Norwich bulletin., 1917-12-03
STORIES OF THE WAR
Waist Deep in SIush.

I have heard today (Oct. 30th) ex- traordinary stories of the difhcultities met with by Londoners and the, men of the Naval Brigade in the morasses of the Paddebeek Valley, where the little flooded stream wound directly across the front of the attack. and in which they ofen sank in water over their heads and had to be pulled out with ropes by their comrades. It is feared that even some unwounded men must have been drowned, as cer- tainly it is inevitable some wounded were.
 Our troops had a heavy German shrapnel and explosive barrage from the start. Then through this awful slough, under continued ma achine-gun and rifle fire from the slopes ahead, it way 100 yards. and it was quite i'm possible for men or units to keep in touch. In spite of everything, they forced their way across the Paddebeek which proved possible, and captured one position after another. They showed the finest heroism to a man, and nothing but sheer exhaustion ultimate line. Up to the knees or the waists in slush, and in the torrents of rain which fell continuously from mid forenoon onwards, they made contact with the Canadians on the right and established a line to hold the ground they had won.
 Scores of individual deeds of gallan- try will never be known. but the tale is told, of one officer of the London Regiment who was wounded eight times but carried on and was instru- nsenta1 in the reduction of a most for midable position.
 Another position where stubborn fighting was encountered was Noble CTS were taken of the German Marine Division, elements of which were ap- parently being used to support and stiffen the Bavarians at this point. Nothing could exceed the terms in which the officers speak of the behav- four of their men, whose gallantry and spirits in indescribable difficulties never Jagged. The Paddebeek is CNy a tiny stream and it's name is ridicu Ious. but it saw as fine an exhibition of British pluck and determination as was ever witnessed.
 Among the prisoners taken by the British ina these last few days are some of more than usual interest. Oue private in a Bavarian regiment. slight ly wounded, met one of his officers at the dressing station. went up to him. and, without saluting, addressed him as an equal informing him hat now at last, you won't be able to bully us any more"
 Among the officers is one man of unusual width of general information and quite willing to discuss the lar-- CT aspects of politics and war. IFS views on the sanctity of treaties are interesting, for he says that what puzzlas Germany most is why we do not do to Holland what they did to Belgium. They saw that the violation of Belgium was necessary to their success. so did not hesitate. They can understand why we shrank from get ting at the Rhine through Holland so long as the United States was neutral, but, now that America is with us. Glts vpr7 <1oy of iva hn1d y S back when landing in Holland would be so obviously to our advantage. He is man who. by connections and rec ord, has every right to speak as rep resenting the best opinion in Germany, and we have never met a more frank expositor of the nonmoral code of German miiitarism.-Corresp of the London Times