Evening star., 1915-02-13

to me. He was rapidly sinking. and
when he realized that all was over he
said to me-
You have been kind to me. and I
would like to do you a good turn. Don't
go on duty tonight if you can possibly
get out of it,
He was most insistent that 7 should
promise MN wouldn't go on duty. and
10 ease his mind l promised before he
died.
was SO much struck with the mans
warning that i told it to my officers
when l got back. They thought it a
tip worth taking, and headquarters
were told about it, The result was that
extra precautions were taken that
night. and they were soon shown to be
worth taking. BY some means the
Germans overpowered the pickets and
night attack in force. All the men
were standing to arms. and the Ger
mans got a little surprise
Sergt. Molloy, in hospital at Dover,
said:
The worst slanging match 1 ever
heard between two soldiers took place
near Ypres, under circumstances that
were mixture of tragedy and comedy.
Three men of the Manchester Regi-
ment had been together on patrol work.
One got hit seriously, and another
rushed to his assistance, only to share
his fate. The third man rushed for
ward. looked at the first and saw he
was dead. He picked up his chum and
started to drag him to safety. Every
few yards he would stop, and with the
bullets whiStling about his ears pour
forth some most awful language at his
wounded mate for his folly in risking
his life to save the other chap. All
the while he seemed unconscious OF
the fact that he was doing the very
thing he was cursing the other chap
for doing.
n
from Mr. Harold Barker. Horwich
man, who volunteered for service with
the French Foreign Legion while on
business in Paris.
Fight in Cemetery.
I'VE set out at / am. on the I'd for
village occupied by the French and thel
enemy. We found the Germans had
just evacuated the place. and the cap
tain ordered an outpost to prevent the
Germans recapturing the village. and
our small band (ffty strong) set out
for cemetery about mile away Here
We spent four days until reinforce
ments arrived. We were ordered not
to evacuate the position or retire on
the village. but to stand to the last
man.
I'VE realized that to retire would
mean the annihilation of the company
mitrailIeuse on US and sent several
shells, and also a deadly infantry fire, |,
but by running from boulder to boul- |
der, and tree to tree. we eventually ar |
rived on the outskirts of the cemetery. |
| have been in some trenches in this I,
war, but these were simply ghastly
The trenches formed square around
the cemetery. and were lined with cof- |
fins-the sides of the trenches having !
been cut through the graves.
he
and waited Grain pouring DOWN for |
the German attack. which was expected |
every minute. We were thirty-siX |
hours on our feet without a rest, in
and keeping up a deadly fire. 1t was |
horrible ordeal after marching all
night, to have to face a thirty-six-h hour
fusillade in an open trench. Oh! what
(5 p.m.-7 a.m.), with crawling forms |
and bullets whizzing in all |
The enemy came so near |
that we were ordered TO fix bayonets, |
for every moment we expected rush. |
When the moon arose about am, |,
however. the enemy were compelled to |
retire, although sniping never ceased" |
Two Fine Episodes.
Writing to his sister. Corp. Horrocks |
of the Kings Own Lancasters tells of |
two fine episodes which he Witnessed
I'VE have lost a gallant officer. He |
would share with the men the last
piece of tobacco he had. We were in
the trenches full of water and mud, |
and he stood on the top ordering us |
where to fire. Let them have it to the |
left. and make every shot count Keep |
your heads down. and don't get hit for
Gods sake he would shout. Still he |
was fully exposed to the Germans. and
when the men shouted for him to get
down, he would say. I am all right
At last his doom came. for a shell burst |
and he vanished as if by magic, and
only cloud of smoke remained; he |
had been blown to pieces. / can tell |
you the men have missed him very
much.
"One day recently the guards were
ordered to charge and take some Ger
man guns at the top of hill. We had
to follow them up, and 1t was awful, |
for the hill was covered with shrubs.
How those great, brave men did their
duty was splendid. for they went up the
hill amid hail of lead. They reached
the top, and We followed, and after a
bit of cold steel work the Germans
fled. and we potted them in fine style. |
We captured the guns and took the
hill. We lost a great many men. but
the Germans, as usual, suffered worse"
L. II. MOORE.