The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-26
Topekan Receives Letter From
Brother in Great War.
Herbert Plested Was in Brave
Retreat Of, British.
HE TELLS Of ACTIVE FIGHTING
Personal Account Of Deat1
Dealing Bayonet Charges.
~Germans Can't Stand Our Ri
fle Fire." He Writes.

Because the French were two days
late in throwing their forces to the
front at the beginning of the Allies
retreat toward Paris they were really
within twenty miles of the city, ac-
cording to a letter received by Will
liam Plested. 353 Michigan avenue.
Oakland. from a brother. Herbert
Plested. of the First battalion Of the
Royal Berkshires, a crack regiment of
the British army. and now on the Bel
sian frontier. The letter is interesting
and contains a clear and concise ac-
count of the allies retreat toward
Paris and the retreat of the Germans.
The Royal Berkshires is one of the
famous regiments Of England and has
received many tributes from Sir John
French on its conduct throughout the
war.
His Letter.
Victoria Barracks,
Portsmouth.
be surprised to hear that I am back
in England again. 1 was wounded in
the right shoulder in two places by a
German shell at the battle Of Ypres
in Belgium on the second OF Nov
ember. 1 must say that have been
very lucky. as nearly all my mates
that went out with me are either
hAAACO OI WOuAucU l. WIS IA INC Udl.
tie of Mons; that is where we first
saw the Germans, but we had to re-
tire as there were too many for us.
I'VE retired until We were in about
twenty miles of Paris, and then we
made stand and drove them back to
the River Aisne where we were in the
trenches for month. The French
troops came and took over our trenches
and we were sent up to Belgium where
the fighting is taking place now. 1t
was most awful battle and was moth
ing but artillery. They start as soon
as it was light and stop at dark. and
then their infantry comes forward but
We manage to drive them back every
, time and then we go for them.
Can't Stand Bayonet.
'"They cannot stand against our bay
onet charges; they throw down their
arms and run as hard as they can go.
"a bayonet charge Is an awful thing
nothing-you hardly know what you
are doing.
Our regiment was one of the first to
land in France. We landed on August
IL. 1t was really the French that let
us down at Mons. They were two days
. many men at Mons but we lost an aw-
full lot on the first day Of the retire.
! ment. 1t was a place called Marbles.
We got there about o'clock in the
evening. Our regiment was called to
attack a bridge and it was pitch dark
We had to go up a very narrow lane
and while we were marching up the
lane they started firing on us as hard
as they could, SO we extended out into
a single line to charge them but be-
fore we extended we had to get over a
barb wire fence and had to walk
through a very big ditch of water about
twenty yards wide and about three
feet deep.
Lost Two Hundred.
I'VE drove them off the bridge but
the Kings Royal Rifles had to come
and hold the bridge as we were not
strong enough as we lost about two
hundred in the charge.
I'VE could not change our clothes
after going through what we did. We
| looked awful some were without hats
and some had their clothes torn tc
pieces. After that it was nearly all