The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-29
NURSE Tells OF
HEROIC DEFENSE
OF VENICE FROM
own EXPERIENCE.
Was Last to Leave Hospi-
tai Set Afire By the
Enemy's Guns
WOUNDED FOUGHT
WITH THE UNHURT
Italians Hung to Positions
Until Last Man Had
Fallen

(The following account Of the
stand made by the Italian forces II
front of Venice has been written by
Miss Ethel Broadhurst. who has t.
her credit nearly three years Of serv-
ice as a nurse behind the front lines
in Serbia and Italy. She has seen
1.-THE horrors Of the Eruption through
lSerbia, and was with the Italian
troops when the disaster Of a few
weeks ago overlook them. She was
Ione OF the last to leave a hospital
that had been set on fire by enemy
gun IRE, and had barely got clear
LOT the building when the roof fell in.
Miss Broadhurst shared the horrors
bot the retreat to Udine with her
Echarges, and for her courage in that
hour OF trial she is to receive a spec
t1al decoration from the queen OF
l1taly)
a (5y Ethel Broadhurst.)
My last story OF the Italian re-
tlrement brought us to Udine, where
1--WE enjoyed comparative safety for
Ssome days. Now l propose to take
Eup the story where the retreat end
led and the vigorous counter-t hrusts
against the pursuing enemy began
Ion the Pave, which is really the
Hast strong line between the invad-
Eers and the fine old city OF Venice,
ron which their covetous eyes are
lnow turned.
We women see more Of the actual
hostilities in this part Of the world
THAN on the western front. Most Of
e1he events / am about to describe |
halave seen with my own eyes from
the window Of building within
sight Of the field OF battle.
That the enemy are not now de-
tBpOiling Venice is due TO the fine
Estand Of the Italian infantry on the
lPiave line. There are stories told
that will rank with any in the stOri-
ed past.
| / saw pass along the road to the
rear ragged band of about 200 men.
RThey were pinched with cold and
Hooked famished. Their soaked and
Dragged clothes chung to their limbs
t1n way that must have added to
1he misery Of their march. Some of
lthem were wounded. All limped
painfully along with the air Of men
who had their courage and powers
OF physical endurance taxed to the
utmost limits. They were the
survivors Of three battalions that
just three days before l had seen
move up to the line of the Piave.
They had orders to hold on at all
costs, and from their grim, set faces,
and the flashing Of their eyes, /
knew that they would make good il
1t were in the power of men TO make
good in that fight.
Desperate Fighting.
The three battalions had stood up
against as many divisions, and
fought on with the courage of lions,
throwing back each attack and play
ing havoc with the Thassed ranks of
the foe. Only at one point did the
enemy succeed in forcing the cross
ing Of the Piave. BY concentrated
Eun-fire they had succeeded in isolat-
ing the weakest of the Italian
detachments, enclosing it in a circle
of shell-ftre. Then they had lined up
their frail wall OF humanity to with
stand the Onrush Of the foe. The
carnage was fearful beyond words.
The Italians had no thought Of re-
treating. Above the dine of the fight
rose the strains of RE dItalia," the
national hymn of our ally, and that
was the death song OF the band Of
heroes.
The enemy crowded more troops
on the narrow front. A tempest of
bullets rained on the devoted Italian
heroes. One by one they fell, but it
was not until the last man had gone
down that the enemy were able to
f throw their pOntOOns across at this
point and begin the crossing Of men
and guns. By that time the Italian
( troops to the right and left had NOV
ed and were taking a hand in the
I fight. In spite of the odds against
/ them they charged the foe with the
+ bayonet. From the overhanging hills
4 our British gunners were soon busy
a "a
ipontoon construction were CALLED
numerically by ceaseless fire.
On our side of the river enemy
masses were forming for a deadly
/ thrust, that would turn the Italian
flank and leave Venice at their
mercy. Into this mass the Italian
1 infantry now charged. The odds
against them were terrible. Not less
than eight to one. am told, fought,
and even greater at times.
Fighting Is Renewed.
In the morning the fight was re-
inewed on a greater scale than ever.
/ On rising ground just across the
river the enemy brought up a light
gum and started to shell the weary
Italians. That gun was marked
down by our British gunners, and in
/ q few minutes shells were bursting
/ all around it. The gun was moved
nearer to the river. Just as they
started to move IL a direct hit was
registered by the British gunners,
and the enemy gun and team We're
lifted right into the air. coming back
to earth as nothing more tangible
than a collection of fragments of
horses, human beings and gun
metal.
The Italians decided on one last
effort to win back the crossing Of the
river. With the bayonet they charg-
ed the enemy. who fought with the
courage OF desperation. In the
struggle that followed men forgot
everything but their determination
to conquer, and they wrestled and
strufgled with each other until in
their excitement in many cases they
fell IN the river locked in the dead
~ embrace OF combatants, and were
carried down stream. Ultimately the
enemy were thrown back and the
Italians held on until they were re-
lieved the next day.
From an Italian officer OF high |
rank / heard the story, told with
hated breath, Of British battery
under the command Of a yOunRster
who had only arrived from Woolwich |
the week before
This battery was engaged in COW
erinR the Italian retreat towards the
Pave line. The enemy was pressing
hard and the retirement was likely
to become a debacle. owing to the
fact that the Austrians had stolen a
march on the Italians and were on
the point OF turning their flank. Be
tween the Italians and disaster there
only lnterposed this British battery,
under it's Inexperienced commander,
for the rest OF the officers had been
killed Ia the first desperate fight.
The younRster went TO the Italian
general covering the retirement and
saia that he thought there was just