This compelling memoir tracks the war experiences of a radio wireman in the 11th Infantry Regiment of the Fifth Infantry Division. Born in Brooklyn and having left school in the sixth grade to work, the author enlisted at the age of 17. The book explores his time in combat, when he laid down wire for radio communications, often along the front lines and during battles, always alert for German troops. Featured are his sketches of the scenes of his work with fellow soldiers. Particular attention is paid to the role of the wireman and the history of the Fifth Infantry Division.
DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Old Front Line" by John Masefield. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.
'Front Lines' is a military-themed book written by Boyd Cable. These tales have been written over a period running from the later stages of the Somme to the present time. For the book, the author has two ambitions—the first, that to my Service readers it may bring a few hours of interest and entertainment, may prove some sort of a picture and a record of what they themselves have been through; the second, that it may strike and impress and stir those people at home who even now clearly require awakening to all that war means.
All these handy pamphlets were produced by the Canadian government prior to 1919: Contents: 1. How to survive in the trenches This booklet, written with the benefit of three years of experience with trench warfare, covered everything from gas discipline to rum rations. 2. Killing at close quarters This training manual stressed that effective bayonet fighting required "Good Direction, Strength and Quickness, during a state of wild excitement and probably physical exhaustion." 3. Constructing barbed wire defences This manual, used for training purposes by the 215th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, was based on two years' worth of hard experience in defending captured positions. 4. "You have in explosives a good servant" In this book, Sergeant Coleman of the Royal Canadian Regiment sought to augment the short time given to grenade training by providing practical hints on handling, arming, throwing, and making various kinds of bombs for use in trench warfare. 5. Grenades in trench warfare One lesson of trench warfare was that "bombing" (or using hand grenades) was much more important in capturing and clearing enemy trenches than had been imagined before the war. As a result, training manuals like this one by James Ferris, who joined the 63rd Battalion in Edmonton in July 1915, were published as a way to pass on new tactical knowledge. 6. Some Notes on the Minor Tactics of Trench Warfare A Brigade Major of the Corps of Royal Engineers presents a thorough overview of trench warfare tactics, emphasizing the cooperation between infantry and engineers. 7. Training in barbed wire Given the importance of barbed wire during the First World War, it came as no surprise that in the Second World War there would be considerable emphasis on instructing soldiers in its use.
As part of the famous 101st Airborne Division (the Screaming Eagles), the 321st Glider Field Artillery Battalion saw nearly constant action during World War II, from assisting the infantry by landing supplies and providing combat support to fighting on the front lines.
