South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-08


Wilson Of Edinburgh tells how he won
the coveted Victoria Cross as follows:
The proudest moment in my life
was when the king pinned the Victoria
Cross on my breast and talked to me
for a few minutes.
You're not very big man, but
you've got a big heart. Truly, I'm
proud of my soldiers These we're
the words he used. and there were
tears in his eyes. The king also ask
ed me what were my feelings while
1 was going through the job, and
told him the thing l remembered best
was when the German officer tried to
shoot me with his revolver and l put
the bayonet through him
After the retirement from Mons
the II. l.. l. came to a village called
Nerneuil, and We entrenChed there.
Not far off "A few snipers were potting
away. One of our officers got up out
of the trench and was just kneeling
down and putting the binoculars to
his eyes when bullet struck him. He
rolled over dead. / was a few PAGES
off, and turning to the next man 1
said, Poor Powell is over and I'll
have rever ge.'
Gets Shippers.
I'VE tric, all we could TO locate the
snipers, ana 1 was lucky to get a good
sight of them. Two bullets from my
rifle did for them, and then we ad-
vanced cautiously nearer the enemy.
When we were getting nearer 1 was
surprised to see a number OF spiked
bayonets. l was taken aback for a
second, but then L decided to make a
rush for 1t.
shouting at the top Of my voice,
Charge men, charge 1 rushed al
them. They were taken by surprise
and threw down their rifles Two
men In MiddleSex regiment came UP
and l told them to look after the Ger
mans. There were eight OF them.
Further along / took up my posi-
ton IN a trench, but when ] looked
over 1 was Mortified TO see men lying
about In all sorts of positions. Some
were dead, and others were writing
in agony. [ asked the man next me
what was wrong, and he said. It's a
maxim, and it's not done with its
work yet
Charge on Maxim.
'I stood UP to see for myself The
machine gun of the Germans was not
a great distance off, and / said TO my
self. 1t will kill US all if something
doesn't happen to it, 1 thought 1
would at least have one shot. and got
in position TO fire. The officer told
me TO get down. but 1 was so excited
that 1 ran forward. Besides me
there was a man in the Middlesex regi-
ment. and he turned to me and said.
Jock, viii you have try to stop the
gun said would. and he replied,
I'll go with you
by this time we had got beyond
range OF the officers orders, for we
had gone without permission.
Then began a journey that as long
as live will ever remain in my mem
DRY.
The Germans saw us coming and
bullets flew thick arOunl us. My pal
was struck in several places and drop
ped. l ran Zlg gag and dropped on
my knees to take a shot at the oper-
ators of the machine gun. My first
shot knocked the man sitting on the
maxim backwards. His place was
taken by another German, but he. too,
I accounted for. How l escaped being
hit myself 1 cannot explain. There
seemed 10 me good Providence keep
ing guard over me.
when four of the Germans were
killed there remained only an officer
beside the gun. He had crept behind
ii and was waiting for me with his
automatic pistol ready.
Il rushed forward, yelling at the
top of my voice. when the pistol be-
gan TO SPIT. One bullet just passed
tingled. That was all the damage that
! German officer did. / sprang at him
in wild fury and drove the bayonet
straight into his body. He collapsed,
and 10 withdraw the steel / had TO put
my foot on his face. My clothes
were spattered with blood, but 1 felt
much easier IN mind. and l put down
my rifle and turned to the belt con-
tanning the ammunition.
Turns Gun on Germans.
There were over 700 rounds left
/ shifted the maxim round in the dl-
/ rection Of the Germans. There were
over a hundred yards off and massed
IN close formation. / started firing,
and 10 my delight I saw big holes be-
| ing made in their ranks. for il was i'm
/ possible 10 miss them. They fell in
! punches. and the heaps kept piling up.
The enemy now saw the deadly ef-
I feet Of their own gun being used
against themselves and sent shells in
my direction. They few on all sides
I Of me and threw UP dirt and splinters,
| but not once was 1 struck. I con-
| tinued working the maxim until the
Germans fled in disorder
There must have been four com
panies of Germans altogether. and
reckon the maxim accounted for az
least half of their number-20O men.
AS there was no further use in
me remaining where I was I took the
gun and two boxes of ammunition
back TO TO our lines ! hadn't gone
very far when I began 10 feel sickish.
but once i came near our own lads
bucked up and an officer came TO meet
me.
There's the Id thing that's
been causing all the damage said