Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 262, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 November 1914 — BRITISH SOLDIERS TELL STORIES OF THRILLING EXPERIENCES AT FRONT [ARTICLE]

BRITISH SOLDIERS TELL STORIES OF THRILLING EXPERIENCES AT FRONT

English Cavalry Gave Good Account of Itself at Mons, Cutting Through Much Heavier Mounts and Heavier Men Than Its Personnel Contained—Vivid Description of Naval Engagement Off Helgoland.

London. —A noncommissioned officer in the dragoons has sent to a relative a fine description of the work being done by British cavalry. “All our men, in fact *the whole British army, are as fit as a fiddle, and the lads are as keen as mustard. There is no holding them back. At Mons we were under General Chetwode, and horses and men positively flew at the Germans, cutting through much heavier mounts and heavier men than ours. The yelling and the dash of the lancers and the dragoon guards was a thing never to be forgotten. We lost very heavily at Mons, and it is a marvel how some of our fellows pulled through and positively frightened the enemy. We did some terrible execution, and our wrists were feeling the strain of heavy riding before sunset. With our tunics unbuttoned, we had the full use of our right arms for attack and defense. “After Mons, I went with a small party scouting, and we again engaged about twenty cavalry, cut off from their main body. We killed nine, wounded six, and gave chase to the remaining five, who, in rejoining their, unit, nearly were the means of trapping us. However, our men dispersed and hid in a wood until they fell in With a squadron of the and so reached camp’ in safety. After that a smart young corporal accompanied me to reconnoiter, and we went too far ahead and were cut off in a part of the country thick with uhlans. As we rode in the direction of two wounded men were limping along, both with legs damaged, one from the Middlesex and the other from the Lancashire fuslleers, and so we took them up.

. Cure a Grand Sportsman. “Corporal Watherston took one behind his saddle and I took.tfce other. The men were hungry, and tattered to shreds with fighting, but in fine spirits. We soon came across a small village, and I found the cure a grand sportsman and full of pluck and hospitality. He seemed charmed to find a friend who was English, and told me that the Germans were dressed in the uniforms of British soldiers, which they took from the dead and from prisoners in order to deceive French villagers,, who in many places In that district had welcomed" these wolves in sheep’s clothing. We were warned that the enemy would be sure to' track us to the village. The cure said he would hide the two wounded men in the crypt of his church and put up. beds for them. It has a secret trap door, and was an ancient treasure house of a feudal lord, whose castle we saw in ruins at the top of the hill close by. “Then he hid away our saddlery and uniforms in the roof of the barn, and Insisted upon our making a restchamber of the tower of his church, which was approached by a ladder, which we wore to pull up to the belfry as soon as we got there. He smuggled in wine and meat and bread and cakes, fruit and cigarettes, with plenty of bedding pulled up by a rope. We slept soundly and the owls seemed the only other tenants, who resented our Intrusion. No troops passed through the village that night. In the morning the cure came around at six o’clock, and we heard him say mass. After that we let down the ladder, and he came up with delicious hot chocolate and a basket of rolls and butter. “Our horses he had placed in different stable* a mile apart, and put

French ‘fittings’ on them, so as to deceive the enemy. He thinks we are well away from the main body of the German army moving in the direction of Paris, but will not hear of our leaving here for at least three days. But I cried; ‘Cure, we are deserters!’ The old man wept and said: ‘Deserters; no, no—saviors, saviors; you have rescued France from the torments of slavery.’ “However, we have now secured complete disguises as vateurs —baggy corduroy trousers, blue shirts, boots, stockings, belt, hat, cravat, everything. to match —and, as we have not shaved for two weeks, and are bronzed with the sun, I think that the corporal and myself can pass anywhere as French peasants, if only he will leave all the talking to me. One thing I must tell you. “The two wounded soldiers don’t wish us to leave them, because I am interpreter, and not a soul speaks English in the village. So we" have explained to the cure that we shall stay here until our comrades are able to walk, and then the party of four will push our way out somewhere on horseback and get to the coast. The sacristan at once offered to«be our guide, and it is arranged that we take a carrier’s wagon which travels in this district and drive our own horses in it, and pick up two additional mounts at a large village on the way to the coast.

French People Very Kind. “We must get back as soon as ever we can. Nothing could be kinder, than the people here, but this is not what we came to France for, and hanging about in a French village is not exactly what a soldier calls ‘cricket.’ “You cannot imagine how complete the Germans are in the matter of rapid transport. Large automobiles, such as the railway companies have for towns round Harrogate and Scarborough, built like char-a-bancs, carry the soldiers in batches of 50, so that they are as fresh as paint when they get to the front. Butrin point of numbers I think one of our side is a fair match for four of the enemy. I hope that the British public are beginning to understand what this war means. The German is not a toy terrier, but a bloodhound absolutely thirsty for blood.”

Corporal F. Wiskin, of the Ninth lancers, in a letter to a friend, describes the action in which the cavalry took part on August 24. “This last two weeks (he says) we have" had it very hard. For the past ten days we have had about fourteen hours’ sleep, and, of course, we do not feel up to much. We had a terrible day last Monday week, when we charged the German guns. We were under heavy shell fire for five hours, and could not move. The longer we stayed trying to get cover the more guns worked round our flanks. We were in a real death trap, and I, thought my last day had come. It was hell on earth, we had nothing to do but to run the gauntlet three times. During those Yew hours I had four different horses, each being shot under me, but I escaped without a scratch.” Tells Story of Naval A member of the crew of H. M. SI Southampton, which played such a valiant part in the fight off Helgoland, writes to his parents as follows: “We started the first thing in the morning, when we had a brush with two destroyers. It was misty and

they were practically invisible, but I believe they were hit twice before disappearing in the mist. After that we turned and steamed out of it, but were recalled by an urgent wireless message from one of our ships which was In difficulties. Of course, the ship was immediately turned, and we proceeded at full speed to the scene of operations. “The enemy turned out to be a three-funneled cruiser, somewhat larger than us. We immediately opened fire at a range of 10,000 to 13,000 yards. The enemy replied and steamed away from us, but eventually we ran parallel. “Things began to look lively, as we were putting shells into her at the rate of five every ten seconds, and sixinch Ivddlte at that. The shells have a terrible effect, and fumes from them kill anyone within a range of 60 yards, while they set on fire everything near them. Presently she was seen to be on fire, and a few minutes afterwards, a beautifully-placed shell put ‘paid’ to two of her funnels. All amidships was now a raging fire, and the end came when her mainmast .went by the board. We immediately ceased fire and altered our course, going close to her. Ship Out of Commission. “My—! What a sight she was! The fire amidships had made two of the funnels redhot, and flames and smoke were pouring out of her. Her port side was like a sieve. Every gun was smashed bent, some looking round corners, some on their sides — in fact, her whole upper deck was chaos. “The forebridge was a tangled mass of ironwork, while the wire stays from the foremast were swinging in the air. What she was like Inside, “heaven alone knows. “We passed within two ’ hundred yards of her, and the only living beings on the upper deck, were one man on the quarter-deck and what looked like a couple of officers standing under what had been the forebridge. Many of them had jumped overboard, and, of course, were rescued, but these only totaled seven officers and 79 out of the crew of 400 or 500. "After this heavy firing was heard ahead, and we shot off again. The enemy this time was another cruiser similar to the previous one, and steaming in line, we repeated the operation, only she blew up and sank before anyone could be saved. While this was going on another ship approached and gave us a broadside, which was replied to with interest, to the effect that she left suddenly for a previous appointment in a sinking condition, it is believed, and in flames. This makes three ships in about one hour’s actual fighting. “After this we shot away out of the danger zone, and proceeded to home and safety. When we came in all the ships manned the side and cheered like madmen.”