Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-07-08
BRETON TROOPS IN
THICK Of Dat TIE
SINCE WAR BEGAN

French army This has been demon
strated time and again among the vet
eran regiments of the territorial army
of France-the second reserve, the
youngest of whose men when they were
called to the colors in August 1914 had
attained the age of a. while the re-
Diainder ranged between that age and
Al Many of them, especially among
the younger classes, have since been
transferred at their own request into
tie ranks of the active army, thus
making the average age of these regi-
ments much higher, while three years
has been added. to the age of all the
men since they first put on their uni
These territorial regiments, like their
older comrades of the territorial army
reserve-the third line-were not at
the beginning of hostilities expected to
go into the firing line with the younger
soldiers 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 prov
ed themselves still to possess sterling
value as warriors.
The record of one OF these regiments,
entirely composed of men from Brit
t9ny, will serve to demonstrate how
great is the part these soldiers Of ma
ture age have taken in the task of re-
polling the invader, in spite of the nat
ural supposition that they had passed
the period of 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 crossing neutral
Belgium, this Breton territorial regi.
ment was sent from its depots at Rer-
mes and Saint Malo to organize, garri
son and possibly defend one OF the sec
lions Of the entrenched camp encir-
cling Paris. Four months it spent
there, digging trenches, fixing barbed
wire entanglements, erecting gun en-
placements and doing all the arduous
labor connected with the establishment
Of strong military works.
When the Germans had been driven
back in the battle of the Marine, they
were placed in charge of front line
sector to the northeast of Rheims.
Here they stayed for % months, con-
stantly harassed by the enemy while
they dug a great system of trenches
both of defense and communication,
built block houses and concrete ma
chine-gun positions, excavated rifle and
grenade pits and generally organized
the position.
The greatest test of the soldierly
qualities of these old warriors came
Y hen they were transferred to Auber-
ice in March this year They were at
tached to the famous fighting Foreign
Lesion and their duty was to do the
pick and spade work and keep the leg
ionaries supplied with ammunition and
food during the French offensive which
began on April II, and at the same
time to hold line Of trenches. When
the Legion went forward on its victor
iOus attack the Breton territOrials
were ordered to follow them up and
extend the communication trenches
and tracks across the conquered terri
tory. They We're not content with sim
ply doing this very perilous work al
ways under fire They also took part
by the side of the legionaries in the
capture Of Auberiye, and a section OF
territorial grenadiers played a glor-
ious role in the reduction of the small
field fort of Vaudesincourt.
Meeting a couple of these Bretons.
coming back with batch of German
prisoners, a French staff officer in
CURED of them where they had taken
the captives and where they were go
ing, and received only broad smile in
reply. He was astonished at this APP
parent 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.
This is not at all srpurising for al
thoueh all Frenchmen learn French in
school, the Bretons soon lose their
habit of speaking it, as they at all
times speak their Celtic tongue among
This is a close approach
TO Welsh and has no relation whatever
to French.
Their gallant deeds at Auberlye
ksas..