Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Daring French
Zouave Escape
They Bribe Peasant Woman With
Chocolate, Tea and Canned
Goods and Get Overcoats and
Old Felt Hats Of Civilians.

n REALLY gripping story Of one of
4 \ the most remarkable episodes
OF the great war has been told
me by Adjutant Pilot Henri Reservat.
nero OF the French aviation corps,
VINO recently succeeded III escaping
from German prison camp and is
now enjoying once more the free air
OF .tfance. | wish | could convey in
writing the modest, simple, matter of
'act manner in which Adjutant Reser-
vat speaks Of his strange experience,
says Paul Ayres Rockwell, staff cor
respondent of the Chicago Daily News.
Adlutant Reservat was a pilot with
the famous fighting escadrille N. IS,
winch was one of the first flying
groups to go 70 the Verdun front last
year After many successful recon-
uolssances and combatS he was order
ed on May -, 1916, to attack and de-
stFoy German observation balloon.
Iae attack was successful, and Reser-
val sent the "drachen" flaming to
earth. But while he was diving on
the balloon and destroying it four Ger
man aeroplanes came up behind him
and began riddling his machine with
bullets
ReServat was eight kilometers -four
and eighteenth miles, within the Ger
man lines and subjected not only to
the attacks of the four aviators, but to
a griliing shell fire from anti-aircraft
guns. Yet he did not lose hope of get
ting back home. He headed for the
French lines with his four assailants
after him, firing all the time. Reser-
vats machine gun was fixed one and
could only be fired in the direction i'll
Which his machine was headed. Sew
eral times he tried TO maneuver so as
to return the German fire., All his eff
forts were in vain. A number of bull
-ets pierced the motor, and he was
forced to land in German territory.
Germans Congratulate Reservat.
The four German pilots who had
been attacking Reseryat also landed.
They congratulated him upon his gal
liant struggle, then wrote a note con-
firming his having destroyed the
drachen assigned him and telling of
his being captured after a heroic at
tempt to escape. The note was car
ried up by German aviator and drop
ped into the French lines. Reservat
was put on train and taken away to
a German prison camp near Mayence
(the German Mainz.)
Captivity was not agreeable to this
eagle, wilo loved the free air, and Res
ervat at once began planning his es-
cape. The camp at Mayence was too
well guarded, however. Then he was
moved to Weilburg, where the regime
was even more strict. Seeing that
there was little hope of getting safely
away from this camp, Reservat volun-
teered TO go to work in a great agricul.
tural camp and succeeded in being
transferred to Giessen.
Here there was more freedom. The
prisoners were even allowed an hour a
day in which to go out into the little
village near by to purchase coffee and
other bits. Reservat made the ac-
quaintance of an old peasant woman
and, pretending that he wished it as a
protection against the cold. asked her
to sell him a civilian overcoat The
woman consented to sell the coat On
condition that it should be paid for
With chocolate. tea canned goods and
other edibles, which Reservat received
in weekly parcels from France. The
exchange was made, and the old wom-
an also sold a civilian coat to young
zouave sergeant, who was to be Reser
vat's comrade in the dash for liberty.
For several cakes of chocolate the
scheming Frenchmen also bought from
servant girl two rough felt hats.
Road Map In Parcel.
Many months before one of the pris-
oners had received, hidden in parcel
from France, good road map of Ger
n.uny. iteseryat ana his cOmrads
made a tracing of it. They also laid
by a little store Of chocolate, biscuil
and canned foods sent them from
home and finally. Oil March is. 1917.
all was ready for the departure. TAX
ing advantage OF half hours lateness
IN locking the door Of their barracks.
The two men skipped out in the dark
ness and We're Ell route ior liberty.
ucre are Il few notes describing the
journey. written by Reservat during
the iong daylight hours IN which be,
and ns companion lay hidden in thick
cts or abandoned hufs:
Departed at S'l5 the evening OF
March 10. 1917, and got away without
incident. We took she route for Lin
burg and thought 10 gain several kilo
meters by cutting across through the
woods. Alas. at the end OF an hour
and a half we found ourselves lost in
the forests! Finally we discovered the
main road and crossed the Lain. Rain
and an intense darkness. Taking our
direction northwest. We again got lost