Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-11-03
MANY NARROW EscAaEs IN WAR.
Wounded and Sick Soldiers Relate
Many Strange incidents.

Many Strange incidents.
| Correspondence OF Associated Press.
London, Oct. 24-Many narrow es-
capes and deeds Of wonderful bravery
| have been made by the injured British
and Belgian soldiers now recovering in
English hospitals. A young lance cor
| poral of the Kings Royal Rifles, who Is
recovering from bullet wound in his
knee owes his life to a crucifix which
he picked up in an empty house where
he was billeted. A strange impulse
compelled him TO pick up the crucifiX
and put 1t in his haversack.
During an engagement few days
laser many of the corporars comrades
were killed by bullets which were al
most spent. The young corporal was
hit in the knee and later found when
taken to hospital that one of the
spent bullets had also passed comletely
thru his knapsack. but had been de-
hected from his body by the crucifiS,
one OF the arms of which had been
broken off by the bullet.
Private w Hinton, of the First East
Lancers, poses as the luckiest man in
the army He was hit by three bullets
within minute without serious injury.
One bullet t1attened five rounds of am
wunition in his belt. Another smashed
the magazine of his rifle and a third
passed thru his cap.
A letter from one of the royal en-
sineers describes the remarkable pluck
Of Lieutenant. r. Pottinger. OF Ted
mouth Potringer and his section We're
attempting Ia slow up a bridge under
ire. They laid the charge and the
section retired Lieutenant Pottinger
and sapper remained behind 70 light
The fuse The charge dii not explode.
The Sapper then nred ten rounds of
ammunition al the charge without
success. pottinser then said III make
the thing 90 off He shook hands
with the sapper and walked % the
bridge There re put the muzzle o.
his revolver into the charge and fired
all six cartridges Even then the
men had 70 lee leaving the bridge in
tact, Il the charge had gone of the
young lieutenant would Eave disap-
peared completely. but the approach
ing Germans would have been robbed
OF an easy entry into the allies ter
ri,ory
one Of the officers on the ili-fated
Cressy which was sunk by ne Ger
man submarines was severely injured
on the head. had both his legs and MS
feet crushed as he was thrown into
the air by the explosion His body
was sucked under the water By the
sinking cruiser. 5u- was picked up by
one Of the rescue ships
Twenty four hours afterwards the
injured officer regained consciousness
and his first words were: Are We
down hearted? No"
a se-gean, of he lire was made ad-
jutant for his GOODNESS and bravery in
one Of the engagements in Lorraine
With three men the sergeant was sent
across an open field TO attract the
fire of the Germans so the colonel
could tell where he enemy's trenches
were and what their probable strength
was. A hail of bullets was directed
at the four men. They made their
way to a small farmhouse where they
climbed UP on a tile roof and from
the shelter of a chimney began firing
at the Germans. Angered by the I'M
prudence OF the four soldiers the Ger
mans directed one Of their batteries on
the house and RACED it.
My smartest patrol leader is gone,
the colonel remarked, as he saw the
building crumble. The three privates
were no more, but the little sergeant
was soon seen running across the field
toward his command. When the SER
geant arrived breathless at headquar-
tiers the colonel asked with mock
severity why he did not stay to con-
tinue the fire.
Sorry sir. but the pigs knocked my
house down" was the reply.