IN' THE TRAINING TRENCHES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 71, 17 December 1917, Page 13

IN' THE TRAINING TRENCHES

WITH THE AMKIUCAX TROOPS IX ERAXCE. "Wo can't give 'em too much. They eat it up cigat hours a day and nan tor more. Xney're keeu as mustard." This very. American comment was spoken hy an enthusiastic English drillsergeant who was putting Uncle Sam's boys through their paces in trench-work at one of tho training camps of the United Statjs Expeditionary Voice "somewhere in France." They had just 'goiie over the top in a spirited rush and cleaned up an imaginary enemy in the captured trench. The Taris correspondent of Router's recently visited one of the camps, and he tells this story, which is printed in the Xew York "Times": 1 asked an Englisn drill-sergeant, who had just given a bunch of sixteen American subalterns a breathing spell after some particularly strenuous exercises, what lie thought of his charges. "What do I think of these 'ere young gentlemen, sir? Why, sir, we've just iiad 'eni in six days, and look at 'em! They're training on beautiful." "The best thing about 'em, sir," ]jj went on with professional pride, "is that they're as keen as mustard. We can't give 'em too much. They oat it up. At it eight hours a clay and ask for more, and you could see for yourself, sir, 'ow wo made 'em 'ustle. Just lottin' 'em sec, sir, 'ow we do it in our littlo army." After luncheon with the division commander, a simple hut ample meal, with a water washdown—as lam told it is in every mess—ho invited me to come with him "to see how your English sergeant-major takes my aid over there and the rest of the school of officers and makes them run around."

"Yes," said an alert young officer, "come seo me sweat. The drill wo get has baseball skinned at the post as an exercise, but it is great stuff." We stood later on a smiling hillside while the general pointed out where there had been constructed in a dip three more short lines of trenches, ending at a rise some hundred yards off. "Those points you see in the sun on tho opposite slope,"' he said, "are tin cans on sticks. You will know their use in a minute or two."

"Ready, gentlemen," said tho drillsergeant. "Prepare for trench bayonet practice by half sections. You're to tako these three lines of trenches, lay out every Boche in tho lot, and then sict to cover and five six rounds at them 'ere tin 'ats. Don't waste a shot, gentlemen; every bullet a Boche. Now, then, ready! Over the top and give 'em 'ell right in the stomach! Fritz likes his victuals, but not that sort. Get at 'em!" Over the top they went with what must havo been some wild college yell. They ran some ten yards and dug their hayonets savagely into dummy Germans made of sacks that swung in tho wind to meet them, and disappeared in tho first trench. AVo could see the rifle-butts lift and fall _as they lunged desperately at the imaginary foe. Then up they came and on again until wo could seo them spread-eagled behind a shallow trench, 'blazing away at tho cans which rattled down. Then, as they marched hack, tho second section got ready to begin its stunt. "To ease 'cm up a bit between real work," tho sergeant explained, "we give 'em games, but each of these 'ere games is meant to teach 'em something. AVo let 'em laugh and joke, but they must keep their minds on the gamo or we tell 'em a thing.' So they played a'game designed to teach concentration of thought on the exact words of command. The sergeant began: "When I begin a command with the words 'O'Grady says,' you obey it. When I don't you stand stiff. Now, ready! O'Grady says eyes right; O'Grady says left turn! Front! "Thero you are, four of you gone to sleep! Get back and touch the post in that wire fencing behind you and then keep your cars skinned lor O'Grady." It was a merry game, but behind all its fun and laughter one could see its serious purpose, and tho line .voting fellows who played it knew it better than we. The rehearsal of a trench "cleanup" with bayonets in tho hands of tho rushing troops was next staged. The "Times" account says:—

A section nf a communicating trench had been prepared with side pockets, so to speak, at intervals of live yards or so. In each of these was supposed to bo one or more Germans, represented by » sack. The object-lesson was to leach those young oflicers, so that they might afterward teach thciiv men the best manner in which to tako Ihe occupants of such a trench by surprise with bayonet in hand, and to clean it up. "Now, remember, gentleman," said tho drillmaster, "there's a Fritz in each one of these 'ere cubby holes, and Vs no dub, is Fritz. 'l"s got ears all down his back. AVe taught 'om that trick, so see that your feet are pneumatic, and for heaven's sake don't sneeze, or his nibs will sling you a bomb like winkin'; and there'll be a narsty mess.

"Heady, No. 1. '.Kad down, bayonet up. It's no use sticking out your neck to try to got a. sight of Fritz in his 'ole. Why, if old Fritz was there 'o'd list down your point, and where'd you lie? Why, a hlinkin' casualty, and don't you forget it. Heady agaiii. Bayonet up. Now you see 'em. Quick down with the point and at 'em. fickle, 'is gizzard! Not so bad, hut .1 bet you wakened 'is nibs in the next 'ole. You sec, when you pulled your bayonet out of this little Mary, 'you 'it the butt of your gun against the opposite side of the trench. That's fatal. Keep in mind you're lightin' for your life." It was good to see the earnest way in which these young Americans got down to their work. They are "ill right, these lads, and when they get their chance they will show it. "Good progress for a week, sir, ain't it?" asked the sergeant, with initio, before, he left. "They've come from a fightin' stock, these young gentlemen, and God help the Bodies'when they L'et coin'."