"G. R, U."

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 15, 12 October 1918, Page 13

"G. R, U."

A SIDELIGHT OF. THE WAR:

("W.g.L.," in" the "Daily Mail.'!).

From a trench peep-holo in front of Loos T watched : a -grey-haired officer worm his way. over the ground' towards .tho Bochc. .It. was just'dawn, and his chief protection. .was tho ground mist arid a fow patches: of thistle.. Ho-wriggled forward 10 yards to his, objective without hesitating, .believing himself hnseen, .though tho risuar early ; morning '"hate"'from the macliiiie-guns was '.; flying overhead, bqspafctering the parapet. '.Presently'he -called out a- number and a name to his corporal, who'was somewhere hidden'in a sap close-' :at hand. .He then raised one muddy hand very, slowly, and pressed a large -draw-ing-pin; his' "mark," .with; some, initials'.on if, into a.rough wooden cross 2ft. high, and, without turning,, wormed his way-back-, feet first, through the mud into the trench./.; ' : .It seemed'a simple, thing to do, but in cold blood,' in- broad.. daylight,, I should .not have cared, to do it; for on rising ground Fritz was'on tho watch less than 250 yards away!,.. ■'.When he.dropped back with a splash into the trench. I saw/his hand'. Was trembling as ho -lit ..a .cigarette, jiut llio gold stripe ■■on., :his sleeve ..wis enough to. show me that he had done this, thing-often before. '::'"■:' -"What's the stunt?".: I asked. '. ' -"Oh, I'm 'Graves,';," ho replied with' a 'smile." "We register them',, you know.", -' „ ; . , "Not a very gay job, is it?" I remarked. • • ■ Instead of telling me that he had' been put all. night, was wet through! tired:and hungry, he replied, ''cheerfully,, seeing that 1 was- a Scotsman: "Well,"I negotir>d • that stymie, and it's' the end 6f i™,e;' morning round'.' I think- breakfast woidd, bo! rather acceptable!" • •'... We climbed down into my dug-out arid.' shared. a, basin of porridge together,'and a more'.'cheery old sport I never mot in my.lifc. 'We had coinpared notes on' golf, on hunting; and oil' racing' before I could'get in the question, "How do you .wort..'.this game??' '■, ",..'-"-' : ■''' ... ; "Oh, on these'scattered graves along th'o'front I. work, at'dawn or..at dusk', but most of bur work is iii the laidout cemeteries on_the gun• line,.and farther back. .Being non-combatants we', are not.supposed to tako too' many risks',, but.l would, rather register, a grave like'that one you sawnie take; which..niigh't-easily disappear,' than 'a dozen at a. spot, well .behind." '',■■•' .!. ■■ "And what, do you' do. 'with , the names?' ;■ ■''' y ■• ■-..• ■■-.' ' ....•'•• '-."Send them eVery. night to G.H.Q., and tliey forward "them to, London and tell the" relatives. You should see the letters we get and the inquiries—hundreds/of them." .The. Tommies. like";to tho graves'of their pals'- are being looked after,- and the. neopfcat home realise that the Army has a sou) after all. The Graves Registration Units are typical "of the soul of the British Army." T ,7." , :"Do yon'use''the. iriap?".:"..!:'.-, _"Yes, maps and' compasses, all the time. ahd_ when-once a gravois registered, whichever way. the, .'push' goes,' the spot is registered for all time. A grave, or a cemetery, might fall into the,hands of tho Bochc', but wo .have complete plans and charts, and no mat-ter-how the surface" may have, been disturbed, we could replace every cross exactly as before and reconstruct every grave." ■■■'■-.' ..' He. left me to tramp back through the '■■ labyrinth of muddy trenches, with a,feeling that if my turn came.there would at least be one devoted soul'and one .'unit who-would-mark niy. : last restI ing-place. v.- ■--■ V v ■'■:'.',"...;. ■