The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-07-08
AMERICANS
ARE EAGER
Volunteered to Rescue Their
Comrades from Enemy,
and They Did
BESIDES CAPTURING
SOME GERMANS
American Corporal Showed
Extraordinary
Grit

With the British Army in France, Sun
day, July (By Associated Press I'm
the German counter attack against the
new positions gained by the Australians
and Americans around Hamel, two Amer
leans and five Australians were captured
by the enemy. Volunteers were called
for and an American party brought back
the captured men and German officer,
while IL Australians brought the number
of German prisoners to so.
This incident is told by an American
officer who took part in the fighting, as
follows:
''The Boches did not bother us until
Thursday night, when they made their
counter attack, which was repulsed.
They did succeed in the first rush, how
ever, in getting hold of two Americans
and five Australians, whom they carried
back.
'We Immediately called for volunteers
to go out after these captured lads and
all our men at once began yelling for the
chance. Corporal Raymond Powell was
first up and he was given squad of men
for the work
"The guns had put down a heavy bar
rage but the corporal led his chaps
straight through this fierce fire and
charged hotfoot after the retreating en-
envy. The Germans retired to a strong
point but the corporal with the other
Yankees went in after them.
"0ur two boys were retaken along
with the five Australians and the cor
poral and his party also captured Boche
officer. In the meantime IL Australians
had circled around and joined the Amer
lean party with the result that so Ger
man prisoners were brought back.
That night Boche sniper caused
lot of trouble from nest in the front
line and one of my men went out across
No Mans land alone after him. The
Yankee got him and left him dead on the
field"
Recounting story he had heard of
the grit of an American corporal, the
officer continued
"An Australian officer was telling me
about one of our eorporals who did what
was considered fine piece of work This
lad had charge of a machine gun squad.
Early in the push all his comrades were
alone with the gun.
'He knew that the gun was needed so
he started forward with it himself. It
up and working it until he got through
to the final objective, where he made his
final stand. He was pumping away re-
ligiously at the Boches and the Austral-
ian officer was watching him with inter
est for he knew he was a green man
and admired the way he was carrying on.
Suddenly the corporal raised himself up
and then dropped to his knee again with
his head hanging
"'Whats the matter Yank? Are you
hit?' called the officer.
No sir replied the corporal, but do
you know this darned thing don't kick
at ALL
after fighting magnifcently with his
gun for so long the corporal had just
made that big discovery and he simply
stopped firing for a moment to inspect
his machine with new interest. The Off
Ger was delighted with the soldiers at
tention and told the American officer
later.
1--WE were surprised" the officer added,
sat some of the prisoners taken. Most
of them were strapping fellows, but there
were lot of them who, while big, were
very young. The Boche put over some
gas at one time but it was only mighty
good experience for our men, as they
were equipped with the, masks.
81 want to say here that those Aus
tralians are magnificent fighters. We
have been learning the game from them.
Our fellows watched the veterans closely
and it was a case of imitation without a
second lesson"