Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-23
BRITISH TANK CAPTAIN
BRINGS MACHINE HERE
Haigh Tells Vivid Story Of
Experiences on Battle
Front

"God How I'd like to see every
bloody boche lying dead in No Mans
Land, curse cm :"
So spoke Captain Richard HaiGh
commander of the British tank Brit
anuia,' as ne leaned against the side
OF the big fighting engine of death as
II stood on a Nat car this morning in
the Pennsylvania Railroad Yards at
F'rankford. lie held in his hand a ncws-
paper and was eagerly reading the latest
action ON the west front
1T says they took 5000 Of our men
prisoners. hope that's an exaggera-
tom he exclaimed, turning to Gunner
Alderman, who stood nearby. 1T makes
man want TO be back there, eh. old
boy?" he queried, eXcitedly.
This tank here pointing to the
now silent leviathau. was in the very
sector where lighting is now fierccst.
In one Of the battles of last May. this
tank and its crew captured 1913 boChes
and four machine gun emplacements.'
win Give Demonstrations
At this moment railroader arrived
with the information that the tank
would he moved to q point near q street
and Allegheny avenue, where it was to
be unloaded and where later today
demonstrations Of its capabilities of
travel over rough ground would he
| given
rs there a dump at that place? -
| uueried Captain Haigh. As the rail-
roader looked puzzled. the captain
laughed and said, II guess YOU don't
! call them that here"
''Oh, you mean an unloading plat
FORM answered the blue-overalled
yardman mo. there isn't"
We'll, we'll get her off some way
or other declared the commander Of
the tank easily. knowing that his ma
chine would be equal to the emergency.
What does a man feel like when
! he is going into action in tank
Well, that is matter that no one on
the face of the earth can tell about.
The only thing | can say is, so and try
| il for yourself"
This suggested TO the captain some
! of his experiences while under fire.
Captain Reticent
/ 1t was with great difficulty that any
information could be dragged from the
| youthful officer. who, despite the fact
| that he has seen four and half years
| Of service, is but twenty-seven years of
age
There is only one thing that wor-
| ries a man when lie makes tank at
tack he said, eyes remote, as II once
again he stood at his post inside the
moving steel fort and heard the shrek
of shell and the patter-patter of Ger
man machine-gun bullets against the
steely sides of the attacking tank
Whats that?" was the breathess
query of the open-mouthed bystanders
crowded around the car on which the
| tank stood
THE only thing that bothers US, is''
| Captain Eaigh replied. coming out Of
| his reNerie, ARE we going to get TO
| the trenches ahead of US. There is no
\ room in a mans mind for anything
else" he said bending to light a clgar-
ette.'
As the big tank is by gender a mem
ber OF the female sex. II is not surpris-
| ing that "she" should agree to join a
number of Philadelphia young women
tomorrow morning at the north plaza OF
! the City Hall to assist the fair patriots
| in an effort to boost the sale Of war
saving stamps. The tank is due tc
arrive at the plaza at 10 o'clock and
will be on exhibition there all day Mrs
+. c. Bendere will be in charge of dis
| tribution of plenty of literature ad-
| vertising the war savings campaign and
the sale of war savings stamps.