"Over the Top," by an American Soldier Who Went: Together with Tommy's Dictionary of the TrenchesEmpey, Arthur Guy
History
"Over the Top," by an American Soldier Who Went: Together with Tommy's Dictionary of the Trenches
Empey, Arthur Guy
English language -- Slang -- Dictionaries; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
The Germans would have to advance across an open space of three to
four hundred yards before they could get within bombing distance of
the trench, and then it would be all their own way. Turning to his
Company, the Captain said:
"Men, it's a case of going West for us. We are out of ammunition and
bombs, and the 'Boches' have us in a trap. They will bomb us out. Our
bayonets are useless here. We will have to go over and meet them, and
it's a case of thirty to one, so send every thrust home, and die like
the men of 'D' Company should. When I give the word, follow me, and up
and at them. Give them hell! God, if we only had a machine gun, we
could wipe them out! Here they come, get ready, men."
Just as he finished speaking, the welcome "pup-pup" of a machine gun
in their rear rang out, and the front line of the onrushing German
seemed to melt away. They wavered, but once again came rushing onward.
Down went their second line. The machine gun was taking an awful toll
of lives. Then again they tried to advance, but the machine gun mowed
them down. Dropping their rifles and bombs, they broke and fled in a
wild rush back to their trench, amid the cheers of "D" Company. They
were forming again for another attempt, when in the rear of "D"
Company came a mighty cheer. The ammunition had arrived and with it a
battalion of Scotch to reinforce them. They were saved. The unknown
machine gunner had come to the rescue in the nick of time.
With the reinforcements, it was an easy task to take the third German
line.
After the attack was over, the Captain and three of his
non-commissioned officers, wended their way back to the position where
the machine gun had done its deadly work. He wanted to thank the
gunner in the name of "D" Company for his magnificent deed. They
arrived at the gun, and an awful sight met their eyes.
Lloyd had reached the front line trench, after his Company had left
it. A strange company was nimbly crawling up the trench ladders. They
were reinforcements going over. They were Scotties, and they made a
magnificent sight in their brightly colored kilts and bare knees.
Jumping over the trench, Lloyd raced across "No Man's Land," unheeding
the rain of bullets, leaping over dark forms on the ground, some of
which lay still, while others called out to him as he speeded past.
He came to the German front line, but it was deserted, except for
heaps of dead and wounded--a grim tribute to the work of his
Company, good old "D" Company. Leaping trenches, and gasping for
breath, Lloyd could see right ahead of him his Company in a dead-ended
sap of a communication trench, and across the open, away in front of
them, a mass of Germans preparing for a charge. Why didn't "D" Company
fire on them? Why were they so strangely silent? What were they
waiting for? Then he knew--their ammunition was exhausted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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