The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-02-16
Kings Own Servants Charge Village and
are Lost in death Forest" Beyond,
Taking Place With Heroes
Of Balaklaya
BECOME KNOWN AS
LOST LEGION"
Captain is Among Missing; Mourning in
Many Cottages; Some Believed to Be
Pris ,ners Of Turks But
Reports Conflict
BY WILBUR S. FORREST.

kOHtcu TFSsb OteII OCFTeSponuent.) J
LONDON, Feb. 2.-(By Mail)-
Nothing more was ever heard of them
They charged into the forest and we're
lost to sight and sound. Not one Of
them ever came back Sir Ian Ham
ilton's report
1t is the talk Of England, the greatest
mystery Of the war, the charge Of the
Fifth Norfolks, the kings own serv.
ants. at Anafarta. The story Of how
these 260 ardent souls" charged on
through the village of Anafarta ano
completely venished into the forest Of
death beyond, is history that some
day may take its place beside that Of
the immortal tale OF Balaklava.
The Lost Legion it is called today.
but until the war Is over the fate OF
the men who went to battle from the
Kings sandringham estates cannot be
told The king personally had insti-
luted every possible inquiry The
American embassy in constantinople
has asked the Turkish government.
Tie forest through which the Lost
Legion" swept on IN Gallipoli has been
searched time and time again.
There have been found no bodies, no
graves except two small pocketbooks.
the property Of Captain William Beck,
who commanded the legion. Captain |
Beck is missing with all his command
Meantime scores of cottage homes in
the royal sandriugham estates Of
West Norfolk are In mourning. Wives.
sweethearts and mothers are wearing
crepe. bit despite all this there Is sver
the hope that some day the boys will
come marching nome
perhaps they are prisoners Of the
Turks: perhaps they weren't killed az
all. and perhaps Its the hope
against hope Of the women of West
Norfolk.
The Lost Legion" received its bap-
tism OF fire before il set foot on Turk
ish soil. It arrived off Sulta bay
August 10 aboard the palatlal Aqult-
ania from England. Turkish machine
guns and artillery ploughed the wa;ef
about them as they were being trans
ported to shore, where they landed
safely and dug themselves in. Two
Gays later the men were ordered TO
clear the Turks from Anafarta.
Colonel Beauchamp was at theis
head with Captain Beck The attack
developed rapidly. Enfiladed by Turk
ish fire, many of them dropped wound
ed or dead, but the others swept on
through the village and into oblivion. !
News has filtered through via Swift
zerland that ls of those who charged I
through Anafarta are prisoners IN I
But it has developed
that these men fell wounded before I
the mysterious darkness OF the forest ,
was reached Long before Gallipol'
was evacuated the mystery forest was
retaken by the Turks This event seal /
ed the puzzle tighter than ever
Among those who charged with Cap
tain Beck. organizer of the legion and
for 20 years the kings estate agent,
were the kings plumber gardner,
woodman, golf foreman
and scores of men in lesser positions.
Like their fathers and their fathers
fathers they mad been born royal sery-
ants.
Every Sunday in all the PARISH
chucches now prayers are said for the I
safe return Of the missing ones In ,
every cottage is recent message
from the king:
"I heartily sympathize with you who
are left in suspense. but am proud /
That the battalion fought so splendid '
ly"