The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-22
OFFICER TELLS
EXPERIENCES AS
SHELL DODGER
Describes Months Fighting
in Belgian Trenches and
on Outpost Duty.
SCREECH OF SHRAPNEL
GIVES MEN WARNING

An officer Of the Fifth Royal lr!sh
Lancers, fighting In the northern part of
France, has written to a friend in this
city giving some interesting details Of the
operations OF the past few weeks which
have come under his notice. Hc says:
II Joined the regiment two or three
days after Il arrived and after the battle
started at the Aisne. We were In bilets
near Braisnc resting. II was about time.
too. as men and horses were worn out by
the terrible time We had been through In
the retreat and later in the advance.
We marched by day, thirty to thirty
five mile marches. % that "" soon reached
IIaxebrouck. which We occupied on the
heels of the enemy. leaving Hazebrouck
things began to happen. That day NOV
ing eastward we were soon engaged with
the enemy, who were occupying some hills
called the Cats Hills.' our advance had
evidently been too rapid for the enemy as
with little preparation. these hills would
have been practically mpregnable Tor an,
hut very large force. During the sftet-
noon We succeeded In rushing the main
Hill with the loss OF two officers and some
men and without the aid OF infantry.
The next day II rained and We got wet
through. During the morning we took "A
nearby village OF which the Germans gave
up the defence; in the afternoon. how
ever. they made fierce counter attack
which we beat off. That night we got
into billets very late, too late to wash or
90 in for luxurles OF that sort. and lay
down to sleep at about A. NJ. At 20
A. NJ. We very hurriedly moved on and
after being In support at u fight about
ten miles away during the afternoon did
= record scamper-l cant call il "A march
of about five miles into Messnes. As
We got into the town on one side the
Germans got out ON the other. The in
habitsnts, poor people, were very glad to
zee us, as tho Germans had been praCtis-
ing some kultur.'
'On outpost again that night. so still no
wash. AT dawn next morning there was
q thick mist German patrol rode RICH;
up to one OF our barbados aud then
caught it, Those who could retired very
hurriedly.
"a NastS Little Anatr."
"a day or two later wc had rather "A
nasty little affair. My troop and another
were sent out toward Warneton as an
observing post. sent out section to a
HANK and II was suddenly met by a very
heavy fre. The section raloprd back
minus one man. | let . very good ser
geant of my troop 20 out and see 1t hc
could do anything for the wounded man
lie had nearly got him on his horse when
he himself was hit In the leg. Two other
men brought in the sergeant. and then |
went out to see If anything could he done
Tor the first man. ] went out. dismounted
very carefully and so got to the man
safely and at the same time located the
spot where the enemy were in force ana
which al ri
The poor man died when 7 moved him.
90 after taking his papers, SC, ] left him
IN the ditch alongside the road At dusk
we succeeded In bringing in his body.
AT last We got our own back Ny in
formation as 10 the position OF the enemy
was sent to our guns, who put in some
rounds OF shrapue and the Germans
bolted like rabbits
After a day or two We moved down
10 Holebeke. Outpost duty at night fol-
lowed with unfailing regularity, and now
began really the present situation Of
stalemate. Also We started In on pretty
hard time, as the infantry were not vet
up and so we had to take on their job.
believe we had done really very well, but
We don't profess to be experts at dig
ging trenches and so on and therefore
We don't like II much
After hanging around in Holebeke In
support all day our squadron was de-
tailed for outpost work for the night. The
which was particularly unpleasant being
IN addition 10 Il very empty stomach, our
last meal being breakfast at about 8 a. NJ.
j. with my troop, was sent rotten
pace-a crossroads just beyond the viz
lage OF Houthem with "A horrible line OF
retreat to my supports. which were at 4
bridge over the canal ! soon had the
roads well blocked and then refugee viii
layers began to pour through with the
news that the Germans were coming. a
enemy was only one klometer away, and
then only half kilometer.
1T MAS now just becoming dark We
were cold and wet through and the rain
vas, II anything heavier than ever there
was no shelter Of any kind and We
couldn't even smoke. cigarettes In par.
ticuar show up 50 terribly in the dark
that your position is given away from
miles OF,
Germans Fail to Appear.
The Germans did not come w to US
II was glad. Tor the position was too
weak-and at about l. NJ We were
ordered 10 retire. After blowing mp the
bridges we returned to our horses.
moved back n mile or and waited.
rotten game It is, hanging about in
tho dark not knowing what YOU are
going 10 do or when. After half an
hour Or so was ordered off with my
troop 10 some locks ON the canal about
mile from Iiou,hom That was an
other rotten Job, arriving at = pos
ton in the dark and then trying to put
II into state of defence
Il found bridge there, house At
the bridge head and some farm build
fngs about nifty yards from II Soon
We were Joined by anuther troop With
instructions that were to mold the
position to the last possible moment: 80
We dug ourselves into he ground as
tod
IL cleared w At last and got very cold
and at last dawn came with a heavy mist
Nv daylight our position looked far from
reassuring. There was plenty OF cover
Tor the enemy, but lot OF very open
country behind MS over which We would
nave TO retrr One saving grace was that
the canal had "A good high bank
AS we finished improving our intrench.
ments we spotted a Uhlan patrol coming
along from Houthem. Unfortunately, thcy