The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1917-07-14
TROOPS
FINE WARRIORS
OLDER MEN OF RESERVES ARE
VALUABLE TO FRENCH
DEFENSE

FRENCH FRONI, June Is. -
When heroism is concerned there is
no question of being toe old at 40"
in the French army. This has been
demonstrated time and again among
the veteran regiments of the terri
torial army of France-the second
reserve, the youngest of whose men
when they we're called to the col
ors in August, 1914, had attained
the age of "a, while the remainder
ranged between that age and Al.
Many of them, especially among
the younger classes, have since
been transferred at their own re-
quest into the ranks of the active
army, thus making the average age
of these regiments much higher.
while three years has been added
to the age of all the men since
they first put on their uniforms az
their country's call to arms.
These territorial regiments, like
their older comrades of the terri
torial army reserve-the third line
were not at the beginning of
hostilities expected to go into the
firing line with the younger sol
diers of the active army and its first
reserve. Since that time many
things have changed and they have
fought shoulder to shoulder with
their more youthful comrades and
have proved themselves still to pos
sess sterling value as warriors
The record of one of these regi-
ments. entirely composed of men
from Brittany, will serve to demon
strate how great is the part these
soldiers of mature age have aiken
in the task of repelling the invader.
in spite of the natural supposition
that they have passed the period o
enthusiasm for deeds of valor.
This regiment was modified to
gether with the rest of the French
forces on August 2, 1914. When
the troops of the active army left to
meet the invading Germans cross
ing neutral Belgium, this Breton
territorial regiment was sent from
it's depots at Rennes and Saint-Malo
to organize, garrison and possibly
defend one of the sections OF the en-
trenched camp encircling Paris,
Four months it spent there digging
trenches, fixing barbed-wire entan-
elements, erecting gun emplace-
ments and doing all the arduous la
Dor connected with the establish
ment of strong military works.
When the Germans had been
driven back in the battle OF the
Marine, they were placed in charge
of a front line section to the north
east of Rheims. ere they stayed
for 20 months, constantly harassed
by the enemy, while they dug a
great system of trenches both OF
defense and communication, built
blockhouses and concrete machine
gun positions, excavated rifle and
grenade pits and generally organ
lied the position.
The greatest test of the soldierly
qualities of these rough old war
riors came when they were rams
ferred to Auberive in March this
year. They were attached to the
famous fighting Foreign Legion
and their duty was to do the pick
and spade work and keep the
DICTIONARIES supplied with ammuni-
ton and food during the French
offensive which began on April II,
and at the same time to hold a
line of trenches.
When the Legion went forward
on it's victorious attack the Breton
territorials were ordered to fol-
low them up and extend the COM
munication trenches and tracks
across the conquered territory.
They were not content with simply
doing this very perilous work al
ways under fire. They also took
part by the side of the DICTIONARIES
in the capture of Auberive, and a
section of territorial grenadiers
played a glorious role in the re-
duction of the small field fort Of
Vaudesincourt.
Meeting a couple of these Bre-
tons coming back with a Datcn OF
German prisoners, a French staff
officer inquired of them where they
had taken the captives and where
they were going and received only
a broad smile in reply. He was
astonished at this apparent lack
of discipline and was about to
demonstrate when a German pris-
oner stepped forward and said:
Excuse me, sir, but these men
do not speak French. They are
Bretons." He gave the officer the
Information asked for and the
convoy marched on.
Union Organization Celebrated