The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-03-03
lose l,4O0 men
OUT OF 1900 IN
= ONE BATTALION
British Force Is Almost Complete
Iy AnnihiIated in Pattle in
France.
CORPORAL TELLS THE STORY

English Gunners Aim Badly, Dropping
Shells In Comrades Trenches,
Which Become So Filled With
Dead That Retirement Is
All but impossible.
New York;; is doubtful II since
the beginning OF the war there mas
come to New York discharged SOL
der in any of the armies engaged
whose record Of actions and exper'
ences qualified him to give as clear IN
sight into the great struggles as can
CORPORAL David Robinson Williams o'
the Second Royal slfles Corporal VIII
liams enlisted at the beginning OF the
war and served in some of the most
important battles up to last August
During that time he suffered three Sc
rious wounds and finally was dis
harged after months OF suffering
from gas poisoning. He has seen
practically all there Is to see for the
Zen of the ranks In the land fighting
end he is able to tell splendid ana
connected story of his part OF the
fighting.
Another factor In Mr.. Williams abil'
ity to tell what he saw Is that ne
served in the British army for three
years up to 1902 and that his observa
ticns are those of a soldier who knows
the routine of army life and who Is
Interested in nothing but the real &C.
ton of war and has an idea about
when his cwn commanders are doing
cell or III and what the caliber OF the
enemy is In this connection 1t may
lie stated that he believes that the
Germans can fight. that they have
been guilty of some frightful atrocities
and that among them are thousands
Of fellows who are heartsick OF the
war; not for lack Of courage but be-
cause of supreme good sense. Incl
dentally some Germans he has met In
conflict are as fine as any men he ever
cares to meet.
Battle Of the Aisne.
Mr.. Williams left New York. after
working here for three years, on Au-
gust s, 1914, and after enlisting was
sent to mobilization camp on August
20. His regiment was Immediately
cent to the 'front.' and the first action
they took part in was the battle Of the
Aisne. Mr.. Williams was in Company
c of the Third division of the Seventh
brigade. and the sector In which thew
were stationed was mass Of chalk
hills and caves For fourteen days
after they made the trenches they
were exposed to drenching rain, and
as there was evidence Of confusion in
the handling Of the forces they re-
NAMED hidden away from an intermit-
tent fire without advancing or taking
definite action.
In the heaviest downpour OF rain
they would occasionally see Taubes
floating high above them, making OBJ
servations and since guns unsuited for
the work were turned upon them only
one Of the scores they saw was brought
down. That one landed within two
hundred feet Of where Corporal VIII
liams was stationed. and he saw II
burn to ashes over the mangled crew
which fell with 1t. Soon after this In
cident the order to advance was given
with the arrival Of re-enforcements
but the Wiltshire Fusileers and the
Irish rifles could make no impression
against the German position. They
were confronted with heavy fire and
nearly three hundred men went out
OF action.
On October 8 the Rifles altered their
position and were ordered to Bethune
where they waited for re-enforcements
and then advanced to Richebourg. II
was here that Corporal Williams says
he saw the first indication of the atroc
tiles which refugees at all points
complained tearfully Of He and a
party of soldiers came to farmhouse
as five German Uhlans left 1t. The
party opened fire and killed all but
one of the Uhlans, and upon entering
the house found young woman who
had been subjected to frightful afro
cities for six days in the enforced
presence Of her aged mother.
Moved to Neuve chapetIe.
The Rifles devoted two weeks to dig
eing trenches in the village Of Richie
bourg and then went to Neuve Cha
nellie and got into the hardest kind of 9
fight. They found trenches already
| dug for them as they had left trenches
for others at Richebourg. and as they
were exhausted they fully expected
| that q real rest awaited them.
1--WE got no rest, though" said Cor
poral Williams. "As soon as It wal
dark we were put at work stringint
barb wire entanglements-and thu
word passed around that the German,
were making ready and that our oh
servers had reported that we were
to be attacked in force that night. 1
was October 26, and have good caus,
to remember 1t. At ten o'clock tn
artillery fire began and 1t was clea
at once that the Germans had tn
range on the first try. We could hea
the screams In the reserve trench a
the big shells exploded, and we wer'
crazy to advance or be killed or some
thing Inactivity becomes torture II
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