The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-04-04
HUN PRISONER
WAS DELIGHTED
WANTED TO GO BACK TO NO
MANS LAND AND GET BROTHER
DARING OF AMERICAN PATROL
Made a Rush on Enemy Lines in
Broad Day Light and Brought
Back Four 5osches. Germans
are in Desperate Plight.

London, April 1.-THE story, most
heavily freighted with human interest
to American readers, that has come
out of the big battle in France, was
carried by an Associated dispatch
from the American army headquarters
1t tells of the daring of a United
States patrol which captured four Ger,
man prisoners, for which each member
of the. patrol is to receive the French
War Cross. The Americans to be re-
warded are:
Lieut.. George Redwood Of Balti-
more. Sergt Henry Momgeau Of Cher
ry Valley, Mass. and Privates Edward
Armstrong OF Mariana, Pa, Carson
Shumate of Ada, w. Va, and Bernard
Bolt OF South Bethlehem, Pa.
Thankful Prisoners.
They were four thankful young Ger
mans, grey clad and mud spattered
who were brought to the American di-
vision intelligence office this after
noon by the patrol, which was operat-
ing in the Toul sector. The grey uni
forms they did not like at all, saying
in the German equivalent that they
had been fed up" with the whole
business of war. The mud that spat-
tered them was from certain locality
in No Mans land through which they
had been piloted earlier in the day by
their captors.
They were thankful because for
them the war was finished. One young
Saxon was so struck with the good
treatment and the good food that he
asked permission from the officer in
charge of the patrol to go back
through No Mans land. and get his
brother Two of the quartet volunteer
ed the information that they had tried
to escape from Germany into Holland
last September but had been caught
and showed back into the ranks.
Gave Much information.
All frankly gave up every bit OF in
formation they could. some Of il being
of extreme value. They assisted the
American intelligence officer by point
ing out important points on military
maps. H ..
How they were captured is a story
Illustrative Of the spirit prevailing
along the American front. 1t was 3
o'clock in the morning when informa-
tion reached a certain regimental
headquarters that six of the enemy
had been seen going into an outpost in
No Mans land.
1.-The regimental intelligence officer,
a lieutenant was awakened and order
ed to go get EN- He gathered his
men as he went along toward the front
The outpost was some distance away,
but the party reached a point in front
of it without being discovered. They
then crept up closer. The lieutenant
looked in, saw the Germans, motioned
his men to come nearer. and when the
of four rifles and one automat-
ic pistol were pointed in the Ger
mans direction, the lieutenant, in
German, demanded their surrender.
-Four of the enemy held up their
hands, crying kamerad.' The other
two<tried to escape. They were fred
upon and dropped in their tracks.
1.-The sun had risen and the Ameri-
cans faced the prospect of recrossing
NO Mans land in daylight. They start
ed out and not knowing at What in
tstant German shells and bullets would
rain on them. Either the Germans fail
ed to see them because OF the falling
rain or held their fire because they
did not desire TO kill the prisoners.
The Americans returned unscathed
with their four prisoners.
The Americans took the captives to
a fire and there one Of them urfrolled.
from a newspaper a chunk of the
Asourest smelling, hard, black bread
THE Americans had examined and
started munching it, Then the Ameri-
cans started breakfast and plates of
steaming food and white bread with
good coffee were handed the captiyes.
They stuffed themselves full. remark
ing that II was the best meal they had
had for many months. The youngest
was the first to say that he was glad
he was captured and then begged per-
mission to go to certain post TO set
his brother, who, he th0pgbt migbt heI
there. ia is nj 1eY II +.
| Would Have Deserted. nr
III l had known | would be treated
like this would have deserted long
ago. he said. Everybody back there
is being killed. We have all had
enough of this war. never wanted to
get into It.. and tried to escape into
Holland. but was forced into the ranks
where ! had nothing to eat and had
death staring me in the face every sec
ond."
| After the prisoners had given all the
linformationthey could they were turn
ed oyer to the French.
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