Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-17
TALES OF BRAVERY
BY ALLIES WILL BE
PRECIOUS HERITAGE
Wounded Private Tells of
Queens Bays Daring in
Meeting German Attack.
Engineers Sacrificed at
Bridge.
BY A. ]. RoRKE

Nv
.,o that the details OF the wonderful and
,,r,ng endurance of the troops of the
.u,ss forces in tho present campaign will
..ver be properly written, but they will
.o,,ain in the hearts of the French and
I'll, be handed down from father to son
J.. Tho villages and towns around which
our men are battling for the freedom Of
Europe
Most Of the regiments will be able to
.mbrolder into their colors the names of
many historic fights, but hardly any will
,o sbIe TO hand down such stories as the
Second Dragon Guards and the Queens
Eovs will transmit to their future re-
crults.
EIere Is the story that was told to me
ne Private Bryant as he lay wounded in
the hospital ship;
"T don't lust remember the date. We
tsve not had time to think of dates lately.
Pm, II was Just over a week ago. We
we're somewhere in the neighborhood of
ST Quentin. We had been fighting all
dav We had picketed and watered our
horses and late that night thought we
nod seen the last of the Germans for a
time.
an the morning, however, the Colonel
rave orders to saddle. We jumped on
our horses, and at the same moment
shells began TO burst overhead. Our
horses stampeded. The enemy's sharp
shooters were already in position. and
while we were recapturing our horses
shrapnel, canister shots and bullets were
making the air sing around us.
FIELD ARTILLERY is DELAYED.
;,,
Intensity. We began to wait anxiously
for our own Royal Field Artillery to get
into position IT was delayed by the fact
that the battery horses were being wa
tered.
Something had to be done, so we got
the Maxms UP, despite the whitening
fire. Our boys soon got busy. 1t would
have done you good to see how calmly
and quietly they went about their work
"Our men realized the meaning of their
lob. 1t was to hold on until the artillery
came up. In other words, II was to save
the regiment from annihilation. Within
few minutes they were sending some
5000 shots in SO many seconds among the
Germans.
Then the artillery arrived. We had
four guns against II for the Germans,
but some of those II were silenced.
ut was not long before the Bays were
itching to charge. Almost before they
expected 1t the bugle sounded and they
we're OFF, hell for leather at the enemys
guns.
"The net result of that little scrap was
the capture of II Kr7lpp guns and many
prisoners"
Unfortunately. Bryant was left wounded
on the field and was made q prisoner
by the Germans. He lived for five days
on bread and water, all that the Germans
-nYtt1 i HfVtn m, 4, 10,
detachment Of French cavalry arrived.
rescued the prisoners and captured tho
German troopers who were guarding
them.
THE Brltishers were taken to Peronne,
where they were cared for by the
French"
BRITISH BATTERY WIPED OUT.
Bryant told me that In the action OF
st. Quentin OF an entire British battery
engaged but II men were left alive
CASTOR Bossier. a private in the Sixth
Curassiers, who Is known in civil life
as Darino, a lyric artist at the Coincide
Franchise and a favorite of the PARISH
ennes, tells the following story which
seems almost an eclipse of the blowing
up Of the Delhi Gates.
Bossier, lying wounded in Normany,
with gestures, but falls back groanfns:
by shrapnel, tells the story I'm true Gallo
manner He tries TO rise and illustrate
with gestures. but falls back groaning.
We were together, the Cuiraissiers of
France and the English Royal Engineers.
as We retreated across the Aisne at Sois- |
sons. The Germans advanced rapidly, |
trying to rush masses OF soldiers across.
Bridge after bridge had to be blown |
up: The German sharpshooters were |
nring at us from n clump OF trees and the |
working
the allies.
Suddenly party OF English engineers
rushed toward the bridge. They lost |
heavily, but succeeded in landing powder
iSnnlclent TO destroy II, Before they could |
nght It all of them were killed. We waited
while another party OF your brave engi-
neefs crept near the bridge. They took
70 cover, but the Germans got their range
and continued a deadly fire.
ENGINEERS OFFER UP LIVES.
Then We Frenchmen watched what we
must remember to our dying day. One
engineer suddenly dashed at one OF the
fuses He was killed before half way
mere A second followed and fell almost
upon the body OF his comrade. A third,
, ,ourtn and NTH ran in the gauntlet OF
n7'C!IeS5 Gernan fire and met the same
LLLS'H' IN the same way each followed
"is ~, comrades until IL had been killed.
me German fire seemed to slacken
-e -ur an instant, and IN that time the bridge
vas vas blown up, for the 18th man, dashlng
".'Uss the space lined with the bodies
" ~ aus friends, reached the fuse and
,el nshted IT. The bridge exploded with a
oaI roeI as the engineer fell before the Ger
man rife shots"
o. posSier was prisoner Of the Germans
rn some time, but was rescued by the
cDslsh' He told me shocking details of
S,i,.h STnLnah eruelties which he personally
IN itsssed' He himself. although wounded
w,,t ths leg was dragged on his knees
"Ia his hands tied behind him while
bsoil 'aicer thrust his lance against his
ent =. brlFers OF transport wagons often
II. a. nm with their whips as he passed.
cbat,Eas was thrown into cellar at Neuf-
bsar5a and was almost starved when he
.eala .esdI lighting on the streets ana voices
.5o,Hhs English. He was just strong
cned 81 10 call "Au secours" and was res