Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-06-04
WORK OF MUSICIANS IN WAR
Devote More Time to Doing Red
Cross Work Than Playing on
Instruments of the Band.
DUTIES ATTENDED BY DANGER


Correspondence Of the Associated Press)
Paris, May 204Since the beating OF
the drums that called France TO arms
comparatively little martial music has
been heard al the rear Those who
have been allowed in tn. zone OF the
armies have occasionally met a regi-
mental band with drums and brass IN
stfnments slung over their shoulders,
Flooding along the road toward the
first line musicians go with the COM
batants and are subject to all the dan
gers Of the war
The strains OF the Marseillaise one
day revealed the presence OF fegi-
mental band among the ruins Of
still under bombardmcnt aud close
enough TO the German lines to require
measures against gas, All the must
clans had their masks on, giving them
grotesque appearance but not inter-
fering with their lung power
The Coldstrcam guards band, d.
rect from Arras, and the Royal Itsl-
ian Caribineers' band, fresh from
the lsonzoy brought a little Of the
atmosphere Of the front 10 the Troca-
dcro recently and reminded Paris Of
the martial strains that stirred the
city during the first days of the war.
They were greeted by big crowds
with the same enthusiasm as prevailed
on the bouievards in the memorable
first week of August, 1914. The i'm
mense auditorium itself was crowded
long before the announced hour for
the opening.
The bandsman at the font Is not
mere musician. After inspiring the
troops with martial strains and when
the shot and shell have done their
work, he drops his instrument and,
with the Red Cross on his sleeve,
gees out over the field TO pick up
the wounded. Sometimes he helps
TO bury the dead, and in some emer-
geneies he brings up supplies and
ammunition.
AZ the assault on Vauquois In Feb
ruary, 1915, the band OF regiment
was ordered TO execute the Marseil-
laise from shelter, but at the moment
OF the charge the colonel assigned
an uncovered spot 10 the band, which
became a standing target for the en-
envy, only 300 yards away, but con-
tinued none the less ardently its
mission. II played the Marseillaise
eight times during the engagement;
not a man was killed.
A few days later, the musicians OF
a regiment acting as stretcher bear
crs were ordered 10 sound the charge
for a battalion that was about to go
into action. The twenty-six men
took their instruments and went to
the place where the attack was TO
be made. The enemy's artillery just
then began TO enfilade the crossroads
where they were sheltered while
waiting for tn order The ground was
ploughed by shells and covered with
wounded in a few minutes.
The musicians became again a
once stretcher bearers, and when the
order finally came TO sound the
charge, most OF the twenty-six instru.
ments had been dented, crushed or
torn to bits by the shelling. Two or
three trumpts were still intact, and
with three or four musicians the
trumpeters sounded the charge and
4 alternated the Marseillaise with II
for a half hour. Other members oil
the band became separated and found
themselves in another regiment OIL
the brigade where there were trum,
pets TO spare They seized them and
sounded the charge. OF the twenty.
six musicians, four were killed anc
seven wounded. The leader was dec
Grated with the Legion OF Honor.
When the regiment Is resting be
hind the front. the musicians are tht
only ones who work; they give con
certs Tor the civilians in the towns
where the regiments are quarteret
while the combatants are fighting.