside the superintendent's dug-out, to do no further damage than, fill the place with evil-emelling smoke and throw more clods of earth on top of the dug-out. ■ But the small hut where cocoa was provided did not escape eo lightly. A "whizz-bang" penetrated the wall of sandbags, and in exploding blew out the front wall. The men who wore seated round tho boiler fire miraculously escaped being hit, and shortly afterwards were grinding out tunes on tho gramophone in the next dug-out, to the accompaniment of shells exploding farther off in tho wood. Another change of brigade brought newmen, who had a more startling experience in tho work at this place. The quiet evening was, -unlike a hundred other ovenings in that place, suddenly broken up by a deafening explosion, and a cloud of black emoke and earth was seen. The men were rnshing everywhere for coverj the ory of "Stretcher bearer!" was heard. Visitors during a short interval in the shelling saw that the front of the dugout was smashed up completely. An inquiry through the broken . doorway brought the reply that all the men inside were safe. Next door, however, just outside the "cocoa hut," two men were lying with YM.C.A. mugs by their «de, beyond aid. It made one wonder whether it was worth while carrying on the work in such a place, but the commanding officer'desired Uβ to continue. Bo tho place was repaired and the work resumed. The men who were helping there rejoiced over tho chango which called them away from such scenes-for a short time at least. Other men came, and the "strafing" was unknown to all except the Y.M.C.A. men. However, the worst was not over; the Bosche blew the place too well to refrain from turning, his ems on it again. Somo men. ingeniously explained the severe shelling at this spot bv the theory that an enemy aerial pUgraph had been taken oftte dugout, with its big enamel Y.M. C.A. sirs. looking heavenward, and that they Shellit under tho impression that it was a Bed Cross position. „ One Sunday evening the Y.M. man, returning a, little later than usual, found a sad cfiuige at the dug-out The meft who served there were not e ending behind the little doorway-counter, lofta smile of greeting or a tab of exhausted ™U. "The s'Quee5 'Queen Mary" duwrt, immune so long, liad been hit at last The four men were all injured, and the doctor and chaplain *«» attenduw jo ■tho line" for one of the men, So died at tho dressing station that night. Tho stock liad to be cleared out. Jhe regimental scrgennt-major,. who provided a few men to help, promised to find ft new homo for a box of fine kittens found, among tho stores. The goods were put in tho superintendent's dug-out, and two days later a Y.M.C.A was opened there with, the help of new men. It i$ worthy of note that the O.C. put a large party •of men to work on the new placo to make it proof, by means of sandbags and concrete, against heavy shell Tho wrecked "Queen Mary" dug-out is now used as a centre* for distributing freo cocoa, at ni"ht tho chimney of the boiler being stuck through the shell-hole. As many as 750 cups have been given away there on a singlo night. , , The setting up of tho cnnlcon in the I new position necessitated tho removal of Hid superintendent's billet to the r.fißhbouring village. Hero two houses were kept open day and night tor olhcers ami men. But even this was not to wrape attention from Die enemy. A week lP.ter activity began. For two nights the bnd and roads nround were heavily shelled. On the third night the shell were fulling rather close, so the men went down to the cellar. A few minutes after there was a deafening explosion, followed by darkness, stifling dust and emoke, and Hip groans of one of tho men.' Tho shell had burst in the rooms abovo and pieece had come through the sandbagging abovo and caught poor W —, who was sitting on tho fileps of tho cellar. Aβ soon as a light could Iμ got lio received attention and was taken to tho dressing station near at hand. But all in vain Ho will, never servo again in the Y.M.C.A., whero for tho last fortnight at this place, nnd for three months at: a neighbouring Y.M.C.A., he had performed 6ucli willing service. On that night only "the eld pnldier" wont back to stay at tho Y.M C.A. He refused to leave, though the place could be locked with comparative safety. Those are somo of tho results of tho recent "slight artillery activity." Luckily, two of our dng-oute have not boen touched. One is 300 yards from tho German lines, and it has been of great, service during tho winter months in providing hot cocoa for working parties going back to cemp several miles airay.