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.
Ru A. j. RoRKE

,hat the details of the wonderful and
,.lng endurance of the troops of the
n,.,, forces in the present campaign will
never be properly written, but they will
...,on in the hearts of the French and
~, be handed down from father to son
, ,to villages and towns around which
-. men are battling for the freedom of
Europe.
Most of the regiments will be able to
..,,rolder into their colors the names of
-.orv historic fights, but hardly any will
=, able TO hand down such stories as the
s.,ord Dragon Guards and the Queens
So will transmit to their future re-
crus.
A., pr,yate Bryant as he lay wounded in
the hospital snip:
,,ye NOT had time to think Of dates la tely.
prt II was just over n week ago. We
-,oro somewhere in the neighborhood of
9, ouentln. We had been fighting all
Say We had picketed and watercd our
torsoa and late that night thought we
IA seen the last of the Germans for a
time. ,-.-. At ,,-,,
-,yo orders to saddle. We jumped on
air horses, and at the same moment
sSslls began to burst overhead. our
horses stampeded. The enemys sharp
sSooters were already in position, and
while we were recapturing our horses
,brapnel, canister shots and bullets were
making the air sing around us.
FIELD ARTILLERY is DELAYED.
mThe German artillery fire increased in
Intensity. We began to wait anxiously
for our own Royal Field Artillery to get
into position. 1t was delayed by the fact
that the battery horses were being wa
tered.
Something had to be done, so we got
ibe Maxims up. despite the withering
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
job II was to hold on until the artillery
came up In other words, 1t was to save
the regiment from annihilation. Within
few minutes they were sending some
500 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.
at was not long before the Bays were
itching to charge Almost before they
expected It the buge 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 Krupp guns and many
prisoners"
Unfortunately, Bryant was left wounded
on the field and was made a prisoner
BY the Germans. He lived for five days
nd all that the I,prn11nS
would supply him. on the fifth day a
detachment of French cavalry arrived,
rescued the prisoners and captured the
German troopers who were guarding
them.
"The Brtishcrs were taken TO Pcronne,
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
Cuirassiers, who is known in civil life
as Darino, lyric artist at the Comedie
Franchise and 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 Normauy,
With gestures, but falls back Eruan'n":
by shrapnel. tells the story in true Callic
manner. lie 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 AiSnc at Sois-
sons The Germans advanced rapidly,
trying to rush masses of soldiers across,
Bridge after bridge had to be blown
I'D. Inc German ShurpEbnntnTs r.A
hrns at us from a clump of trees and the
ntrall!euses were working havoc among
the allies.
Suddenly a party OF English engineers
rushed toward the bridge. They lost
heavily, but succeeded in landing powder
SSlincient to destroy it, Before they could
Hsnt II all of them were killed. We waited
while another party of your brave cngi- |
Ieers crept near the bridge, They took |
10 cover but the Germans got their range |
Hd 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 |
uses, He was killed before half way
"eFe' A second followed and fell almost
upon the body of his comrade. A third.
80 "HV Hllil ran IN tlle gauntlet OF
neIclIeSS German fire and met the same
S5alA' IIalA' In the same way each followed
''S ~, comrades until II had been killed.
me German fire seemed to slacken
, IUr an instant, and i'm that time the bridge
"as Dlown up, for the l2th man, dashlng
as o@Ss @ the space lined with the bodies
IT, WIt, M5 friends, reached the fuse and
rsn'el H. The bridge exploded with
,Ddr ,rc as the engineer fell before the Ger
man rifle shots"
700 n0Ssier was prisoner of the Germans
M F,,,i,'hhe Sohe time, hut was rescued by the
Cias,nH lie told me shocking details of
rT' nt. ul"h cIur.ties which he personally
i%''HssSed. IN lie himself, although wounded
nj ui, S"e leg was dragged on his knees
a., ""n ms hands tied behind him while
I,.i 'a"ctr thrust his lance against his
cHt A. plFers Of transport wagons often
II, at nm with their whips as he passed
cbat was thrown into cellar at Neuf-
bsarla ana was almost starved when he
sn1aGH H5htihs on the streets and voices
oroahIhs English He was Just strong
rpeJ SisH 10 call 'Au secours" and was res