Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1916-11-24
Two Commanders Go Over Para
pets Side by Side in Somme
Battle.
STORY REPEATED MANY TIMES
Old and Recent Arrivals From Great
Britain Look Equally Like Vet
Grams Today-Generous in
Praise of Each Other Are
British and French.

TO begin and 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
F'leurot in the New York World. ,
II 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 We're jammed
in 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-
blossoms tore the German trenches to
pieces. then, one with an "En Avant"
and the other with Charge" leaped
over the parapets, automatics in hand
and 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
on the Somme. 1t has gone complete
ly through the British army, in fact,
and l first heard it long before /
reached the Somme i heard it SO often
that | am not sure where I heard it
first. but I remember being told it at
the table of the divisional command
er just south of Ypres, nearly a hun
dred miles from the Somme.
Mutual Good Will.
AS l kept on hearing this story l
began to feel it was little too pat to
be true, but it also struck me that
it did not make much difference
whether it was or not. Since 1 have
reached the SOmme | have had il con-
firmed, but whether it was true or not
was nowhere nearly so important as
the effect it had upon the troops. 1t
thrilled the allied armies, and gave
them a dramatic example of their
brotherhood in arms. Certainly. from
the point of view of the British army
it 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. l know from my own experience
with the first British troops that came
to France that they had the typical In
sular attitude of superiority. except in
the case 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,
as have just been doing. l 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 along the 169-kilometer
front the British now hold there were
formerly French troops. and the Brit
ish troops who now occupy these
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 vimy Ridge.
l had a striking example of this the
other day when l arrived ON the Brit
sh front. The first place where l APP
the firing line was at the
Vimy Ridge. north of Arras, piece
If France that has been fought over
10 less fiercely than the Mort Homme
,r Les Eparges. The fight began at
Notre Dame de Loretfe, which fig
ired in the French communicates al
most daily for months, and as the
Germans were pushed out of there by
he French poilus they left behind the
wreck of Ablain-St. Nazaire and
,ouchez before they were forced TO
he height of Yimy Ridge. which they
till hold. The little valley in between
: soaked with blood. Ar Notre Dame
e Lorette. on a space not over a mile |
Dng and 300 yards wide. at least So
90 men gave up their lives. Ii is i'm /
ossible to walk there now without I
onstantly stumbling over boots with I
a which the dry bones rattle in q :
cry ghostly manner. 4
All this magnificent fighting was d
one by French soldiers, and yet 1t +
-as the first place to which the Brit =
h brought me. They have bloody y
attlefields of their own to show /
pres, Loos and Neuve Chapelle- :
ut the place they chose showed only Y
hat the French had done. 1t is true o
lat over on the Vimy Ridge there is q
daily battle going on that would be f
,nsidered important In any other II
nr. but is never even mentioned in 1.
lie British communiques. While 4
rs there the french mortars on both a