Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 83, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1915 — TRENCHES ONE TURN [ARTICLE]

TRENCHES ONE TURN

Hospital Next for Some of Canadian Soldiers. r Could Neither Sit Nor Stand In MudFllled Ditches Under Heavy Fire for Three Weary Nights and Daye.

London. —The discomfort and even actual suffering caused by doing only one turn in the trenches is described by a Canadian soldier in Princess Patricia's Light infantry in a letter written at the front. Such was the condition of the troops that some of the men hardly were able, to crawl from the trenches when the relief hour arrived. With too much mud to sit down and the trench too shallow to stand up straight, the troop was in a difficult position. The letter, which was printed in the London Times, says: "We left the place from which I last wrote, marched 15 miles and billeted in A barn. The following day we marched 12 miles to within about three miles of the trenches, which we entered late at night, relieving some French troops. We stayed 48 hours in the trenches, or rather ditches, as they’re little better, and such a time I never experienced in my life. "It was raining most of the time, sniping was going on all night, and in the daytime we were subjected to a most awful bombardment, especially on the first day, shells exploding near my trench sometimes in bunches of six. Mud and pieces of shrapnel fell quite close several times. The shells from the German big guns burst with a terrible din and fairly made the earth quake, our trenches caving in in many places from the severe concussions. k “We of my platobn consider ourselves very lucky indeed, as we suffered the hottest'shell fire along the line occupied by the battalion, but fortunately the German gunners had too much elevation, which resulted in the shells, with two or three exceptions, falling over and clear of the trenches. The German trenches opposite our position were only 120 yards away, but very little rifle fire was indulged in, everyone on both sides keeping well under cover. “The bottom of the trenches in most places is just ankle deep in mud. We sat on our equipment, which was soon smothered in wet, cold mud, and in a deplorable state. But it saved us from actually sitting in the mud, and one could not stand upright, as the trench was not deep enough. Of course sleep .was practically impossible, though most of us negotiated 40 winks at intervals when not on watch. “Our feet were wet through the whole time, also our nether garments. During the long nights we just longed for daylight, although we knew it would bring a renewal of the bombardment Some of our men were hardly able to crawl out of the trenches when our turn came to be relieved. •

“I hardly think human flesh could possibly stand the conditions prevailing more than three days at the most. The night we came out and into billets I put on dry socks. I had the most peculiar sensations in my feet all that night—a kind of pins and needles. This, I suppose, was the returning of circulation. “My hands were also much swollen, but two days’ rest soon put me all right again. I feel absolutely none the worse for my experience, but some of the men had to go to hospital, and others were unfit to march and had to ride in transports. I myself have been able to-stay with the best of them, although 1 am the oldest mhn in the section. “W« occupied the trenches on the night of the fifth and were relieved on the night of the eighth. Twenty of us are billeted in what you would call a country public house ond sleep in the kitchen on the floor, by far the most comfortable digs we have had so far. “I was much struck by the behavior of the boys who had never been under fire before; in fact, I was purposed. Of course we all realize that we carry our lives, in our hands and I think the most of us don’t worry. We found time to laugh and Joke while the shells were fcarstlng overhead and quite a

few uncomplimentary remarks were addressed at the German gunners on their indifferent marksmanship.”