Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-03


BY Lieutenant Norton C.. Travis
Attached Red Cross Mission TO Russia
Detailed as Official Photographer in the Trenches
4 TOLD these pages last week the story of Major
Vera Butchkaretf, Russia g first woman soldier who
formed the first Battalion of Death begin this week
my own story OF the heroic regiment.
At 10 o'clock the morning of the eighteenth July
smoke rocket rising silently from behind the German
trenches the Msk front burst into black cloud two
hundred yards above
An instant later answering this signal for general
attack, hundred big guns, with simultaneous roar
pended at the Russian trench hundred yards away
thousand machine guns broke into spiteful paer and
hand grenades began to fall close the Russian line
For ten minutes the bombardmcnt continued Then
the Germans charged.
The Russians met them with rifle fire as they sprang
out of their trench and plunged the barbed wire en-
tanglements. But the Germans knew how few machine
guns had and kept on.
The German and Russian officers saw, almost Mt the
same instant, that there the Russian
trench that seemed undeended The Russians cursed in
frenzy the Germans shouted the quick commands that
sent two companies racing for this apparently undefended
section.
When they had torn their way through the barbed
wire to within dozen feet of this quiet trench
with still no sign from the defenders the Russian officers
down the line either side shrieed their up to
heaven and prepared for rout. There seemed way
then TO prevent the Germans from gaining foohold
But their curses died their lips Suddenly MS the
first Germans about to leap down into the trench
there was shrll command in high feminine fasetto
Two hundred boyish faces, topped by caps rakish
sants appeared above the sand bags Two hundred gun
barrels thrust out, flaming with their opening vollcy
Then two hundred 1.-the agile forms sprang over the ton
to meet the startled enemy.
Only four OF the two hundred came back. They were
brought in at night salvaged from the dead in No Mans
Lahu But the trench saved and the Germans re.
pulsed That was when he Woman S Battalion of Death
earned its name, and IFS brave girls and justified
the confidence placed in them when they were given
section Of the front line to hold.
And, although that first two hundred Amazons Of the
battalion were mastered that morning they fully
prepared They went the top the moment
with but one thought revenge for the fate Of others of
their number who had had the misfortune during pre-
vious trench raid to be captured alive They sold them
selves dearly The enemy learned that day that women
soldiers are even better fighters than the men
When Joined the battalion it was in training at the
outskirts of Perograd under sole command of Nine Vera
Butchkareff. When this young woman's courage as a
soldier in the regiment that had been her husband s. was
reported to General AeXe chief Of staff he visited her
at the hospital where she had to recover from
her wounds When he pinned military medal for valor
upon her coat he commissioned her major with permits
sion to organize the battalion she had dreamed ola bat
tann OF women as ready to into the trenches she
MY credentials were addressed to Madame, the Major
Butchkareff If had entertained any misgvings as to
department upon being received us the only man in
the camp was quickly put TO rights.
A slender, dapper figure, in wcLftting uniform and
with unmstakable solcry bearing stepped out of the
tent to meet me- thought at first ii must be boy A
soft, resonant feminine voice corrected me
Major Butchkarcf presents her respects and IN
strncs me to escort you to your quarters"
saw my conduct and reception was to be military
only
My escort arstocrat from the Caucacns the
young Princess Svorcazenskow, captain and chief Of
Major Butchkaren's staff The ma or herself was a
peasant woman who, until she went Pcrograd to be-
come soldier had never been beyond the horizon that
crcled her native village in the valley of the Urals The
MAJOR could neither read write Ter chief of staff had
been the toast OF Russia proudest grand dukes
When Nine utchkareif sen, her invitation 70 women
to enroll IN fighting battalion the RESPONSE came from
every socl eass' Ieasant women arsocrats the wives