The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-08
EXPERIENCES OF AN
 ARTILLERY OFFICER
With One Companion Briton
 Caught 40 Germans
DRIVEN FROM TRENCH
Declares Germans Were Unable to Stand Shrapnel Fire-Captured Entire Maxim and Mechanism
 and Belt of Another

London, November 7.-fSpeeialD -Th. major of British field artillery battery in letter gives the following account of the capture of 40 Germans and two machine guns by nine men and trump eter:
 We got the order to go off and join battery under Colonel Carey's orders. We came en route under heavy shrapnel fire on the road. gave the order to walk, as the horses had hardly had any food Tor couple of days, and also l wanted to steady the show. can't say I quite an joyed the 'swank' of walking along at the head with old behind me, especially when six shrapnel burst right in front of us. We got there just in time, rushed into action, and opened fire on a German counter attack ak short range, destroying the lot as far as I could see We then moved slightly to another position to take on valley, down which they were at taclxing, and were at it the whole day, firing about 900 rounds into quantities of German attacks and counter attacks. They cannot stand the shrapnel, and the moment l got one on them they turned and bolted back to the wood. | got on to their trenches. one shell dropped in
 Fired When He Could See
 q was inflading them and they tore out of the trenches, and so on. each trench in turn. and fell in hundreds. Also through the rangefinder Cox saw I'd hit machine gun and they had abandoned 1t and another. So 1t went on all day shell and bullets humming round, but only one of my staff horses hit. Our in- fantry advancing and retiring-others ad- vancing and coming back-Germans doing likewise. helish din of shell fire, and me pouring in fire wherever 1 could see them.
 At last l got six shrapnell into a wood and cleared a heap of them out and got into them with shrapnel. It was awful The sergeant-major put his hand up to his head and said "oh, sir, it's terrible ' That seemed to settle them, and at last we saw the infantry advancing to their position without resistance. Now was my chance. determined to get those machine guns if l could as otherwise the infantry would. So let - to command and goc the trumpeter. sergeant-major and six men with six rifles, and went forward to reconnoiter, as l reported to the gen. eral, by -. after l had gone.
 Tt was a weird ride through thick black woods. holding my revolver ready, going in front with the little trumpeter behind and the others following some way in the rear. We passed some very bad sights, and knew the woods were full of Germans, who were afraid to get away on account of the dreaded shell fire. We got in front of our infantry who were going to fire at us; but 1 shouted just in time.
 At last we came to the edge of the wood, and in front of us. about 200 yards away, was little cup-shaped copse. and the enemys trenches with machine guns a little farther on felt sure this wood was full of Germans. as I had seen them go in earlier. started to gallop for it and the others followed. Suddenly about 50 Germans bolted out firing at us
 Ran at Revolver Fire
 ''I loosed off my revolver as fast as could, and---loosed off his rifle frou the saddle. They must have thought we were a regiment of cavalry, for except a few they suddenly yelled and bolted. stopped and dismounted my lot to fire at them to make sure they didn't change their minds I held the horses, as I couldn't shoot them like that myself
 'T then suddenly saw there were more in the copse, so l mounted the party and galloped at it, yelling, with my revolver held out
 "As we came to it l saw it was full of Germans, so I yelled hands up and point ed the revolver at them. They all chucked down their rifles and put their hands up. Three officers and over 40 men to 10 of us, with six rifles and a revolver. l herded them away from their rifles and handed them over to the Welsh regiment behind us. I tore on with the trumpeter and the sergeant-major to the machine guns.
 At that moment the enemys shrapnel, the German Infantry who'd got away, and our own howtzers. thinking we were hos tile cavalry, opened fire upon us. We couldn't move the beastly things, and it was too hot altogether, so we galloped back to the cup wood and they hailed on us there. I waited for lull, and mounted all my lot behind the bushes and made them sprint as I gave the word to gallop for cover to the woods where the Welsh company was.
 There I got---who understands them and an infantryman who volunteered to help and - and ran up to the maxims and took out the breeoh mechanism of both and one of the bolts and carried away one whole maxim. We couldn't manage the other,
 '"rhe Welsh asked what cavalry we were. I told them we were the staff of but said we were madcmfdl mrdl rdl the - battery and they cheered us, but said we were mad. We got back very slowly on account of the gun and the men wild with excitement, and we have got the one gun complete and the mech anism and belt of the other.
 "The funniest thing was the little who swept a Germans helmet off his head and waved 1t in the air. shouting I've got it. wild with excite Ia ia n ytrao orft tra