South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-02
FRENCH BOMB MAN
Tells PECULIAR
STORIES Of WAR
Relates How One Soldier Falls
Head First in Mud and is
Rescued BY Three Germans,
Who Surrender.

PARIS. July 2.-One Of the French
veterans. @ho has been lighting since
Aug. 3, is Serg. Maurice JuVen OF the
10th infantry regiment lie was
wounded on May / after having had
dozens OF miraculous escapes and was
sent to the Hotel Dieu" here 10 be
treated for a shell splinter In the
right eye. Juven gave the following
account Of some OF his experiences:
Il was made sergeant and one OF
the bomb-throtHers of my company.
1T Is not the pieasantest task 10 be a
bomb-thrower. At the beginning we
experimented with many sorts Of
bombs. but found most Of them too
risky for the thrower and the men IN
the trench behind him
L remember one cold day having
a very nasty experience with one OF
these bombs. II was cold and rain
ing and / put the sack of bombs IN
little recess in the side of the trench
10 be out OF the wet L suppose l
must have been half asleep when the
sentinel gave the alarm that the Ger
mans were moving TO the assault.
The lieutenant, and the men e me
crowding into the gallery, and ne
former shouted out hurry up with
the bombs. Juven!'
Bomb Sins.
Il handed my finder briquet TO the
sentinel, and pulling out a bomb tried
to get the fuse to light. / had to
blow on it for three or four seconds
before l saw the red glow along the
cord. 1 then jerked back my hand TO
throw the bomb when TO my dismay
IL slipped out OF my half-frOzen fin
gers and flew back into the trench
behind me. ] shouted a warning but
there was no need; the men had all
bolted to cover behind the nearest re-
hon hn
roar OF the explosion came only three
men were still near enough to be
hurt They were bowled over and
cut by flying stones and gra vel but
we're not seriously hurt. We had no
time 10 think much about them
either, for the Germans were about TO
make a stiff attack, and for the next
hour ] was busy throwing bombs in
their direction. but fortunately with
out making any more mistakes.
Bombs were usually thrown at
night But some companies with men
of a more ingenious turn of mind
threw them in the daytime by means
OF trench-nade catapults
zone of the strangest incidents of
which / know IL connection with the
assault of German trench took place
at a little village not far from Chaul-
mes two months ago. The whole sec
ton got wiped out with the exception
Of the sergeant, who raced on towards
the German trench he was about 2
feet away when he saw a regular
swamp of mud before him. He made
q flying leap for the trench. missed
his footing and slipped Head over
heels he tumbled into the Boche
trench and there stuck for a second
or so up 10 the middle with his feet
waving frantically in the air.
Takes Three Prisoners.
He felt three pairs of arms pick
him from the mud and set him right
side up and begin 10 clean the mud
from him. He could not see any
thing as he spat and spluttered and
scooped the mud from his eyes but
his first thought was that he was a
prisoner. When at last ne could
open his eyes he saw three German
soldiers standing by him, holding
their hands in the air. 'Kamerad.'
they said. we hope you are not hurt
The sergeant by falia, head down
wards in the mud had made three
prisoners.
Some Of the Germans in the
trenches opposite to us tried to make
friends with US. One day an officer
walked across to our lines with a
soldier. Our captain ordered us not
10 shoot. They came TO the very edge
OF our trench and spoke to us in
French Our captain told him if they
wished TO be made prisoners they
could jump into the trench. The
German officer drew himself up
why should we want 10 surrender? p
he said. We have 10000 men behind
us at this point alone.
The soldier looked much more
anxious TO give himself up. but the
Germans in the trench behind him
must have thought he meant TO sur
render, for they fired and killed him.
The German officer became very pale.
He saluted us. picked up the dead
German soldier and dragged him
back to the German trench. After
that we had orders TO fire at any Ger
mans who tried To come over to speak
70 rs"