UC-NRLF 3bO IMS ByJOH$ G I] .-.''SHAW' and Seigean.1 WII LIAM LYNCH (Saliisfcato TRENCHING AT GALLIPOLI. THE MAN IN THE RANKS THE MAN IN THE EANKS BY JOHN GALLISHAW Late First Newfoundland Regiment (Gallipoli, 1915} AND WILLIAM LYNCH, U.S. ARMY Sergeant Instructor R.O.T.C., Plattsburg, N.Y. BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY fre? Cambri&0e 1917 COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Published September iqi'j CONTENTS I. GETTING STARTED RIGHT . 3 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEW RECRUIT. GOING TO CAMP : WHAT TO TAKE AND WHAT NOT TO TAKE. II. THE FIRST DAYS IN CAMP . 14 How TO MAKE YOURSELF COMFORT- ABLE. SOME ORIGINAL REMARKS ON THE SUBJECT OF DISCIPLINE. III. MARKSMANSHIP 36 PLAIN, UNTECHNICAL HINTS ON SE- LECTING A GOOD RIFLE. How TO BETTER YOUR SCORE. IV. KEEPING FIT 49 WHY GOOD HEALTH is GOOD BUSI- NESS. V. A SUCCESSFUL SOLDIER . . 63 As THE SERGEANT SEES HIM. vi CONTENTS VI. A TALK ON PERSONAL CON- DUCT . 75 WHAT THE WORLD EXPECTS OF THE AMERICAN SOLDIER. A FRANK CONVERSATION ON THE QUESTION OF WINE AND WOMEN. VII. TIPS FROM THE TRENCHES . 85 THE TACTICS OF THE ALLIES AND OF THE GERMANS CONTRASTED. HOW TO LlVE IN THE TRENCHES. THINGS TO REMEMBER NOT TO FORGET 97 DIARY . 101 THE MAN IN THE RANKS THE MAN IN THE RANKS CHAPTER I GETTING STARTED RIGHT To begin with, you must try to accustom Get yourself at once to an entirely new outlook ** on life. No more are you the ordinary aver- age, easy-going, irresponsible young man. From now on you are a soldier of Uncle Sam, privileged to represent the United States of America in the greatest war that has ever been fought for struggling humanity, against the most formidable enemy that has ever menaced civilization. From now on you must think as a soldier. Once you have taken the oath of allegiance to the United States you hold yourself at her disposal, to follow wherever she beckons, and to go wherever she bids. And in going, remember 4 TIIE MATS IN THE RANKS The that you go as a soldier, and that you must of your be ready to leave at the shortest notice. V^k That means, of course, that you must carry with you only such equipment as is abso- lutely necessary, since, when a soldier on ac- tive service leaves one camp, he seldom re- turns there. So in the selection of the things to take to camp with you, you must be guided by that consideration. When you add anything to your equipment, you add it to the weight of your pack. But sometimes the pleasure or comfort you get from some article far outbalances the extra weight. Things There are certain essentials, of course, that must vou can>t possibly get along without, such have as soap for washing and shaving, toothbrush, tooth-powder, razor, comb, and pocket mir- ror. But there are other little extras that go with these which occur at once to the ex- perienced campaigner, but not to the novice until he has struggled along without them THE MAN IN THE RANKS 5 for a while. For instance, try throwing your Extras comb and brushes and your tooth-paste and a d to soap into a cardboard box or a bag. See what com fort condition they will be in at the end of the week. You are not going into this thing for a week or so; you are in for "the duration of the war." Whether that time is going to feel long or short to you depends on how comfortable you can make yourself. You will find it infinitely convenient to The take with you a waterproof bag to hold your toilet articles. Among these toilet articles you should have a small-sized rubber sponge, which will be awfully handy. Get an alumi- num holder for your soap, as aluminum is light and stronger than celluloid. To pro- tect your toothbrush you should have a holder: it will keep the bristles clean and save them from being crushed. If you have some special preference in tooth-paste, you had better take that with you, but you will 6 THE MAN IN THE RANKS The find eventually that the best thing is tooth- proo j powder in a tin can. The trouble with the bv tubes of tooth-paste is that some one is sure to come into your tent and sit down on your kit bag, and smear the tooth-paste over everything near it. All these things should go into your little waterproof bag, together with your razor, your shaving-soap (which must, of course, have a stiff metal covering), your hairbrush, and your comb. These constitute the barest essentials for keeping clean. But simply Keeping keeping clean does not presuppose a neat, smart appearance. You must have a shoe- polishing outfit; black polish for black shoes, and tan for russet shoes. One piece of rag to daub the polish on with, and another to give the final shine to the shoes, will be bet- ter than brushes and easier to carry. Then buttons are always being lost from trousers, and you won't be able to have them sewed THE MAN IN THE RANKS 7 on at home as you have been accustomed to. Bachelor So you won't find many things so convenient and so nearly indispensable as some "bach- elor buttons." The best kind are the ones that have a little spring on the center of the button, as they are interchangeable and can be worn on different pairs of trousers. Also you will be astonished to find how often shoestrings break or become so knotted that Extra you have to cut them. So a few extra pairs It' of shoestrings won't be amiss. That just about covers the list of things you really rawsfhave, but a few little extras will add greatly to your comfort. You will, of course, have a number of Writing letters to write, and with this in mind you should take along a pad of thin, onion-skin paper, because it is light and therefore al- lows you to carry a lot, to say nothing of the saving in postage. A fountain pen you will find almost indispensable, but the great 8 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Ink trouble with that is the necessity of carrying ink. You can avoid this by taking along ink pellets which dissolve in water, or if that is too much trouble, you can write your letters with an indelible pencil. Later, on actual active service, you will have to do it. Matches Somehow or other almost every one forgets match- ^ bring matches, so if you outfit yourself safe with a nice little metal match safe, filled with matches, you not only have matches, but you have begun the habit of keeping them in a waterproof holder. When you have been out on a listening patrol in No Man's Land for three or four hours some cold, wet night and want a few good-night puffs when you crawl under your blanket, you '11 thank your lucky stars that you formed that habit. Another thing you will find of great assistance is a Electric little pocket-size electric torch. Some night you'll come in late when your tent-mates are asleep and everything is dark. Then your THE MAN IN THE RANKS 9 torch will show you your way to your blan- Electric kets without disturbing the entire tent. And if you survive your first experience of waking a tentful of sleeping men, you'll be glad you brought that torch. You might, if you have room, take along some safety pins, although you will probably find enough of these in the little "housewife" with which the Govern- ment provides you. But the articles suggested are the things you should have with you when you start for camp. In starting for camp you must bear in mind Wear that you are very soon to be in uniform. So ^L it behooves you not to take along your best to cam P suit of civilian clothes. You will find yourself somewhat limited for room at first, and all your extra clothing will have to be folded in a compact bundle. Therefore the best thing to wear is a suit of old clothes, or, better still, if you are fortunate enough to possess one, some kind of uniform. By far the most impor- 10 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Wear tant thing is the kind of shoes you wear. Go to XLw camp in old, comfortable ones, and when to camp your new military shoes are issued to you by the Quartermaster's Department, be sure that they are a size larger than the ones you wore as a civilian. Don't mind if they make your feet look a little bigger. After you have been a little while drilling and sleeping in the open air, your muscles will have hardened and your appetite will have increased so that the rest of you will grow to match your feet. If you value your comfort and well-being, get started right the first few days in camp. First Those first few days in camp are going to camp mean a great deal to you. If you can get over the first week or two without blistered feet or a ragged temper you will be all right. But everything depends on how pleasant you make the life at first. And of course that de- pends largely on your disposition. You will THE MAN IN THE RANKS 11 find many little inconveniences at the begin- First, ning. For instance, at home when you want to shave in the morning you go into the bathroom, turn on the hot water, rub on a little soap, strop your razor or put a new blade in your "safety," scrape it over your face a few times, and presto, you are shaved. In camp you will find it different. One of your troubles will be that you can't get the hot water that you have been accustomed to look upon as a matter of course at home; but if you are a little farsighted in getting your equipment before starting, you need not suffer much from this. Take to camp with you a little tin of alcohol that mounts on a folding, three-legged tripod. These alcohol outfits can be obtained at any good hard- ware store. Tripod and tin together are compact enough to be carried in the ordi- nary pocket. They cost very little, and you can scarcely afford to be without them. 12 THE MAN IN THE RANKS First After you have tried shaving in cold water camp H f r a little ti me vou ^11 learn the value of such an outfit and how much it contributes to your physical comfort. Physical comfort, however, although it counts a very great deal, is not everything. The basis of this whole business of being a soldier is, of course, your mental attitude. You will need above everything else to be patient. It is the greatest virtue you will acquire from the army. Don't kick if things don't seem to go well at first. Remember that getting a million men together is a big un- dertaking a tremendous undertaking. Re- member that it has to be done under many disadvantages. If some things don't go wrong at first it will be providential. All the other nations have found that getting large bodies of soldiers trained was far from easy. In many ways you will be much better situated than the soldiers of other nations. THE MAN IN THE RANKS 13 They did not even have equipment enough, First t . -i n . days in or clothing, or rifles, or ammunition, or c ^ m even tents. Compared with the recruits in England at the beginning of the war you will be royally housed and fed and equipped. Every American soldier going into camp will be completely equipped uniform, pack, rifle, bayonet, and camping outfit! CHAPTER II THE FIRST DAYS IN CAMP The one You are a soldier for only one real reason. Reason ^he United States must help to win the war you are against Germany. It is up to you as a good a soldier American to do your level best to help the country win. You have a chance to help by taking an interest in your training and doing well the job you have to do. Don't think that simply because you have become a soldier your duty is done. As a matter of fact, it has just begun. Don't get into your head the idea that wearing the uniform absolves you from further effort. You can be a slacker in spite of the uniform even a greater slacker than the civilian. A great From the minute you put on khaki you are machine . , . - 7 depends a P art * a nu & e organization. You are a on you single cog in a great machine made up of THE MAN IN THE RANKS 15 millions of cogs, working for one end. It will A great be judged efficient on only one basis depends ability to conquer the enemy. That machine on y u is dependent on its cogs, and if one is weak the burden falls on the rest. Remember that everything you learn of military value helps your squad. Remember also that if you are backward in learning, you are holding back your squad. If your squad is held back, so is the platoon of which it is a part. The pla- toon in turn holds back its company, and so on up through all the steps. You cannot take refuge in the excuse that you are just one man, and that out of a million men one man matters not at all. On the contrary, it is dis- tinctly up to you. You must take a sincere and honest interest in your work and make every effort to do well the task assigned you. Otherwise you are not only keeping back a vast organization, but you are distinctly helping the enemy. If you, as a soldier, loaf 16 THE MAN IN THE RANKS A great on your job in time of war, you are a traitor. depends You are just as much an enemy of the United on you States as any German. Your From now on you have one job to do and one standard to attain: you must reach the highest point of efficiency. Keep in mind always that the military system of this country is the result of a great deal of study. Men have given their whole lives to perfect- ing that system. If there are some things in it that do not seem to you quite right have Learn patience. Wait and see. But while you are all the ^ waiting, learn all you can. Make yourself formations familiar with the drill regulations. Every good soldier should know all the formations. Some time you will have to learn them all. If you study them in advance, you will un- derstand more clearly the reason for them when the time comes. If you know why you are doing a thing, it is infinitely easier to do it than if you do it blindly. THE MAN IN THE RANKS 17 After you have spent a few weeks doing Don't squad drill, you will think that so much practice is unnecessary. You will feel that that . practice you can never know it any better. Possibly is not you will be quite outspoken in your com- ments. In your case, very likely this is true YOU may never know it any better. But remember that you are not the only man in your squad. Remember that your squad is only as strong as its weakest man. It has to move as a complete unit, it cannot do so un- til every man knows the formations and does them automatically. That is one of the hard- est lessons to learn, but once learned it will save you much worry. Remember that everything depends on the The mastery of that close-order drill. It is the Inclose- basis of all the other movements. You can- ^^ dnl1 not execute the extended formations without it. You must creep before you walk. Every movement in the whole drill manual is the 18 THE MAN IN THE RANKS The result of years of study. Everything is done ike dot*- m ^ e quickest way and the easiest. If order drill vou doubt this, try to do any of the move- ments some easier way. It will be interest- ing and very enlightening. Team Before you have been very long in camp, hole 6 y u ^^ learn that everything depends on stor y team work. As far as you are concerned, your immediate partners in the team are the other men in your squad. You will have to live with them, drill with them, march with them, eat with them, and sleep with them. With that in mind, don't form any snap judgments. The man who seems to be a grouch may be naturally shy. Perhaps he is a quiet man, who ordinarily has little to say. Again, he may be simply lying low and sizing you up. For a little while, at any rate, just suspend judgment. Give yourself a little time before condemning any of them. Be as considerate of them as you hope they will be THE MAN IN THE RANKS 19 of you. In the meantime, while things are Team slowly shaping themselves, don't be afraid " that you are doing more than your share. stor y Learn to do your share of the work. That Do your is one of the hardest lessons for the new recruit. The beginning of trouble in a tent cheerfully comes when the rest of the men feel that one man is not doing his part. The best way to avoid this is for the man in charge of the tent to make a list of the men. From this list de- tail one man each day to do the ordinary work of the tent. Let him pick up paper, keep the tent clean, and do the sort of fatigue work which is really the business of no one in particular, but which must be done. Try to create a feeling of pride in your tent. Make it the neatest one on the com- pany street. Don't be content to let things go along in a slipshod way. Be a little bit better than the tents next you. Get some flat stones and put them in front to make a THE MAN IN THE RANKS Do your full share and do it cheerfully Get all the sleep you can Obedience 'prompt and cheer- ful and intelligent little entrance. Use these stones as a kind of doormat and boot-scraper. This will keep you from carrying a lot of mud into your tent, and save a lot of cleaning. At night, don't stay awake talking after "lights out." You need all the sleep you can get. Not only do you suffer yourself, but you keep your tent-mates awake. If you take all this in the proper spirit, you will do these things cheerfully and take a pride in them. You will be proud of the showing of your tent. Unless you do this, you will find the life of a soldier galling, and grow to hate it cor- dially. Never forget that your first duty is obedi- ence. Above all, remember that obedience is useless unless it is prompt. The keynote of the army is prompt and cheerful obedience. But no matter how prompt you are in obey- ing an order, or how cheerfully or willingly you set about it, unless you know how to do THE MAN IN THE RANKS 21 it right, it is useless. Simply doing what you Obedience are told to do cheerfully and at once is not enough. You should learn to do things with- f ul and intelligent out waiting to be ordered. For instance, learn as soon as you can the meaning of all the different bugle-calls. Each one has a different message and a distinct use. One of the quickest ways to become a good Learn the soldier is to learn the language of the drill i an g ua g e regulations. This is especially worth doing if you have any hope of becoming a non-com. Experts have cut out of the drill-regulation language every unnecessary word. The com- mands are the quickest way of letting a soldier know exactly what you want him to do. In this war casualties are very large and promotion is quick. Even if you are not a regularly appointed non-com, an enemy shell may promote you, leaving you in charge of a number of men. If you happen to be charg- ing, and have reached the enemy's barbed 22 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Learn wire, upon your coolness and clear-headed- language ness depend the lives of your comrades. It is at such a time that the shouting of some order in the language of the drill regulations con- vinces your men that you are calm and cool. There is nothing else so calculated to inspire troops with a feeling of complete confidence in their leader. They feel that you are master of the situation. On the other hand, if they do not receive the order in the words that they have grown accustomed to, they will instinctively hesitate. Never before was there so much truth in the old saw that "he who hesitates is lost." Every minute they wait a machine-gun can pump nearly six hundred bullets into them. Your As an independent and democratic Ameri- relations . , . , , ,. , , with your can vou w ^" ^ n< ^ *t nard to realize that there superior are ver y clearly marked lines between you officers and your superior officers. The non-com- missioned officer will be one of your big THE MAN IN THE RANKS 23 troubles unless you act sensibly. Especially Your will this be so in the new national army, which will be short of trained non-coms, superior officers This means that some of them will have to be drawn from the new men. You will find it galling at first to take orders from a man who apparently is not any better able to give them than you are. But it must be done. The sooner you realize it, the easier it will be for you. Here again you will need the great new trait that you are bound to acquire : the invaluable virtue of patience. If your non-com, is not fitted for his job, Don't just wait a little while. He is sure to be found wase any time out. Meanwhile don't waste time grum- grumbling bling. Go on and learn all you can yourself, so that you may be fit for promotion when it comes your way. If you feel that your non- com. is not treating you fairly, just grin and bear it. Don't forget for a minute that you are in one of the biggest undertakings of the 24 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Don't times. Things are sure to get adjusted before waste anytime Very long. grumbling Your problem with the commissioned officer is much simpler. All you have to do is to obey his orders. You may feel absolutely certain that any officer who is granted a com- mission in the new army is thoroughly quali- fied to give such orders. Not even Germany has set such a high standard for commis- sioned officers. Your job is to do your work as well as the officer does his. Other than that you have simply to treat him with courtesy. That is, when you speak to him you must call him "Sir." That is no more than you would do, in civilian life, for the man you work for. Some men object to saluting an officer whom they dislike, or against whom they have some special grudge. This should n't count at all. You are not saluting the man. You are pay- ing a compliment to the uniform he wears. There are a few essentials about saluting THE MAN IN THE RANKS 25 that may help you. Not only should you Saluting salute all officers of the regular army and of * the militia, but you should salute all officers and when you of the marine corps and the navy. Salute needn't also all officers of the armies and navies of our allies. When the national colors are uncased, they also are entitled to a salute. When you have your hat off, you should not salute, but if you have to talk to an officer, come to at- tention before addressing him. Stay at at- tention until you have finished your business with him or until he directs you otherwise. If you pass an officer when you are at the double, don't salute. Don't salute in a theater, street-car, or restaurant. In places like that it is n't necessary. It is inconven- ient for an officer to return the salute, and it makes you both conspicuous. When you are doing fatigue work, you don't have to salute. If an officer comes into the room when you are at meals, don't salute. Simply stop 26 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Saluting eating and talking until he tells you to go when you , , should ahead - and when Non-coms, are not entitled to a salute. you needn't You must salute everybody from a second lieutenant up. You can tell the different grades by the shoulder-strap or shoulder- loop of officers. A general wears a coat of arms and two stars. A lieutenant-general has two small stars and one large one. A major-general has two silver stars. A brigadier-general has one silver star. A colonel's insignia is a silver spread eagle. A lieutenant-colonel wears one silver leaf. A major wears a gold leaf. A captain wears two silver bars. A first lieutenant wears one silver bar. A second lieutenant can be distinguished by his hat-band, or, if he wears a cap, by the braid on it. THE MAN IN THE RANKS 27 The grade of non-commissioned officers is shown by the chevrons on their sleeves. In the old days, when an officer had more Don't time than he has at present, he could keep your in touch in a friendly way with his men. Now ffi cer with that conditions at the front are changing al- trivial most daily, the officer's job gets harder all the time. Therefore bother him as little as possible and only with very important mat- ters. During the first few days in camp there will be so much organizing to do that the officer will be swamped with work. So if you have anything to bring to his attention, talk it over first with your non-com. Perhaps he can help you out. Do not make it any harder for your officer than you can help. Show him that you wish to cooperate with him. One way to do this is to keep yourself always as neat as possible. Don't annoy him by com- ing on parade all mussed up. If by any chance your uniform gets torn, mend it right 28 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Don't away. Don't leave your quarters with your your blouse unbuttoned or your collar unhooked, officer an( j (J 011 't ever appear in breeches without with trivial your leggings. When you wear your leggings, be sure that they are clean. If they are leather, polish them, and keep your canvas ones scrubbed. You will find your officers down on men who are slovenly. Therefore, if there is a man in your tent who is inclined to be careless of his appearance, make him spruce up. Of course you must do this in as tactful a way as possible. Try not to hurt his feelings while you are doing it. This is some- thing you have to be very careful about. If you bully a man, you are liable to be kept in the guardhouse until you apologize to him in the presence of his commanding officer. Quarreling of any kind is severely discour- Dont ,,. $ ht aged among soldiers. till you jf vou f ee j vou mus t fight, wait until you get to France get to France. You will find a good many THE MAN IN THE RANKS 29 Germans there who are willing to accommo- Dont date you. If you cannot wait until then, be titt you sure to select an opponent from among the 9? io France enlisted men. Any non-com, from any branch of the service is over any enlisted man. It is also a good plan to pick out a man you feel absolutely certain you can lick. Take him to a quiet place where you are sure no officer will interrupt you, because any officer can stop a disturbance among enlisted men. He can order them into clink. If you strike a superior officer, it is a very serious offense. If the officer cares to push the charge, such an offense is punishable by death. Another thing you will find rather hard is A pass to stay in camp unless you have a pass. You LLT> may go about the surroundings of the camp, cam P but under the articles of war if you are found a mile away from it without a pass you are liable to court-martial. Therefore be careful to get a pass before you leave, unless you 30 THE MAN IN THE RANKS A pass wish to be escorted back by the military po- or stay ,. close to llce - H by any chance one of these gentry camp wno j g arresting another man calls on you for assistance, give it. Don't let a mistaken sense of loyalty to a comrade prevent you. Such refusal would only get you into trouble, and be of no help to him. Besides, it is a severe breach of discipline. The The necessity for discipline is something necessity ^ e independent American from civil life for strict finds hard to grasp. It was a hard lesson for discipline the British colonials. For months after they had become masters of their drill and forma- tions, they were held back from going to the front because they were not disciplined. Of one regiment the inspecting general said: "This is the finest body of men I have ever seen, but the most undisciplined." That regiment, solely to acquire discipline, had to remain in training another three months, while their friends went to the front. It was a THE MAN IN THE RANKS 31 great blow. But even in spite of that they The did not learn the true meaning of discipline. necess n y In order to get to the front sooner, they car- f? ^nct discipline ried out all orders promptly. As a result of this, at their final inspection, Lord Kitchener pronounced them "Just the men I want for the Dardanelles." When they did reach the front, instead of profiting by this lesson, they resumed their lawless behavior, They boasted that they would obey only such orders as they liked. Consequently, in their first attack on the enemy lines, when they were told to take three lines of trenches, instead of stopping at the third trench, they continued to the fourth and fifth. Meanwhile their own artillery received the signal that the third line had been taken. So it elevated its fire to demoralize the fleeing enemy in the rear trenches. In this hail of fire the colonial troops were caught and almost the whole regiment was wiped out. From that day to 32 THE MAN IN THE RANKS this the survivors carry out strictly the orders they receive. Initiative Of course, strict obedience to orders means ingenuity more t ^ ian doing simply just what you are told. You should endeavor to use initiative and ingenuity whenever possible. It is this added initiative that makes the good soldier. It was just such individual ingenuity that enabled the British at Gallipoli to hold the Peninsula against an overwhelming Turkish force. One soldier was out in No Man's Land, watching for enemy snipers. In the darkness many of the wily enemy were able to slip by him. When a bullet splintered the illumi- nated dial of his wrist watch, he devised a scheme to trap them. On the bushes at the farther side of the path which the snipers had to use, he placed some of the fragments. Then, retiring to a distance, he trained his rifle on them and waited. As soon as they were obscured he knew that one of the enemy THE MAN IN THE RANKS 33 was passing, and pulled the trigger. Later he Initiative expanded this scheme by using sticks coated i on one side with phosphorescent paint. In this way he was able to keep that section of the trench entirely free from snipers. This was not the only case in which inge- nuity helped. It also enabled the British to evacuate the Peninsula of Gallipoli with a loss of only two men killed and one wounded in their entire force. They got off in two hours without being suspected. It was not till the second day after that the Turks really found out. It took a great deal of cleverness to devise the scheme that would let the evac- uation take place secretly, since the four miles from the trenches to the shore was over ground that afforded no cover. As soon as the troops knew they were to leave, they ripped up the sandbags and broke the glass in the periscopes, to make them useless to the enemy. If the Turks began to investigate 34 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Initiative while the British were between their trenches ingenuity anc ^ ^ e shore, it might mean annihilation. At first it was planned to leave a small party scattered through the trenches. They were to be sacrificed so that their comrades might escape. But an Australian solved the problem. He attached the broken periscopes to the parapet. The Turks, looking over, would see these above the trench just as they would any ordinary day at the front. Then he took a number of rifles, lashed them at different points along the parapet, and put a cartridge in each. Each loaded rifle he cocked ready to fire. From the trigger he suspended a bully- beef tin weighted with sand almost heavy enough to pull the trigger. On the top of the rifle he placed another tin filled with water. From a small hole in the bottom of this the water dropped slowly, making the lower one heavy enough to press the trigger. By having THE MAN IN THE RANKS 35 the tins of different weights, he arranged it Initiative so that the rifles did not all explode at once. i ngenu n y Then the troops moved off silently, piled aboard the warships waiting for them in the bay, and steamed away. All that night the firing continued at intervals, and kept up all the next day. The Turks, taking their usual cautious survey, saw the periscopes above the parapets. Every little while a bullet sang over their trenches. To them it looked like what the official reports call "A quiet day on the Eastern front." CHAPTER III MARKSMANSHIP Learn AT the front your best friend is your rifle. Therefore, treat it always as such. Some day it is going to be the only thing between you and death. When your rifle is issued to you, lose no time in examining it. Look at the back-sight leaf to see that the joint is firm and that the leaf is not bent. Move the slide back and forth a few times. Make certain that it moves smoothly and fits firmly on the leaf. Be sure that the "U" is not deformed. Look closely at the lines in- dicating the different ranges; see that they are clearly marked. Also look carefully at the fore-sight to make sure that it has not been bent or twisted. Rifle sights are very deli- cately adjusted, and are easily bent or dam- THE MAN IN THE RANKS 37 aged. Always take special care to see that Learn j TJ? y ur they are in perfect order. It your score ever suffers, have the sights inspected by the ser- geant instructor of musketry. You will have issued to you, with your rifle, some flannel patches. These are cut to fit the bore and are used for cleaning it. Be- sides these, you will get some salsoda, some heavy grease called "cosmic," and some oil. As soon as your rifle is issued, take out the bolt and look up at the sun through the barrel. If the inside glints clear and bright, it is all right. If there are any signs of rust, go immediately to the rifle-cleaning rack. There you will find the barrack cleaning-rod. Soak some of the patches in a solution of salsoda in water. Then with the cleaning-rod push a piece of the wet flannel in the breech end of the bore. Run it back and forth several times, and when one patch is dirty, put in a new one. When you have done this with 38 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Learn several, dry the bore out with dry patches. ^horou^ly Then hold your rifle U P a g ainst the light. This time look through it from the muzzle end for metal fouling: it looks like flakes or lumps the color of silver. Don't attempt to remove it, but take the rifle to the quarter- master sergeant. He will send it to the artificer to be cleaned. But if the bore is bright, dip a clean patch in the cosmic, and run it through until the bore is coated. When you are using your rifle for drill purposes, and not for shooting, always keep the bore cov- ered with this coating of cosmic. Before putting your rifle away, wipe it off with the heavy oil, and oil the bolt very lightly with A dirty the other oil. Examine your rifle frequently rifle is to gee y, j t nee( j s c i ean } n g p This is a very good a cn,7fi6 habit, because on active service, to have a dirty rifle is a great crime. You should in- variably clean it after you have fired it, and after it has been rained upon. Never let it THE MAN IN THE RA^Kg., : ,&) ''/:-. stay wet for any length of time. The longer A dirty the rust stays on, the harder it is to get off. clime When you get in the trenches, cut the toe off an old sock and put it over the bolt. ; This keeps it from getting filled with mud or sand. This simple trick will save you a great deal of cleaning. Before loading your rifle, take particular pains to learn the correct loading positions, lying, standing, and kneeling. Don't think a lot of things the musketry instructor insists upon are unnecessary. The army authorities have been experimenting for years, and have decided that a number of well-defined mo- tions and positions are the most effective. Remember, the most important point is to Keep keep your eye on the mark. The only time you should allow your eye to tfie leave the mark is when you have to adjust your sights; then only for the shortest possi- ble time. Even when you are taking the cart- 49 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Keep ridges from your equipment, you will have to ^yTon ^ ^ by feeling. This is hard at first, but very the mark mu ch worth learning. After a while you will become so expert that you will do it auto- matically. The reason for doing it is that at the front a man in uniform is a very indis- tinct mark. He merges easily into the land- scape. And unless you keep your eye on him constantly, he gets away from you. The small fraction of a minute that you transfer your eye from your enemy to your ammuni- tion pouch may be long enough for him to get to some concealment from which he may snipe you. It may seem silly at first, but it is not. The training you receive now you are to utilize in battle. Your foe is notable for his thoroughness. He is compelled to master every detail. He has learned from experience the value of concealing himself quickly. If you can keep your eye on him while you load your rifle, you give him no chance to get THE MAN IN THE RANKS- 4i away. After you have had a little duel with Keep some sniper, you will begrudge every second y on you take to look at your sights. It is at such the mark times you will be glad you learned the details of your training. Practice altering and fixing your sights. Practice Experience in adjusting them is very valua- ble. Unless your range is right, you lose the effect of fire. If you practice enough, at mo- ments of stress and danger you will adjust your sights without thinking about it. Un- less your sights are right your bullets are use- less, no matter how correctly you have aimed. Correct aiming is one of the hardest things Correct to learn. Next to keeping your eye on your mark, remember to adjust your rifle to your eye, not your eye to your rifle. This saves a great deal of unnecessary moving about, and is by far the quickest and most effective way. Therefore in aiming, when you have car- ried the rifle to your shoulder, place the butt ; te : , ' ,THE MAN IN THE RANKS Correct close to your cheek. Keep your face back as ing far as possible from your trigger hand. The farther back your face is, the more clearly you will see the sights. Apart from the good effect this will have on your shooting, you will find it the most comfortable position. It eases the strain on your head and neck, and makes you feel the recoil very little. In aiming, the back-sight must be kept up- right. (This does not mean that the leaf must be raised.) Then close your left eye and align your sights on the direct center of the lowest part of the mark. The bull's-eye should appear as if balanced on the top of your sights. You need the low point of aim to get a clear view of the mark. This is especially true when you aim at a target which is hard to see, like a man in uniform. Also, an ordinary bull's- eye target on a range tips a little toward you. This necessitates aiming down to alter the elevation, because the upper part of the tar- THE MAN IN THE RANKS ^ get is slightly nearer than the bottom part. Correct At the front you must aim low, as the man you are aiming at is generally coming toward you. Consequently he is nearer you by the time you squeeze the trigger. By aiming at the very bottom of your target, you save yourself from the mistake of the average recruit. He keeps his eye focused on the fore-sight. This allows it to obscure part of the target. You should keep your eye on your mark all the time, because if the eye is focused on the fore-sight it retains only a very blurred image of the object. You are likely to make this mistake because you will begin by aiming at a stationary target, with a black bull's-eye on a white ground, which is very easy to see. Therefore, with your target plainly in view, and sure not to move away, you concentrate on the adjustment of your fore-sight. When you fire at the ordinary range target, &' THE MAN IN THE RANKS Correct this, of course, makes little difference, but later you will wish you had learned the cor- rect way at first. At the front you will have to fire at natural features of the ground like the tops of ridges. Harder than that is firing at the parapet of a trench which the enemy has done his best to conceal. And most im- portant of all, you will have to fire at troops in neutral-tinted uniforms against a dull background. Under the best of circumstances these are hard targets to locate, and a single soldier is still harder. One thing is certain: whether such troops are stationary or mov- ing, if you wish to hit them you must focus on the target, not on the fore-sight. You must watch the target closely while you fire. That is why it is so important to have your sights carefully adjusted and your rifle accurately aimed. The But no matter how carefully and accu- tngger squeeze rately your sights are adjusted and your rifle THE MAN IN THE RANKS 45 aimed, it is all labor wasted if your trigger- The pressing is faulty. This disturbs your aim at sq the very moment of discharge. The chief thing to remember about pressing the trigger is to squeeze it so slowly and gradually that the report comes as a surprise to you. While you press the trigger, breathe easily and naturally. Deep breaths disturb your aim. Be most careful not to touch the trigger before the rifle is against your shoulder; and while you are firing, retain a firm grip with both hands. This makes the butt rest firmly in the hollow of your shoulder. Unless the butt is firm, accurate shooting is impossible. At the front you will have to fire at single Shooting men or troops crossing in front of you. This is hard to do. First aim at the object, then following it sideways, carry your aim in ad- vance of it until you fire. If a man walks across your front at any distance less than five hundred yards, aim about a foot in front 46 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Shooting of him for each hundred yards. If he is objects doubling, aim about two feet in front. Your aim should be about three feet in front of a trotting horse, and if he is galloping, four feet in front for each hundred yards. It has been pretty well proved in this war that only an expert shot can hit a single man at much over three hundred yards. And so, to fire at anything less than a body of troops beyond close range is a waste of ammunition for the ordinary soldier. If you ever fire at a body of troops moving toward a flank, aim at the head of the column. Experience in Europe has shown, however, that beyond six hundred yards individuals accomplish very little, even when they fire at a large body of troops. Whether due to excitement, fatigue, or other causes, inaccu- rate fire increases with distance. Beyond six hundred yards, officers with field-glasses de- termine the ranges and direct collective fire. THE MAN IN THE RANKS 47 Then fire in volume is sufficient to make up Shooting for errors of individuals, and to obtain fire O y ecte " effect. There will be times at the front when much will depend on your ability to shoot rapidly and continuously. When you are firing to re- pulse a surprise attack, there will not be time even to alter your sights. To take time to do it under such conditions would be futile, and lead to the loss of fire effect. Therefore you will have to aim up or down. There is no fixed rule for this; you can learn it by prac- tice; but if you have to aim more than three feet higher or lower, it is far better to take the time to alter your sighting. Don't forget, too, that in firing from cover you must keep your eye on the enemy between shots, to avoid losing sight of him. Always get as near as you possibly can to the cover you are fir- ing from. Don't fire over it, but try your best to fire round the side of it. 48 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Shooting Remember, always, that in all these prac- at moving . . . f objects " tlces y u are training lor real war. When you fire in the open, keep this especially in mind. CHAPTER IV KEEPING FIT A HEALTHY man is hard to kill. That is Keep fit why it is so important for you to keep fit. "Keep your feet warm, your head cool, and your stomach light." This is the advice the old-fashioned doctors gave your grandfath- ers in the Civil War. In this war we have added a fourth: "Keep yourself clean." If you follow these rules you are bound to keep in good physical shape. In the daytime it is easy enough to keep cool. If the sun is very hot, put some wet leaves in your cap. If you can't get wet leaves, dampen your handker- chief instead. Keeping cool at night is a little harder matter, especially where a number of men sleep together. In barracks be sure that the room you sleep in gets lots of fresh air. 50 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Keep Unless you have a free current of air, you fii breathe the same air over and over. Keep all the windows wide open, so the air can cir- culate. The quicker you begin, the quicker you'll get used to it. It's better to put on a few extra clothes the first night or two than to wake up every morning with a dark-brown taste in your mouth. When you get into the trenches you will have to sleep in the open air. So don't be afraid of open windows. Nobody ever caught cold from sleeping out- doors. The men in the trenches never have colds. Not much harm can come to you if you keep your body clean and your lungs filled with good fresh air. The physical instructors know this. That is why they give you gym- nastic drills to make you sweat hard and breathe deeply. Besides this, these exercises are good for most of your muscles. But if you are wise, you will play games that use some THE MAN IN THE RANKS 51 other muscles. Running is good exercise, be- Keep cause it makes the blood circulate through your leg muscles. Rowing is a great deal better. Swimming is the best of all; it uses all the muscles. In addition, it teaches deep breathing. Besides this, it has another ad- vantage: you combine a bath with your ex- ercise. Every time you exercise, be sure to take a bath afterward to wash off the sweat. Don't ever let it dry on if you can help it; it clogs your pores. Unless these pores are open, the waste matter can't get out. Instead, it stays in your system to poison it. Your sweat glands help you to get rid of the waste matter which your bowels and other excretory or- gans fail to carry off. These glands work hardest at night. That is why you should not sleep in the same clothes you wear in the day- time. It is a reason, too, for taking a bath as often as you can. It is not much good to take a bath unless 52 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Keep you change your dirty clothes at the same time. Neither is it much good to change your dirty clothes unless you take a bath. But if you ever get a chance to do one and not the other, remember that half a loaf is better than no bread. Keeping your body clean includes, of course, taking care of your hair. If you are sensible you will keep it fairly short, espe- cially when you go into the trenches. Then you should have it clipped. You should be particular not to use any one else's comb or brush. If you ever borrow a razor, get it from some one whose skin is not pimply or sore. The Government issues a towel to you. You should keep this for your own use alone. Remember that among a large number of men some of them may have some kind of Do your skin disease. own About the camp you will find many agents laundry work for laundries, who pester you to give them THE MAN IN THE RANKS 53 your laundry work. But if you are wise you Do your won't. It is much better to do it yourself, for i aun ^ ry two reasons : first, you will have to do it when work you are on actual service; second, and far more important, these laundries will wash your clothes with the clothes of the other sol- diers in camp. In that way you run a great rish of catching some skin disease, like itch or ringworm; or some body vermin from the other man's undershirt may take a standing jump to yours when the laundry makes it too hot for him. A good, healthy, well-nourished flea will jump eleven times his own length just for the fun of jumping. Science is not yet far enough advanced to estimate how far he can jump under the urging of boiling water. You should be particularly careful to wash your own towel. In the laundry the discharge on the clothing of a person having syphilis may get on your towel and give you that 54 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Do your disease. Don't let any one who has gonor- laundry r ^ ea use your towe l- You may get some of the discharge into the mucous membrane of your eye, nose, or mouth. While we are on this subject of gonorrhea, remember that there is only one way to con- tract it, or what is generally known as "clap"; that is, by sexual intercourse with an infected woman. You can get a gonorrheal infection in the mucous membrane of your eye, nose, or mouth. But that is n't clap. No matter what stories you hear to the contrary, you cannot get clap from a strain caused by heavy lifting. That may be enough to bring on a return of it to a man who has not been wholly cured; but it cannot cause it. Neither can you get it from the seat of a water-closet. But you can get from the seat of a water-closet some very active and annoying vermin commonly known as " crabs." Therefore, when you sit on a water- THE MAN IN THE RANKS 55 closet that is used by a great many men, it is Do your own a wise precaution to put a covering of paper i aun ^ ry on the seat, as a barrier to these unwelcome work visitors. If you should be unfortunate enough to be nominated as their host, buy a very simple and cheap preparation called "Blue Ointment." Any druggist will sell it to you, and it is very helpful in speeding the parting guest. A good many people will tell you that syphilis can also be contracted from the seat of a water-closet. But syphilis is a blood disease, and you cannot catch it in this way, unless your skin is broken, or pimply, or cut. If you have a cut on your lip, you can get syphilis from using the same cup with a person who has it. Even in using his shaving- brush you are taking a big chance, since it will carry the germs to your face, and if you cut yourself, these germs will get into your blood. 56 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Trench In the trenches your great trouble will be sand-lice and itch. There is nothing you can do to prevent these lice from coming. But you won't mind them so much if you sprinkle your underwear with plenty of insect powder. Itch is caused by a parasite, and is very pain- ful. If you are unlucky enough to get it, go at once to the doctor or the Red Cross man and get a box of sulphur ointment. Keep rubbing it on until the itch stops. Don't Besides the germs you may get from some e with one else, it is easy to carry germs into your dirty system by eating with dirty hands. Don't be hands foolish about this. It is a good deal easier to wash your hajids before meals than it is to get over an attack of typhoid or dysentery. Take All the care you take in cleaning the out- ^the side of your body will do you no good if your stomach stomach is not right. Your stomach is likely to suffer most while you are on the march. Don't smoke while you are marching. Smok- THE MAN IN THE RANKS 57 ing will make your throat dry, and will cause Take you to feel very thirsty. Above all, don't O t the chew tobacco. If you must chew, chew gum. stomacfl Gum keeps you from being thirsty, and be- sides that, takes away your desire to smoke. When your body is overheated from march- ing, you will be tempted to drink more water than is good for you. Only one thing causes dysentery or enteric faster than drinking water when you are overheated. That one thing is fruit. So, no matter how uncomfort- able you may feel, remember that it is not a circumstance to the way you would feel if you had enteric or dysentery. In the Gallipoli campaign the British army Drinking lost ninety thousand men through sickness. l Half this loss could have been prevented if the men had been more careful about the kind of water they drank. Before you start on a long march, fill your water-bottle. Drink as little of it as possible, 58 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Drinking and be sure not to drink from any well or spring on the side of the road. Keep this in mind for two reasons. The first is, it is a good way to prepare yourself for life on the firing line. When you get to the trenches you will be given a canteen full, and that is all you will get until your next issue. In France water is very precious. The second rea- son is that, unless the water is pure, it is apt to make you sick. When you are overheated from marching, your body will not be able to fight the germs and throw off the sickness they cause. The purest kind of water is rain- water. But if you get rain-water, be sure that the vessel you get it in has been scalded. Melted snow-water is almost as good as rain- water, because snow freezes up in the pure air. Don't think, however, that you should eat snow when you are thirsty. This is very bad, and does a great deal more harm than good. The heat your body uses in melting THE MAN IN THE RANKS 59 the snow causes more thirst than the water Drinking quenches. A lot of people have the idea that water is pure because it is spring water. But that is not true of every spring. In places where the soil is poor and thin, with a bed- rock of granite, spring water is generally all right. In other places, where the soil is thick and rich and there is no hard rock, the water is apt to be bad. That is why it is so danger- ous to drink water from any old place. In France almost all the wells have been poi- soned by so many dead bodies lying around. Look Bad water is not the only thing that will U Q ^ cause stomach trouble. Most of the stom- teeth ach trouble in this country is caused by poor teeth. One of the best ways to keep your stomach in order is to care for your teeth. In this war, where the ration is largely hard biscuit, a lot depends on how good your teeth are. You should brush them every morning and night at the very least. If you are at all 60 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Look particular, you will brush them oftener. To your do this right takes from three to five minutes. Just rubbing the tooth-brush over the front of your teeth is not enough. The whole pur- pose of brushing them is to get rid of food deposits. Besides the teeth, you should brush the gums, the back of the tongue, and the whole inside of your mouth. This makes your gums firm and healthy, and improves the circulation of the blood. After you have brushed your teeth, rinse your mouth thor- oughly with clean water. Sometimes the brushing does not dislodge all the food de- posits. When this happens you should use either a quill toothpick or some dental floss. Keep your tooth-brush clean, and sterilize it frequently in very hot water. If constant cleaning does not help your teeth, you should see a dentist or the medical officer. Your value as a solider is based largely on your ability to march. Your ability to march THE MAN IN THE RANKS 61 depends almost altogether on the condition You can't of your feet. Keep your feet perfectly clean. right Wash them every day. Be sure that your toe- unless your nails are clipped and clean. Don't let them feet are grow into your toes, or don't let them get so ^ long that they wear through your socks. The best socks to wear are woolen ones, not too thick. Be sure that they fit. Don't have them too tight, because this pulls the heel too far forward, and makes a wrinkle. If they are too large, there will be more wrinkles. On a march every wrinkle means a blister. The first thing you should do after you get in from a march is to look to your feet. See that any blisters that may have formed are attended to at once. Get one of the Red Cross men attached to your company to stick a needle through the blister to let the water out. After that, have it painted with iodine. Don't try to do it yourself, as an un- sterilized needle may cause infection. It will 62 THE MAN IN THE RANKS You can't save you a great deal of pain, and will keep right your foot from being poisoned. unless Don't let your feet trouble you long. your feet are If you have corns, you can be pretty sure that you wear the wrong kind of shoes. Show them to the medical officer and tell him how they affect your feet. He will fix you up. Under ordinary conditions, keep your feet warm and dry. If you get them wet, change your shoes and socks the first chance you get. When you are in your quarters, do not spit on the floor. This is one way in which you can cooperate with the doctors and prevent the spread of disease. Remember finally, that if you are in a little better condition than your enemy, you may last a few extra seconds in a bayonet fight. If he is in better condition than you, the words "killed in action" will come after your name. When a German bullet hits you is when your health will count. CHAPTER V A SUCCESSFUL SOLDIER AS THE SERGEANT SEES HIM A FRANK TALK BY SERGEANT LYNCH WHEN you receive orders to report to the training camp you enter upon a new life. Most likely you are not used to paying un- questioned obedience to a superior. Neither are you used to life in barracks with all kinds of men. During a long experience as an en- listed man in the American army I have had to face that sort of problem. Now, from the point of view of the man in the ranks, let me give you a few tips. They will make life easier for you at the start. Your job as a soldier is to do what you are told. Even to the smallest detail you must learn everything that is taught you. You have never before had a job where learning 64 THE MAN IN THE RANKS things right was of such importance. Some day your lack of knowledge may mean that you will be killed. Not only that, but through your ignorance your dearest friend, your " bunkie," may be killed. Your failure at a critical moment may even cause the death of many of your company. You must not for- get that. All the things your officers or non- coms, tell you to do must be done, because some day you will be a better soldier in time of necessity. Obedience Even if at the time you receive orders they seem to you foolish, obey them. I have watched men working with me for a number of years. What I saw, and my own experience, have proved that the purpose of formations and orders we did not understand at first always became clear later. Then the men who had taken pains to learn the early formations found the later ones THE MAN IN THE RANKS 65 easy. Those who had scoffed at first floun- Obedience dered along helplessly, 'grumbling because their squad advanced so slowly. As a matter of fact, it was held back solely through their stupidity or laziness. Try to get on with your superiors, espe- Regarding cially with your non-coms. They will be ap- * * ' s pointed according to merit from men like yourself. Even if you do not think they are the best possible, remember that nobody is infallible. In the selection of officers and non- coms, the best men are not always chosen, nor is the poorest left behind. As a general rule, though, good men get promoted quickly. When you are given orders by some one placed over you, the best way is to obey cheerfully. Do it even if you think he should be taking orders from you. To use an Irish- ism : " If you find you cannot do it cheerfully, well, do it as cheerfully as you can." 66 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Regarding It goes without saying that it is necessary to have officers and non-coms. Knowing this, it is up to you and me to do the best we know how with respect to them. You may think that a certain man should not be a non-com, and placed over men. Perhaps you are right. But what of it? He is a non-com., and you would be as poor a soldier as he is a non- com, if you did not realize the conditions. Show your strength in contrast to his weak- ness. You will find it hard, and in many instances galling, to knuckle under to certain types of men. Here is where you must use your head. If you come across such a man, that is your opportunity to show your will-power. Make up for his deficiencies. The problem of getting along with men in camp is a real problem, and is worth a good deal of study. THE MAN IN THE RANKS 67 When some superior gives you an order, Orders keep in mind two things : first, it is absolutely necessary that orders be obeyed; second, some time it will be your turn to give orders. Therefore, remembering these two things, when you are given orders, execute them to the best of your ability. Obey promptly and cheerfully. Should you ever be given duty to do which you do not like, go ahead and per- form it anyway. Even if you should not do it by rights, because it is not your time or turn, do it with a smile. If you cannot get redress then and there, you can later. Time will show that you will have the respect of those who some time before thought very little of you. In the case of the new national army, our In the camp is not a great number of tents, put up in straight lines, with company streets in be- tween. It is low wooden buildings, laid out 68 THE MAN IN THE RANKS In the like a large town, with post-office, restau- rants, telegraph offices, movie theaters, and other such public places as you would find in a small city. You will be assigned to one of those temporary barracks and given your government issue. This includes, besides clothing, a bed, blankets, sheets, pillow, and so forth. And from them begins your new life. You must try to make this life as pleasant as you can, both for yourself and your com- rades. These strangers of to-day will be the men to assist you in your great necessity of to-morrow. Be as good-natured and obliging to them as you would be to people in your own household. Take it then and there that this is your home now, and will be for some little time to come. So, for your own sake, make your new life as pleasant as possible. Be pleasant yourself, and it will be reflected upon you. Even if you know that some men THE MAN IN THE RANKS 69 are holding your squad back, and making In the things harder for you, don't harbor any ill- feeling toward them. Do your best to help them, and always be civil toward your com- rades in the ranks. Never mind if you don't like some of them. You must realize that some day you will have to depend on them, and they will have to depend on you in an emergency. Unless you both feel kindly to- ward each other, there can be little hope for team work. We must have that in the new national army before we can lick the Germans. Personal cleanliness is the absolute neces- Cleanliness sity of soldier life. You must keep clean for the benefit and protection of those surround- ing you. Therefore see to it that you shave regularly every day. With the kind of work you will be called upon to do, you should also bathe as often as possible. Keep 70 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Cleanliness your shoes nicely polished and your clothes well brushed, so that you may always look neat. As far as your laundry work is con- cerned, there will be numbers of laundries to do it for you. But the real soldier does his own laundry. That is what you will have to do in France, and on transports, for that matter. Learn to do it yourself, because the day will come, especially at the front, when there will be no one to do it for you. Now is the time, and the national camp is the place to learn this very essential art. Too much stress cannot be laid upon per- sonal appearance. On that alone you are sometimes picked for a better position. Equipment The care of your equipment is a very im- portant matter. Certain rules are laid down by the authorities for the treatment of the different pieces of your outfit. Most impor- tant of all these articles is your rifle. Be sure THE MAN IN, THE RANKS 71 that you know how to clean and treat it. Equipment Learn which oil to oil it with, and which to use in treating the wooden part. Your rifle is an all-important thing. Therefore pay par- ticular attention while you are being in- structed in its care and use. When it comes to practice with your rifle, don't think that the muscle exercises the in- structor gives you are silly. Although they may look simple and silly to you, they are very important; so important that they are constantly used by trained troops. These exercises have been adopted by the army after years of trial. They are found to develop certain muscles which help to keep the rifle steadier in your hands. When you have been taught for some time, Patience don't think that you know it all, and get careless. When you get careless comes the be- ginning of your end as far as further advance- 72 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Patience ment is concerned. When it comes to selec- tions for some other branch of the service or some place you really want to go, you can't be recommended all through your own fault. Don't get discouraged if promotion is slow at first. Your superiors keep a constant eye on you. No matter how poor or weak you are at anything, if you honestly try to do your best, you will be appreciated for it. Marching Marching will not be given the attention it used to get because there is not a great deal of it done on the western front. Still, it will be necessary for you to know how to look to yourself both on the march and when the march is ended. When your training is well advanced, a lot of your time will be taken up in route marching. The chief purpose of this will be to harden your muscles. It also ac- customs you to move about freely with your full equipment. The British army found that THE MAN IN THE RANKS 73 men who could walk thirty miles a day once Marching a week were able to stand almost anything. You may not be called on to do that. But if you spend four days in the trenches and eight out, as the French and British do, you will have to do a lot of hiking with your full equipment. When you are on the road, be sure that your field service outfit fits properly. Do not be satisfied that as long as it is on your back it is good enough. Loosen or pull in the straps until you satisfy yourself or some critical eye that it is hanging properly. Get it evenly balanced on your shoulders, and do not have your belt too tight. On the march drink as little water as you can. The more you drink the more you want. If you have to drink, avoid getting water from any old place. Get it only from the water wagon supplied by the army. Also avoid eating fruit on the march. 74 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Marching These are a few very simple rules, but my experience has taught me the value of them. The few hints I have given you are meant to save you trouble. Had I known what I now tell you, I might have avoided a great deal of it. What I learned took a long time and was hard learning. Now I pass it along to you in the hope that it will make you a better man in the ranks, a pleasanter comrade to your "bunkies," and an easier man for me, as an instructor, to handle, and above all a good soldier of the United States of America. CHAPTER VI A TALK ON PERSONAL CONDUCT OUT West they have a rule of conduct Your pretty suitable for a soldier: "So conduct ^ a yourself each day, that you can look every national affair damn man in the eye and tell him to go to hell." Your conduct in civilian clothes is your private affair. As soon as you put on your uniform, you take on a new responsibility. Your conduct becomes a national affair. Abroad your conduct will be judged as the conduct of an average American. See that you make it such that the Nation will not be ashamed of it. Even before you leave here, you will find people willing to belittle the uni- form and the men who wear it. The Socialists are openly working against the army. ' So are the pacifists. They will seize on anything 76 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Your you do to show how harmful the army is. Un- ^ a fortunately the deeds of some men who wear national the uniform give them only too good an op- affair portumty. If you are a patriotic American, you will give them no chance to point scorn- fully at you. These people are traitors who have placed other flags before the one that protects them. You, as a soldier of the United States, should remember that you are the representative of a great country. The advice of Edward Everett Hale, in "A Man Without a Country," might have been writ- ten expressly for you: "And for your country, boy, and for that flag, never dream a dream but of serving her as she bids you, though the service carry you through a thousand hells. No matter what happens to you, no matter who flatters you or who abuses you, never look at another flag; never let a night pass but you pray God to bless that flag. Remember, boy, that behind THE MAN IN THE RANKS 77 all these men you have to do with, behind Your officers, and Government, and people even, is a there is the Country Herself, your Country, national affair and that you belong to Her, as you belong to your own mother. Stand by Her, boy, as you would stand by your mother, if those devils there had got hold of her to-day." Don't allow your patriotism to give you Don't a swelled head. From the first day you are ^J^ reviewed till you finally land in France, you head will hear very little but praise. The news- papers will write glowing accounts of you. Every officer who makes a casual inspection will tell you how well trained you are. Every mayor and congressman and politician in the country will tell you that you are the best troops that ever landed in France. But take it all with a grain of salt. Perhaps you are, but keep it under your hat till you have proved it. Once the London papers called some co- lonials "The finest body of men that has 78 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Don't landed in England since William the Con- swelled queror." Some of them lost their heads and believed it. They believed it so firmly that they gave up obeying orders. Finally, they were disbanded and distributed among other regiments. In the new regiments they told the other men about it, and received such a walloping that they never got over it. This is what will happen to you unless you use a little horse sense. Over in France, the people are prepared to welcome you with open arms. Already they have thronged the streets to yell enthusiastic welcome to Pershing's regulars. Never was the feeling so cordial between France and America. Just when the struggle seemed most hopeless, the United States entered the war. General Pershing went to France with his thousands of young Americans who told of a million to come. Don't let the welcome you get in France turn your head. Remember THE MAN IN THE RANKS 79 that you are not the only one who has come Don't from overseas. IweUed The colonials in France are looking for- head ward to your coming. You are young like themselves. You talk the same language and think the same thoughts. If they find you decent, they will give you the time of your life. They need your help, and are willing to help you. So it is up to you to begin right and keep it up. These colonials have been fighting for three There years. Until you have proved yourselves in action, they won't like any insinuation that besides you and YOU are going to win the war. The Cana- they 've dians who retook their own guns at Ypres, ^^ y ood and the men who took Vimy Ridge, have their own ideas as to who are the best sol- diers. The Australians and New Zealanders who charged the Turks at Anzac, with no cartridges in their magazines, won't believe you are their superiors. The five hundred 80 THE MAN IN THE RANKS There Newfoundlanders who killed fifteen hundred 'fighting*' Germans in an afternoon with the bayonet besides w jll have something to say about it, too. If you and they 've you had been over there for three years and 'made * * ood ^^ ^ n6 a ^ ^ ^^ %hting, how Would you like to have some one who had never been under fire say to you, "WE are going to win this war." So wait until you have done something before you begin to crow. Then you won't want to. In addition to the temptation to get a swelled head, when you get to France you will be up against two more temptations: wine, and women. Cut Leaving out the moral side altogether, "booze" "booze "and women are poor business. The Allies have found that you can't win a war when you are drunk. The Russians have cut out vodka entirely. In France and England they hated to give up their booze. But now they are passing drastic laws to limit the sale THE MAN IN THE RANKS 81 of it. Right here in America a man in uni- Cut form cannot get a drink. booze > In the first part of the war the British colonials did n't care how drunk a man got if he turned up all right on parade. That was in the days when a witness at a court-martial testified that a man was not drunk as long as he could move his right foot. Later the colonials found that the habitual drunkards could stand exposure the least of all their men. Also their wounds took a good deal longer to heal. If your blood is full of alcohol, you can't survive a dangerous wound. Even now, the Allied armies supply a certain amount of alcohol to the men in the trenches. The French and Italians issue wine with meals, and the British issue a small ration of rum twice a week. But don't forget, in think- ing about this, that the ration is small. It has never been forced on any soldier. No tee- totaler has to take it. Lots of men in the 82 THE MAN -IN THE RANKS Cut trenches have never touched it. Those who "booze" nave taken it have found it helpful, espe- cially when they were wet or chilled. Don't argue from this, however, that because a little of it is good for you, a lot is better. That is like saying that because a little salt is good on oatmeal, a great deal of salt would be much better. The British army issues a "tot" of rum to its soldiers just before a charge. One American writer unjustly said that this was given them to "get their cour- age up," and used that as an argument against war. As a matter of fact, it was given them in their canteens to carry with them when they charged. They were to use it as a stimulant if they were unlucky enough to be wounded. But after a man had been in two or three charges, and had seen a number of men killed almost before they left their own trenches, he made sure of his rum as soon as he was given it. THE MAN IN THE RANKS 83 The doctor of the First Newfoundland Cut Regiment summed up the situation pretty "i ooze " well. He said: "After you have been march- ing for several hours and are hot, and dusty, and thirsty, there is nothing so good for you as a little alcohol [loud cheers from the booze- artists], but only a little, and that little you should use on your feet." Now comes the second problem women. The kind of woman As far as you are concerned there are three to kinds of women good, bad, and foolish. Naturally, if you are a decent man you will seek the good woman. With her, of course, you will have to be decent, or she will drop you. In her company you are safe, and lucky. In France you probably won't have the same chance to meet nice girls that you have at home. Remember that with the bad woman you are playing with fire. Only one thing happens to those who play with fire. Sooner or later they get burned. 84 THE MAN IN THE RANKS The kind And while you are being laundered in to avoid" hospital your pay will be stopped. Worse than this, your conduct sheet will carry a record of your disease. When you are in hospital, you will be put in a ward full of venereal cases, and you will be allowed no visitors. When visiting day comes, you will have to watch the visitors to the other wards avoid yours. If you go out in the corridor, they will shun you, because you will have to wear a shirt with a great "V" reaching from shoulder to waist, that marks you as a ven- ereal patient. You will have to spend from six to eight long, lonesome weeks in the com- pany of the riff-raff and scum of your own and other regiments, and forever after you will be branded by your fellows. CHAPTER VII TIPS FROM THE TRENCHES AN American who has returned from Eu- What rope reports that nearly fifty thousand Amer- at the icans are fighting with the British and f ront have French. The men at the front have discovered found two things. They have found just how val- uable their training has been, and they have learned how their training compares with that of the Germans. They have found that the broad principles are sound. A few men who were only a short time at the front had to use very little of what they learned in training. All they did was to form in a sin- gle line and march into the trenches. They thought that this was all that was needed. But those who have been there any length of time feel differently. Sometimes, when 86 THE MAN IN THE RANKS What artillery fire caught them on a narrow road a/J^f in close formations, they congratulated them- front selves on having learned to extend quickly. have found When they went over the parapet in a bayo- net charge, they were glad that they had mas- tered the signals. They were glad, too, that they had learned how to keep their proper intervals in open order. They found then that the bayonet drill they had learned was not foolish. And above all, they were glad, day and night, that they had learned to care for their rifles and to shoot. All Americans back from the front have been strong for paying strict attention to the details of training. From their observation of the Germans' tactics they have found that the Allies' system is, in two respects, away ahead of that of the Germans. They beat the Germans in the air, and in shooting with the rifle. As soon as the enemy start to move and are driven from their trenches, all the THE MAN IN THE RANKS 87 training the American soldier receives will be What needed. Then he can use what he has learned at the about rear-guard and advance-guard work. f ront have Every night, in "No Man's Land" between found the trenches, a line of outposts extends from the Swiss border to the North Sea. But whether the Germans are in trenches or on the run, the American will find the most use- ful part of his training is marksmanship. The Germans don't teach their men to fire at distances beyond four hundred yards. They consider it a waste of ammunition. They start an infantry attack with the idea of getting within that distance of an enemy The trench before opening fire. Therefore the soldiers don't practice judging distances, rifle fire This is done only by officers. The Germans pay no attention to the indication of targets, or to fire direction or control generally, as the British do. They deem it a waste of am- munition to concentrate the fire of a platoon 88 THE MAN IN THE RANKS The or company on one spot at a thousand yards. idea of The AUi es do this constantly and get splen- rifle did results. Rifle-training in the German fire army is limited to independent firing by bat- talions on large areas of ground. When the Germans attack, they fire from the hip, with- out aiming at any particular object. Some of them were taught rapid firing, and averaged eight or nine rounds a minute. But against the British this was pretty poor. In the British army, before a man is allowed to go to the front he has to fire fifteen well- aimed shots a minute. Compared with this the shooting of even the best German marks- man is lamentable. The German rifle is not as good as the short Lee-Enfield of the Brit- ish. The straight bolt takes longer to work than the British bolt, and their clip of car- tridges is harder to get in than the British. The greatest surprise the Germans received in the war was the splendid shooting of the THE MAN IN THE RANKS 89 British. The diagram on page 91 gives a The rough idea of the formations used by the i n f antry Germans in an infantry attack. The Ger- attack formations mans always used these close formations. Their first line is "cannon-fodder." They look upon it as cover for the second and third lines. They are prepared to sacrifice the entire front line in order to let the second and third lines get close to the enemy. Both ranks of each line are close together. They go ahead until their third line is stopped, and then dig in and open fire with their machine- guns. For this purpose the third line carries picks and shovels. They counted on being able to rush the British troops by weight of numbers, but against the rapid and accurate firing of the British they did n't have a chance. They reckoned on their third line with its machine- guns being able to get within four hundred yards of the enemy, but on open ground 90 THE MAN IN THE RANKS The they were never able to do this. Their first infantry ^ nes were always down too soon some- atiack times at eight hundred or a thousand yards. formations Again, on the Aisne their machine-guns in the third line came under concentrated fire of British infantry at a thousand yards, and although they suffered heavily, they could not reply, because the British were too well hidden. Owing to the tremendous effect of the concentrated British fire, the Germans' plan of attack has failed repeatedly. Every time they attacked they lost heavily. The Germans thought nothing could be as good as their machine-guns. They neglected rifle shooting almost entirely, to perfect their machine-gun batteries. As a matter of fact, machine-guns are practically useless beyond four hundred yards. Against well-aimed con- centrated rifle fire, they can never get so near as that. Therefore, learn to shoot. In the winter the Germans usually attack I S3 s C5 .1 o v 11 92 THE MAN IN THE RANKS German about three in the afternoon, or at dusk, Attack an( * th en entrench during the night within two hundred yards of our lines. They also take advantage of fog in the early morning. That is why the Allied armies always stand to arms at dawn and at dusk. Because of this watchfulness the Germans have found it slow work. Their rifle shooting is so poor that they haven't a chance against the Allies. Their fire effect comes chiefly from machine- guns and artillery. Night German night attacks are made without scouts or advance parties, and the advance is made with great rapidity. These advances were seldom successful. The Allied troops were so well trained in rapid firing that they could open a well-aimed burst of fire at a second's notice. So long as this can be done, there is little chance of a trench being rushed. THE MAN IN THE RANKS 93 When you attack, don't be afraid to spread In an out. Loose, elastic formations are the best, S p rea ^ with men at eight to ten paces' interval. If out you have charge of a squad in an attack, re- member that cover from view is more impor- tant than field of fire. It is better to have a field of fire of one hundred yards and be invisible, than to have one of six hundred yards and be an easy target for artillery. On active service take great pains to see Keep that your rifle is always in working order. r ^ e Make sure that the chamber is scrupulously in jt ood clean. If it is dirty it is hard to get cartridges out. Dirt in the chamber makes them stick. Cartridges sometimes rust in their clips, so you should move them about once a week. Don't keep your magazine full all the time. If you do the spring will weaken. Test the bolt and magazine every day. In the trenches rifles have become unser- 94 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Keep viceable from mud. It gets in the lock when the ri jl e rifle is rested on the wet parapet or dropped m good on wet ground. To avoid this, cover the bolt order with a cloth wrapper or an old sock. Also place some canvas against the parapet. When you use the rifle pull the protecting material back. Never put ammunition on the ground. Have a little box or tin to keep it in. It is a good plan to rub the ammunition with an oily rag. Work Two on and four off is the rule in France. French ^ OU ^ et tw * ce as mucn rest as vou et work. If you go into the trenches four days, you get eight in dugouts. In the trenches, be- ginning about an hour before daylight, you "Stand to Arms." At daylight day duties commence. From then on you watch through a periscope for two hours and rest for four. Then you go on sentry duty for another two THE MAN IN THE RANKS 95 hours, and so on all through the day and Work night. Get all the sleep you can in the day- time. Sleep your full four hours. In the night- time the four-hour periods are spent in do- ing fatigues. You will have to go back for ammunition and for supplies. You may also have to carry wounded back behind the lines. There is a lot of digging to do, too. In the daytime you will be able to sleep because hardly any fatigue work is done. Moving about in the daytime is dangerous, because the enemy's artillery is so busy. When you are digging, be sure to build some kind of head cover, if you can do it without making the trench too conspicuous. In building a shelter, however, don't let your desire for safety choke your initiative. Your object is to drive the enemy back. You can't do that by staying safe in a trench. The true test of your training comes when you engage the enemy with the bayonet. On 96 THE MAN IN THE RANKS Work the following pages is a list of sixteen things benches to remem ker which will help you to prove yourself then. But added to what you learn from text- books and instructors will be your natural American resourcefulness. To spur you on always you will have the knowledge that behind you stands the whole American Na- tion, thinking, planning, inventing, and work- ing to help you win. The thoughts of a whole people will be with you; proud of your prowess, pitying your sufferings, jubilant at your victories, and above all grateful to you for the sacrifices you are making in their behalf. THINGS TO REMEMBER NOT TO FORGET (1) REMEMBER: Read the daily orders as soon as they are posted. (2) REMEMBER: Learn signaling; it will save you a lot of walking. (3) REMEMBER: What you add to your equipment you add to the weight of your pack. (4) REMEMBER: Your dearest friend is your rifle. (5) REMEMBER: When you shoot, keep your eye on the mark. 98 THE MAN IN THE RANKS (6) REMEMBER: Don't drink on the march. Don't smoke on the march. It makes you feel thirsty. (7) REMEMBER: After the march look to your feet. (8) REMEMBER: Most stomach trouble is caused by poor teeth. (9) REMEMBER: Don't fool about the pass word. A sentry will shoot first and investigate after- ward. (10) REMEMBER: Always keep your gas- mask handy. Don't use it for a fly-pro- tector. It's better to have flies on your face than on your corpse. THE MAN IN THE RANKS 99 (11) REMEMBER: The more booze your system contains, the less chance you have to recover from your wounds. REMEMBER: Bathe often. If you're clean when you're hit, your wound will not be septic. (13) REMEMBER: Don't ever fire from a support trench. You may hit your own firing line. (14) REMEMBER: Rely on your bayonet. The Huns hate cold steel. (15) REMEMBER: Orders MUST be obeyed; so do it cheerfully. (16) REMEMBER: Be patient; Rome was not built in a day. DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIAKY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY DIARY ADDRESSES Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town Name Street Phone. Town... ADDRESSES Name ..' Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town Name Street Phone . Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... ADDRESSES Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone . Town... Name Street Phone . Town... Name Street Phone . Town... Name . Street Phone. Town... Name , Street. Phone, Town... ADDRESSES Name Street Phone. Town Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name , Street.. Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name , Street Phone. Town ADDRESSES Name Street Phone . Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name , Street Phone. Town... ADDRESSES Name Street Phone. Town Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name , Street.. Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name , Street Phone. Town ADDRESSES Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name Street Phone. Town... Name , Street Phone. Town... CAMBRIDGE . MASSACHUSETTS U . S . A THIS BOOK IS DUE STAMPED AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY WILL INCREASE TO SO CENTS ON THE FOURTH DAY AND TO $1.OO ON THE SEVENTH DAY OVERDUE. i.":: ' . . '81983 SENtONILL FTR 1 n 1995 YB 0391 1" 66- UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY