Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-11-22


British Front on the SOmme.-When
the big push of the Somme was about
to begin ana the French and British
armies were on the keen edge of ex-
pectation the battalion commander on
the extreme right of the British forces
sent word to the battalion commander
on the extreme left of the French
forces and asked him where he would
be in the attack, writes Arno Bosch
FIeurot in the New York World.
Il shall be over the parapets with
the first wave of my troops" was the
French commanders reply.
$50 shall l." was the British com
mander's return message; keep an
eye out for me-"
So. when the troops were damned
ia the forward trenches waiting for
the enormous mine explosions under
the German communication trenches.
which were to be the signal for the
assault. the British commander worked
his way to the end Of the farthest
trench and there he found the French
commander They stood there wait
ing. side by side, until the terrific ex
plOsi0ns tore the German trenches TO
pieces, then. one with mn "En Avant"
and the other with Charge leaped
over the parapets. automatics in hand,
und led the charge into the German
lines.
Luckily, both escaped unhurt, and
the story Of their unusual action has
run through the two great allied armies
Ell the Somme. II has gone complete
l. through the British army, in fact,
AID l first heard it long before
reached the Somme. | heard Ii so often
than / am not sure where | heard II
first. but | remember being told II at
the table Of the divisional command
er just south of Ypres, nearly hun
dred miles from the Somme.
Mutual Good viii.
AS | kept on hearing this story |
began to feel it was little too pat to
be true, but it also struck me that
II did not make much difference
whether it was or not. Since | have
react ed the Somme | have had it con-
trmef but whether 1t was true or not
was aowhere nearly so important as
the effect 1t had upon the troops. II
thrilled the allied armies. and gave
them a dramatic example Of their
brotherhood in arms. Certainly from
she point of view Of the British army
II has done much toward making them
feel good toward the Frenchman fight
Ing beside them.
This has interested me, as the re-
lations between the French and the
British armies has always Interested
me | know from my own experience
with the first British troops that came
10 France that they had the typical In
sular attitude of superiority. except ia
the ease Of individuals who had seen
the French in action and knew at first
hand what good soldiers they were.
After two years every bit of that is
gone. Going about the British front,
HE | have just been doing, | have been
struck. in fact by the way everyone
has made point of calling attention
to the wOrK of the French troops. At
most points alo a. he 100 kilometer
front the pdtis. ,,oa hold there we're
formerly French :, ops. and the Brit
ish troops who now occupy these
trenches have daily object lessons in
what good soldiers the French must
be TO do some of the things that are
everywhere apparent.
Death Toll at viry RIDGE.
had striking example of this the
other day when | arrived on the Brit
ish grGht. The first place where | ap-
preached the firing line was at the
Why Ridge north of Arras. piece
OF France that has been fought over
40 less fiereely than the Mort Homme
or Les Eparges. The fight began nc
NOt:e Dame de Lorette. which fig
ured In the French communicates al.
most daily for months, and as the
Germans We're pushed out of there by
the French poilus they left behind the
wreck Of Ablain-St. NazaIre and
S0uchez before they We're forced 10
the height of Vimy Ridge. which they
still hold, The little valley in between
is soaked with blood At Notre Dame
de Lorette, on space not over mile
long and 300 yards wide. nj least 80
900 men gave up their lives. 1t is i'm.
possible 10 walk there now witbou,
constantly stumbling over boots with
ia which the dry bones rattle in q
very ghOstly manner.
All this magnificent fighting wa,
done by French soldiers. and vet i,
WAS the first place to which the Brit
ISL brought me. They have blood,
battlefelds Of their own 10 show
fpFes, Loos and Neuve Chapeile-
but the place they chose showed onl,
what the French had done. II Is trt,
Aat over on the Yimy Ridge there Il
a daily battle going on that would h,
considered important ia any othe
war. but is never even mentioned fl
the British communicates. While
was there the trench mortars on boil