Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-10-25
WAR SOUVENIRS
ARE COLLECTED
QUAINT PLACE BEHIND BATTLE LINE
HOUSES CURIOUS RELICS-TO GO
TO THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.
BEHIND THE BRITISH LINES IN

h''f 49, -
FRANCE, Oct. 25.-ln q quaint old place
some miles behind the battle line are housed
many interesting souvenirs Of the great
war, curious relies from world famous bat
tleiields and Illustrations of phases Of
daily life in the trenches. German trophies
for the most part. MANY of these exhibits
are destined IN due course 10 form part
Of The national war museum. The old First
Corps flag carried w the heroic and i'll
fated Cough ~ Ypres ~ one Of The no
table relics.
Here also one NAV - the carved oak
table from shelled Arras used bv Field
Marshal Sir Douglas Hang al hi headquar-
ier~ throughout the battle Of the Sornmc.
There II the First Corps headquarters flag
which he carried IN the Mons retreat, hi~
first flag a. commander of The first army.
There are Sevral other flags of great in
ierest-of which one mus not forget to
mention the first tank flag the first Por-
iueue~e flag IN the trenches. the first
American flag 10 fly ~ France after the
American declaration Of war.
There are German flags too. a. for in
stance. n large one unearihed in the Hotel.
de- Vile Peronne, another from BEAUMONT
lIamel.
After flags, which are but symbols of our
army. comc captured guns. But there j.
only room here for the smaller engines Of
war. such a. trench moriar-. minenwerfer-
and grenade hrowers, with a few machine
guns damaged in hattie.
There are shown two German para
chutes. souvenirs of a brilliant battle in the
air and dozens Of enemy riile~. Inscribed
with the names of villages IN The ~nmmc
~ ArraS region where hand ~ hand con
ilici~ were wnged. German material u here
in prsfu.ion. shells 81 every cahbre. shell
eases and basket carriers. flammcnwerfer~.
borah~, axes. knive~. plctols, wire-cutters
and a unique collection of trench clubs. IN
eluding one with u flexible handle and al
heavy steel head positively dcvlish IN IT,
ingenuity.
Scattered through this museum are life
size manncquIns artir,d in enemy raimeni.
One affords n striking representation of n
medieval warrior even though he l. clad
only IN the steel armor and caSque Of \. H..
1917. Over hi shoulders he carries 4
cruss-bow which discharged grenade> ID
the winter Of lglI-15. while behind him H.
a British catapult which saw service 1T
Ueuye-C hapelle.
There are the German proclamations on
the walls. German prints depicting our sol
dicr-. enemy maps captured on the battle
fields and sometimes stained with blood.
German officers books and sketch
books. Nor can the realistic models 81 the
batilefields-now no longer Of direct mill
iarv utIlity-fail to enchain attention from
the ono of Neuve-C hapellc 10 the latest
miniature.
The collection j. only q recent under
takinc-when II comes ~ find q resting
place in London. II will bring home. a.
thousands 81 pages ~ history books could
not. the fcrocity and tile kindness. the
brutality and poverty. the humor and trae-
edy and nll those thousand little unro-
membercd acts which made mp for million
nf Briton- The daily lie in the trcnchc-
and hillct~ III France and Flanders.