It was the pick of the British Army which was selected for the work
of the firing line. Among these men there were deeds done daily and
at times almost hourly which were deserving of the highest reward.
And only a small number of these deeds of daring and devotion were
ever reported to those whose duty it was to recommend the granting
of medals. Apart from the actual fighting it was a severe trial of
strength, nerve, and endurance to stay for any length of time in the
front system of trenches at all.
Let us never forget the heroism of endurance in paying our tribute to
the heroism of “the crowded hour of glorious life.”
During the first winter months of the war the life in the trenches
which were made across open country was almost unbearable; and it was
only made possible by continual use of the pumps. Within and without
the ditch men sank to the knees and sometimes to the waist in water and
slime. A few shelters of corrugated iron were set up here and there
which gave a little protection and made possible the lighting of a fire.
One of the civilian visitors to the Western Front thus described the
trench system:--
“The trenches are immense labyrinths, miles in extent, branching in
every direction, a guide being always required in entering their mazes.
Unpleasant surprises crop up at every point. The sniper is a constant
danger, and cover from the enemy’s bullets is scanty enough. I myself
passed through one of the communication trenches behind a long double
wall of sand-bags from 3 to 4 feet high.
“This trench runs in serpentine fashion for miles through fields,
roads, villages, houses, bedrooms, the latter mostly in ruins though
much of the furniture is still there. The height of the sand-bag wall
renders it advisable to proceed in a stooping fashion, bent almost
double.
“Many of the passages cannot be safely used by day. I saw in one place
the body of a horse which had lain in the same position for a long
time; and yet it could not be taken away, for it was certain death for
any one to attempt to move it.
“An officer said to me, ‘If you are tired of life try to move it.’
Through this dreadful lane of death soldiers were constantly passing
and re-passing, perspiring, laughing, joking, and teasing one another;
but the officers in charge did not joke. They were responsible for the
lives of these merry, thoughtless boys, and many a growl was heard as a
specially daring private failed to take due care of the life that was
too precious to be thrown away to no purpose.”[2]
[2] From the _Sphere_, with acknowledgments.
Between the front-line trench system of the British and that of the
Germans was the open space often spoken of as “No Man’s Land.” Across
this space there was incessant firing of rifles and machine-guns,
throwing of bombs and hand grenades, and the firing of bombs from
trench mortars.
The attacks and counter-attacks on the trenches were of a grim
character such as defies description; and the horror of the work was
increased by the use of chlorine gas and flame-throwers. The Germans
first began to use the dreadful gas round about Ypres, and the brave
Canadian troops were some of the first to feel its deadly effects. The
use of the gas by the Germans in one of their attacks upon our trenches
is thus described:--
“When the gas cylinders were opened, the thick green mist came rolling
towards the parapet from the enemy’s empty front trench, several
hundreds of yards away. It looked like vapour rising from a marsh, and
the wind was strong enough to carry it rapidly towards the parapet.
“The battalion had time to load and fire two rounds through the screen
of gas before it came pouring over the sand-bags, penetrating into
every crevice of the dug-out, and choking the men who lay there. It was
so thick at first that objects three feet away could hardly be seen.”
At a later date the Germans began to make attacks under cover of
flame-projectors. The liquid used was a mixture of petrol and kerosene
and was thrown towards the trench in such a way that it was fired by an
electric spark as it left the tube. Such were some of the horrors of
trench life which were borne without complaint day after day by the men
who held the post of honour, the long front line facing a clever and
determined foe.
It may seem difficult to believe that there was a funny side to
this dread business of death, ruin, and hatred. Yet there were many
humourous incidents which were not missed by our cheery soldiers. One
story tells of a poor private who had toothache very badly and was
sitting by the roadside like the old woman who “went to the market her
eggs for to sell.” By came--not “a pedlar” but a shell which exploded
in the sufferer’s vicinity, but did not hurt him.
In fact it proved of great benefit to him; for he was so much “shocked”
that he instantly lost his toothache.
On the first of April 1915 an Allied airman flew over the aerodrome of
the French town of Lille which was in German hands. He dropped not a
bomb but a football. The Germans ran for cover and watched the “bomb”
strike the earth and then bounce to a great height!
They watched carefully to take notes for the Kaiser on the new
“postponed” fuse. Only when the ball had rested for some time quite
peacefully on the ground did they come out to read the inscription with
which it was furnished, namely--“April Fool!”
The flying men on both sides in the fight on the Western Front had a
great deal of respect for each other; and in some cases courtesies were
exchanged between them which remind us of the olden days of chivalry.
If, for example, a machine was brought down within either of the
opposing lines, it was the custom for the captors to drop a weighted
letter over the enemy positions giving information as to the fate of
the pilot and the observer.
One day, one of these letters fell within the British lines. It told
the men of a certain section of the air service that one of their
pilots had died the day before. The men at once prepared a wreath which
was taken over the German lines on a fast monoplane. The machine was
fired at by the Germans as usual; but the British pilot flew low and
was able to drop the wreath in a suitable spot, whence it was carried
by the Germans to the dead pilot’s grave.
During Christmas time in 1914 a very strange thing happened. At one
part of the line on the Western Front the Germans came out of their
trenches and met some of the British to wish them the compliments of
the season! Small gifts were exchanged and there was some singing and
merriment. Then the men went back to their trenches and the cruel war
went on.
Stories are told of other instances of friendliness between the men
whose business it was to kill each other as quickly as possible. It
is said that during a lull in one battle a tin was set up on a branch
half-way between the two opposing trenches in order that the men on
both sides might try their skill in a sniping match.
There are several instances of football matches being arranged between
men on the opposing “international” sides. In one case, the players
were ready, but a ball could not be found. In another, all was ready
to begin when the British colonel forbade the play, evidently placing
no trust in the goodwill of Germans, and being anxious for the safety
of his men. In a third instance the match actually came off and the
British team was beaten by one goal.
At one point some British soldiers took their enemies some hot cocoa
on a bitter wintry day. The shivering men would not drink it until the
“Tommies” had first tasted it themselves!