WAR ITEMS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 48, 1 February 1916, Page 6

WAR ITEMS.

A ROYAL RAILWAY PORTER. During a recent week an English railway goods yard was becoming so congested that th e carriage of certain material was being delayed. Aristocratic Eton got to hear of the Iron hie" and about 500 pupils, accompanied by their head master, the Rev. :he Hou. Edward Lyttelton, took train to the spot, snatching a quick lunch on the train en route. The work of loaning and unloading trucks, heavy wuk at, the best of times for*strong navvies, was cheerfully undertaken by the; boys. Among the working parties was H.R.H. Prince Henry, pushing and hauling with the best of them, and’ perspiring freely in the national, cause. H.R.H. also joined lustily in the chanties which his squad improvisioned at frequent intervals, one ot which ran “Working, working, always working.” During the operations the young Prince managed, just as a boy would do, to get his lingers jammed. HOW RIFLES ARE TESTED. Occasionally one reads that every rifle used by our Tommies is tested before being passed as perfect, but few people know how thorough these tests are. In testing cartridges, idles are fired from a Fixed rifle inside a certain small space on the target. This is also, of course, one of the tests for the rifle as well, but in order to make sure that the weapon will stand the enormous pressure—, sixteen tons to the square inch—j exerted when it is tired, a special “proof” cartridge is used, causing a much higher pressure than usual, Every rifle is tested for “rusting" in the following way: All grease or oil is removed with soda, and the barrel is then filled with a strong solution of sal ammoniac and allowed to stand in a wet atmosphere for .fifty hours. At the end of that time if the mount of rust that has accumulated in the rifle in any way affects its working it is promptly rejected. The dust test is even more severe. The rifle is put in a powerful blast of fine sand tor two minutes. After that the bolt and other mechanism must work properly nr the weapon is rejected. This test has to be passed with the mazarine full and empty. AIR SCOUTS. When an aviator flies over the German lines for scouting purposes, lie is generally accompanied by an observer, for it takes the pilot all his time to look after bis machine without trying to spot troops and guns and trenches. The average aircraft man would ever so much rather be a pilot than an observer. So long as the latter is actually on the jlook-out, making notes of the enemy’s position, things are not so bad. But the observer is helpless if anything happens to the pilot, and it requires all his nerve to sit still •and do nothing in some circumstances. For instance, a short time ago it was reported that a machine caught tire in mid-air. The ammunition of the ma. chine gun that was carried was all tlie time exploding, hut the observer could do nothing hut sit still and hope the pilot would got to the ground before' both were burnt to death or killed by one of the exploding cartridges. In another ease, a pilot was struck in the head by a bullet. Though a lot of blood was spilt, the wound was only on the surface. But when struck the pilot let go tin* controls <7* the machine and put his hands up to the wound. Immediately the aeroplane started making a terrific dive, and the observer, looking up. was horrified to see the pilot with liis hands over his luce, and blood pouring from between his fingers. He admitted afterwards , that, until the pilot once more look i control and righted tlie machine, he , had as had a time as he ever wished 1 to have. I WHAT ARE WEEPING SHELLS? In several of the Flinch bulletins recently it has been mentioned that the Gormans have used lachrymatom

shells. This long word only means “weeping,” and that is precisely the (dfect of the shells when they hurst, causing soldiers’ eyes to “water” and so preventing them seeing properly, and firing their rifles. These shells, in alf probability, contain ammonia and mustard oil, for these are the best known substances for causing eyes to water. The asphyxiating gasses used by the Germans also have the same effect, though not to anything like so great a degree. The weeping shells, which give off a bluish vapour when they burst, also attack the nostrils and throat and cause violent tits of sneezing, during which,, <>l course, it is impossible for a soldier to use his rifle. But there is a method of defeating the effects of the shells, exactly as there is in the case for the asphyxiating shells, by means of masks with special glasses.

LABELLING THE WOUNDED. As soon as possible after action, and, of course, at times during its progress, the wounded are attended by tbe doctors and taken away by the E.A.M.C. men. When the doctor examines a wounded man, lie provides him with the special label il he is seriously wounded. This label has a buttonhole in it by which it can be fastened to the soldier’s tunic. On the label are written particulars of the wounds, as well as the name of the soldier, his regiment, battalion and number. Hound the edge of the card is a red border. Those men who are not so seriously wounded are provided with plain white labels in the same way. feo when the H.A.M.C. stretcher-bearers come along they can tell at a glance which are the seriously wounded men, and these they collect first and hurry back as fast as possible to the dressing stations, where they can be attended to without delay.