The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1918-06-12
British Soldier Survives Most
Thrilling War Experience.
IS DECORATED FOR VAlOR
Subssts on Tins of Bully Beef Collect
ed at Night From Dead Bodies
Feigns Death to Avoid Capture
When Huns Visit Shell Hole and
Finally Succeeds in Crawling Back
to His Own Lines.


If you have been thinking that "dis-
tinguiShed service" on the battlefield
means one grand dash and then a quiet
room, an attentive nurse and pleasant
recuperatlon, consider the case of Pri-
vate j. Taylor, whose valor is briefly
recited in late issue of the official
supplement to the London Gazette.
This official list of soldiers cited for
| decorations always carries a short de-
scription of the act of valor for
which the citation is made.
These two paragraphs accompany
| announcement of the award of the dis
tinguished conduct medal to Private
Taylor.
Having been cut off with his COM
pany, he received bullet in the thigh,
| causing a compound fracture. To
avoid capture he crawled into shell
hole where he remained for period
| of over seven weeks, during the
whole of which time the surrounding
! district was subjected to a severe bonn
bardment by our artillery. He subslst
ed on tins of bully beef collected, at
night from dead bodies, and water
which he obtained in Il waterproof cap.
"After some weeks three of the en-
emy visited his shell hole, but by feign-
ing death he avoided capture and even
tually succeeded in crawling back to
our lines-a distance of some 900
yards"
In Il hospital near London. where he
is recuperating, Taylor efficiently am
pliiied the story Of his terrible expert
ences.
Robbed Dead for Food.
at was during one of our attacks
upon the Hindenburg line" he said.
1--WE had gone over the top, two com.
panies of us. We were met by a ter.
rife enemy fire and the fellows were
dropping like ninepins. ! was Knocked
| out. 1t must have been couple of
days before | recovered consciousness
| found myself in n shell hole with
another man who was wounded but
could move freely. During the days
and part of the nights the lombard.
ment kept up. Shells fell all around
but none happened to drop in our
shell hole. At night Peters crept out
and fOraged among the dead for scraps
of beef, line rations and their water
bottles. After two or three days il
rained. We collected water in our
caps.
THAT sort of existence lasted for
over five weeks. l was getting weaker
and weaker. One night Peters crawled
out and did not come back. That left
me without aid.
Plays 'Possum; Fools Huns.
"Next day Il party of Germans came
into my shell hole. One lifted my
leg-luckily not the broken one or Ii
have yelled-but they thought l was
dead. l was covered with mud anG
looked like the other bodies covering
the ground. During the next fortnight
managed to live on the reserve beet
Peters had collected. Then, feeling
that nothing worse could happen, u
resolved to try TO get into our lines
1t was an inky night. First / crawled
by mistake right into German line
They didn't hear me, so turned back
and inched along for an hour. Then
l got into some barbed wire. | was
a mass of cuts, blood and rags before
/ got through. Just then Verey
light shot up. | saw man peering
over trench. He was about to shoot
when | shouted. Three of them came
out and dragged me into our own
trenches.
Before the war Taylor was factory
hand. He is recovering rapidly and
looking forward to his return to the
trenches.