Norwich bulletin., 1916-03-27

achievements Of that corps in the de-
Tense of Warsaw, strove for the honor
OF working with il, and especially with
the famous first division; but they
found the work too hard, or the con-
ditions too dangerous, and after brief
periods abandoned the task.
THE 21st Flying Column, which had
been with the corps since the end OF
November. 1914, has proven its worth.
1t was organized at the expense of
rich patroness, Countess Tolstoy, al
ready famed for the work she has done
in the founding OF hospitals and feed
ing points for the sick and wounded.
Early in October il did It's first work
with one of the European corps sent
to the relief of Lovitch. At a critical
moment, when the enemy had broken
through the Russian lines in two
places, the column took up it's task on
it's own initiative. The commander, at
that time Bashkiroff, dispatched two
sections to a neighboring village in
charge of Terotinin, son of the en-
peror's physician, and myself
"A diplomat and a student neither
of whom had ever been in war before
could not judge of the danger, and we
rode boldly into the village, half OF
which had already been occupied by
the Germans. The latter opened fire
on our sanitary carriages with rapid
fire guns. Part of the carriages were
destroyed. We recalled our men and
started back as far as we could. The
Germans shelled the road over which
we rode to oud headquarters. but
found that the road from I.ovitch had
| been cut With the wounded we had
picked up we had to make a retreat Of
80 miles in one night, most of the WY
\ under the shell fire Of the Germans, to
| SlIiernivitze. There we found that the
town had been ordered evacuated by
| the Russian troops and we were prac-
| tically the only ones left there. A hot
| fight was in progress outside the city.
At the last moment a Russian success
| on one of the TANKS saved the city and
| enabled the Russians to repulse the
Germans. Being the only Red Cross
unit on the grounds, as the result OF
a mere chance, we bound and fed In
two days 3,017 wounded
I'VE were ordered then to move OF
with the corps of the famous General
Mishenka known as the COssack raid
err of the Japanese war. We took VI
our work in his advance lines Just al
the time the Germans made their sec
ond dash on Warsaw. Our corps stood
firm for nine days, repulsing attach
after attack. This nine days among
the Caucasian heroes was the mos
trying and dangerous. but at the same
time the most instructive, OF our eN'
periences. In one night 700 wounded
were found and cared for, the greater
part in the trenches under heavy ar
tillery fire. Several sanitars wer'
wounded.
| When new corps came to the rescu'
the Caucasians were ordered to MAKE
a rapid move back to join fresh trooD
and begin an advance together. Tn
move was executed - suddenly ant
rapidly that the military aide had II
time to take out the wOunned lying II
several villages nearby. The last sec
ton of the column volunteered q
creep into the village and rescue tn
wounded, who otherwise were threat
ened with being burned, fire having
broken out in severa places. Through
the blackness of the night, lit only b!
the bursting shells. we made our wa!
} into the village and removed eight,
men from the danger zone. The stat
considered them lost and upon learn
ing of their rescue General Mishenk
called out the heroes of that night
} thanked them for their work and mad
them the subject of a fiattering or
der to his regiment Immediately afte
5 that the commander of the column fel
= i'll and 1 was left in command
, Continuing his narration, Comman
I der Kalpashnikoff said:
Z About this time the Prassnitz OF
= Grafton came to a crisis. A blow wa
3 necessary to stop the development {
the German plan directed on Win;
\ The Siberian corps was summoned I
S start on a few hours notice and Pre-
S coed by forced marches 1877 kilometeI
= to PrassnitZ over fearful roads and
I wretched weather. Two days was a
lowed to cover the distance. TIL
|. world knows of that brilliant dash an
a what was its result. The military hos
pital in this rapid march, has been lie
behind. The Twenty First Flying CO
umn followed and was the first to en-
ter after the city had been taken b
: the First and Third Siberian reg
lments. More than 200 wounded Gel
mans without having had any car
whatever, were lying or crawling aboJ
the streets, hiding in Easements an
outbuildings, evidently hoping that II
Germ, Ia