The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-06-14
British Soldier Survives Most
Thrilling War Experience.
IS DECORATED FOR vALO2
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 Il quiet
room, an attentive nurse and pleasant
recuperation consider the case of Pri-
vate j. Taylor, whose yalor 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-
scrlption 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 severe bonn
bardment by our artillery. He subsist-
ed on tins of bully beef collected at
night from dead bodies, and water
which he obtained in II waterproof cap.
"After some weeks three of the en-
emy visited his shell hole, but by fegn-
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 recuperatlng Taylor difiidently am
plified the story of his terrible expert
ences.
Robbed Dead for Food.
ut was during one of our attacks
upon the Hindcnburg line" he said.
"We had gone over the top, two com
panles of us. We were met by ter
rifle enemy fire and the fellows were
dlOpping like ninepins. I was knocked
out. II must have been Il couple of
days before | recovered consciousness.
! found myself in u 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 it
rGined. We collected water in our
caps.
"ThGt sort of existence lasted for
over five weeks. / was getting weaker
and weaker. One night Peters crawled
out and did not come back. That left
me without aid.
Plays 'Possunn; Fools Huns.
Next day party of Germans came
into my shell hole. One lifted my
leg-lucklly not the broken one or I'd
have yelled-but they thought | was
dead. / was covered with mud ant
looked like the other bodies COVERING
the ground. During the next fortnight
! managed to live on the reserve bee
Peters had collected. Then, feclin.
that nothing worse could happen,
resolved To try TO get into our lines
il was an lnky night. First i crawlet
by mistake right into German line
They didn't hear me, so | turned bacl
and inched along for an hour. Thcl
! got into some barbed wire. wal
II mass of cuts, blood and rags bcfor,
! got through. Just then We're,
light shot up. l saw n man pecrin.
over n trench. He was about To shoe
when ! shouted. Three of them cam,
out and dragged me into our owl
trenches.
Before the war Taylor was factor,
hnnd He Is recovering rapidly an'
looking forward to his return TO th
trenches.