Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-12-07

shouted TO my party TO get round the
traverse. l then reloaded and kept
guard while the officer and men be-
hind threw bombs at the enemy. A
little later we got word to retire, so
l kept guard while m, party got
clear Of the trenches, and then mount
ed the ladder and made my way back,
covering the enemy while the lads got
the wounded in. OF the 63 men in the
whole raid q were reported missing,
q got back wounded and q answered
the roll call. After the shelling had
subsided l was able to get back to the
village, and the next day had an inter
view with the major general in charge
Of the division. An officer took my
name and number and said that
would soon have something to wear
on my breast"
That something" Is the Victoria
Cross-with its inscription-"For
Valor."
Lieutenant Baxters Exploit.
Lieutenant Baxter, Liverpool man
Nho buo ~bCSh u"uluSu lhC NNtoA Ao
Cross posthumously, closed his career
with an exploit which stands out
prominently. Here is the official
story:
Baxter was the captain Of dare
devil trench-ralding party known to
their comrades as the Forty Thieves
because of the fact that they were
never known to come back from a
raid without pile Of swag In the
shape of captured Germans. One
night Baxter took his men out under
cover of machine gun fire. At criti-
cal moment Baxter tripped and drop
ped bomb he was carrying. 1t was
when they We're nearly through and
could hear the movements Of Ger
man sentry few feet away. Baxter
had previously removed the split-pin,
ana obviously the lever flew out and
the fuse commenced to fizz. Within
five seconds 1t would have exploded,
scattered the wire party and given the
whole show away. Scarcely hesitat
ing to think of the risk, he picked 1t
up, whipped the case plug out of the
screw and threw away the detonator,
which went off unnoticed. 1t was O
fine example of merit, skillfulness and
resource. But more was to follow.
"The party cut all the wire that de.
Tended the German trench ard leaped
into the trench and turned in single
file alternately right and left, one sec.
ton led by Sergeant McClelland ard
the other by Baxter. This trench was
very deep about twelve to fifteen feet
and it was obvious that there woulj
be trouble il hauling out any fat and
unwilling souvenir of the occasion In
the shape of a prisoner.
Tribute in Orders.
"The sentry they had heard was
promptly shot. Another was tayOnet-
ed and as he fell back a bomb was
thrown out of d dugout and exploded
ut the entrance, fortunately doing the
raiders no damage Six combs We're
sent in by way cf an exchange of COM
plimelts and mere sentries We're met
and given the unhappy dispatch.
They screamed like lot of old wom.
en- said one mar who was on the spot.
The bC.4berS attended to three more
dugCutS, aud afterwards the whole
party withdrew, without noise and
confusion, on a prearrangcd signal be-
ing given. They returned to their
own trenches to the tune Of rapid fire
all along the whole front from the
British field guls and 'heavies.
1T was a glorious little exploit, but
sad tidiLgs awaited the party on re-
assembling in their own line, for no.
wLere was the gallant Baxter. Search
parties went out for him, but without
success. 1t was certain that he had
climbed out Of the enemy's trench,
for he helped to pull up the last man
Of his party, and the only assumption
was that he had been either killed or
captured on returning there,
Next days battalion orders con-
tainei this fitting tribute to Baxter:
1T was largely owing to this officers
pluck, determination, coolness and
resource that the raid was successful.
Dead or missing, he Is great loss to
the battalion
That Is the story of the Forty
Thieves"
Kid Kills Giants.
Private Albert Hill was Ian.
cashire lad engaged in hat works
when the war broke out-of small
stature, still in his teens. He won
the V. G. at the SOmme and his platoon
sergeant, just invalided home, tells
for the first time the full story Of how
he did it:
"On the night Of July 10 we moved
up to the advanced line of attack. 1t
was three O'Clock in the morning when
we got to the bottom, Is yards away
from the German trenches. Hill and
myself were alone. Suddenly two Ger.
Eans, both about six feet tall, sur
prised us. They were making for us
when Hill, as coolly as If he had been
going to meet a boxing opponent,
oplauS uI ticin anu us 4ulCh us uBhl-
ming bayoneted them both. 1t was one
Of the finest pieces of pluck / have
ever seen or read about, this little fel-
low, only five feet three, accounting
for two big, burly Huns. He returned
to me as If nothing had happened; and
the next thing we found that we were
surrounded by some twenty to twenty
five Germans. Hill remarked: Ser
geant, we look like being taken pris-
oners.' 1 replied: They will not take
us alive. We will fight for 1t. No
sooner said than done. We both got
our bombs and Hill flung two bombs