Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-15
KITE BALLOON SECTIONS
EXPERIENCE IN BIC RUN
How Great Retreat Appeared to One
Of the Men Who Par
ucipatcd In 1t.
ENEMY CAME ON LIKE TIDE
But Allied Great Guns Tore Big
Jagged Islands In Advancing Flood.
Nothing Comparable to Slaughter
Inflicted on Advancing Foe.
ny MAJOR C. J. G. STREET. Il. G. A.,
Author OF "Hith the Guns" Etc.

ny MAJOR C. J. c. sTtEi;T. II. G. A..
Author of "With tho Guns" Etc.
Copyright. 1879
FRANCE. November 4.-"Good af-
ternoon" he said Come across to
the mess and have some tea"
We had never set eyes upon one
another before, but that is an uncon-
sidercd trihe At the front 1t was sufii-
Gent for him that ! had stopped the
10 car at his threshold. and the rights
be invinted to cross it,
Er.n accented pied gratefully rat Driving about
moss: He led tho way across i neId to
belt OF trees on the far side
We're a kite balloon Section" he
said; The balloon bed is in the middle
OF the trees over there She's not up
thunder TO me. Here's the mess mind
your head as you go in"
We entered hut. cunningly con-
cases. couple OF officers were al
ready seated round table inside the
hut. On the table was the standard
tea Of any mess in France. white ra-
ton bread. biscuits from the expod!-
tionary force canteep, and jam from
the tin. q large brown enameled iron
teapot, bearing the honorable dents OF
much travelling. completed the feast.
We started exchanging experie nces.
OIL COURSE, DuI "ncn II tTdnSDlTeQ IndG
my unknown friend had been in the
retreat Of March 81 held my tongue.
and let him tell his story in his own
TELLS sroRY OF GREAT
RETREAT OF MARCH Fl
Tho old sausage was at P then"
he said. Wed just taken over from
tho French, and we were all pretty
busy leaning The n eI,, eountry, Fine
ACROSS tho Disc and Tar beyond. with
the black mass OF the forest Of st.
so sH aomns,ns sssry,hins y all
know how battling woods look from a
balloon! AS II they were full OF
secrets. SOMEHOW.
II went away about the 18th. lent
to another section. who had couple
OF fellows sick. didn't get back till
the evening OF the goth. abou, dinner
time. And as soon rs got back had
that curious feeling that something
was going to happen: The sausage
too misty to make it worth while. or
course, we all expected Jerry to at
! tack: there was even rumor that
that exactly; It was something in the
air. Everything was a jolly sight TOO
quiet TO please me Sort OF tense still
We'll. had dinner. yArned for an
San ~ then hen as'e Of to taking n.y.
listened for bit. then crept under
the blankets AS ! was. curs!ng myself
for an imaginative idiot. ! Was tired
with my trip bac': from the other sec
ton. and went on to sleep in couple
OF minutes.
cit didn't seem more than a few sec
4 onds before 1 started up. wide awake:
Il with noise going on as II the lid
had come Off hell. My nrst instinct was
1 wrist. II was just after ~ While
| was looking at ii heard the whistle
o, ss1yo coming ore5 then phi ph
I know. just sort OF deep sigh.
4 GERMANS COVERING THE
! WHOLE COUNTRY WITH GAS
d II was into my gas mask and out Of
Y tho billet before the discordant jan:
Il started. The other fellows came up.
shelter. don't care for dug outs
sawn neaes fhs ss Of bank nS
sight sh'e in my life. jerry was sending
Countryside. picking on, the battery
Ing them. We came in for it. too.
had one or two OF the men hit by
HI Now. balloon isn't weapon Of
III offense. and we felt pretty helpless
About dawn, when news began si.an, to come
II force. our o. c. got the men together
and went up. to lend the Infantry
hand. I got left behind to look after
cook and two follows who had been
slightly wounded In the Smelling.
don't think any OF us had ever hated
are orders. and we had to stop Any
way We. gave the other fellows
cheer and went back to on. shelters.
! got a telephone message about half
l an hour later to destroy the balloon.
IN save what We could and clear out.
We packed everything we could lay
out the winch and sent them off up
L the road. Then we got the tender
put everything we couldn't carry
in a pile near the balloon. poured pc
Egtrol over the lot, laid l train to II,
1Blit a match and ran for our lives. We
SEreached the tender as the lot went
IbSSoot nothing worth having out OF us.
e|EsAw HUNS COMING
Win MILE AWAY LIKE TIDE
When the tender got onto the road
Hand topped the rise OF the hill. we
Il Hcould see the Huns behind us. not
sn like It n n my They w sss
II booming on like tide, swallowing up
II The whole country as they came; just
'n and Til s sand can
lll,ea. And ali the time our guns were
EExith every Imaginable sort OF shell.
lHEtuff. Even from. where we were. the
and n cloud OF smoke. and when
nEt cleared. there was wide jagged
sland in the tide. Slaughter? 1t made
lEne feel equeamish, and wasn't over
Hllond Of Jerry that morning.
well. we got back all right, all but
nIrn0m