The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-08-11
Prussian Guard Maintains Its
Reputation for Brag-
cry.
Ov|lLERs A RUBBISH HEAP
Brltish Capture Of Town Result a
Bittsrest Fight In Battle Of
Sonme--ooseed and pes
perats Defense.
BY PHILIP GIBBS.

With the British Army Ia the Field
In all the recent fighting the
struggle for 0yIilers stands out sep
arateiy as siege in which both at
tack and defense were Of the most
logged aud desperate kind.
The surrender OF the remnants OF
It's garrison ends an episode which will
not be forgotten In history. These
men were OF the Third Prussian
Guards. aud the tribute paid 10 their
bravery By our commander 10 chief is
re-echoed by the officers and men who
fought against them. II Is II tribute
to our OWN troop also, who, 10y 40
less courage, broke DOWN the stubborn
resistance aud captured the garrison.
Town No. Rubbish Heap.
Many different battalions had u
share In the lighting. All had suf-
fered and then gave way 10 new men
who knew not the nature OF this bust.
ness, but set grimly to work 10 carry
on the slow process Of digging out
the enemy from his last stronghoIds.
II was almost literally the work OF dig
ging out. The town OF Oyillers does
not exist. II was annihilaled by bonn
bardments and made rubbish heap
OF bricks and dust.
But after that, when our men were
separated from the enemy by only a
yard or two or by only barricnde or
two, the artillery on both sides
ceased the fire upon Oyillers. lest the
gunners should kill their own tnen.
They barraged intensely round
about. our shells fell necessarily
to the north and east, So that the be-
lcaguered garrison should not get sup
plies or Reinforcement; we made a
wall of death abou, them. hut though
now no shells burst over the ground
where many dead lay strcwn, there
was artillery OF lighter kind. not
less deadly II was the artillery OF
machine guns and bombs. The Prus-
sian guards made full use Of the val.
ued cellars aud ruined houses, They
made series of small keeps. which
we're defended almost entirely by ma
chine gun ire.
Between the attacks Of our bomb
Ing parties they went below ground
into dark vaults, where II was safe
enough from trench mortar and hand
grcnndes, leaving sentry or two on
the lookout for any infantry assault.
As soon as we advanced the machine
guns set 10 work and played their
hose Of bullets across the ground
which our men had 10 cover
Guard Finally Gives Up.
one by one. by getting around about
them. by working Iigzag ways through
cellars and ruins, by Sudden rushes Of
bombing parties led by young officers
Of daring spirit, we knocked out these
machine Saa e:aa!ace:aea.s and the
gunners who served them, until yester-
day there was only n last remnant
of the garrison left in Ovillers.
These men Of the Third Pruss,nn
Guard long had been in a hopeless
position. They were starving because
all supplies were cut off by our never.
ending barrage. they had no water
supply. so suffered all the tortures OF
great thirst. They were living In n
charual house strewn with the dead
bodies OF their comrades and with
wounded men delirious from lack OF
drink.
Human nature could make no long
or resistance. and nj last the officers
raised the signal Of surrender and
came over VITA nearly 40 men. who
held their hands up.
The fighting had been savage. AT
close grips, In broken earthworks aud
deep cellars. there had been no senti-
ment and British soldiers and Ger
mans had flung themselves upon each
ether with bombs and any kind cf
weapons. but now, when all was end
cd the last Of the German garrison
was received with the honcrs OF war
and none Of our soldiers deny their
the respect due TO great courage.