New Britain herald., 1918-03-07

|N43 &s0Q QlarterS StdlI.)
 sG5ne morning we were sitting on the Esteps Sof the gun pit of our sacrifice battery when the call came Cook house Np," meaning breakfast was ready. We had found some water in an old shell hole and were preparing for the meal, when of a sudden bang! bang! uppc-kruppebing! of artil lery, bombs, and bullets started us back to the gun, half dressed, hat less, soap on our faces, to reply to the S. o. S., which meant quick action for the sacrifice battery placed for the purpose of protecting our infantry in case of an emergency enemy attack.
 The Huns were driving our infan- try back over the ridge in front of us twenty-five and fifty yards at is tirne.
 Up to that time the position of our guns had been well concealed. We had cam ouflaged them all over so that German airplanes could not de- tect them, nor could their observers on Mt Sorel or Hill 60 see them.
 On came the unsuspecting Ger mans, driving our infantry back. We were given orders to fire point blank. The Germans came directly in front Of us, over the ridge and in a few nom ents were just opposite us on the side of the slope. We opened fire. We blew gaps in the German lines and tore through their mass fOrma- ton.
 But it was impossible for our men to hold their position. The guns crew on the right of us were put out of business. The enemy came up bombing and bayoneting them. Our O. c. saw it was no use trying to hold longer and gave us orders to beat it. We had only two rounds of ammuni tion left, and that we had saved to blow up the gun, rather than let 1t fall into the hands of the Huns. But there was not time for even that. My pal burst the dial sight and l grabbed the breach and ran. With that gone the gun was of no use to Fritz.
 We rushed for our lives in the midst of the trees falling in all direc- tions, cracking branches and shell. The steel breach was getting heavy and when I came on a deep shell hole full of water I dropped it, seeing it covered with soft mud. Then l took cover with some of our infantry who were still holding out
 Several days later we went back, retook the place and Tecaptured our guns but they were badly shattered and out of commission. I hunted up the breach I had thrown away in that desperate moment, and sent It With the gun back to ordnance. Such is apt to be the fate of the sacrifice bat tery.
 Doesn't Believe Roche Coward
 By Sergt. Harold Baldwin,
 of the 1st Division, Canadian Expe- ditionary Forces. (Sergt Baldwin left his home stead in Saskatchewan, hurried to the recruiting office in overalls and jumper and signed up. On his re- turn from the trenches he spent sev- eral months at the Chicago Depot of the B. C. R. M- He gives the fol- lowing in Holding the Line'' just published by A. c. McClurg and Co.,
 Do not call the Boche coward be- cause he surrenders. It is easy to say you would fight to the death rather than be taken prisoner, but consider a man who has endured a weeks bombardm ent-craSh! crash! crr-r-mp. Roaring, blazing, one hid eous din, for days; everything being smashed to smithereenS; the smoke, the fumes, the stench. and last, but not least, dead and mangled com rades Wing around. Now, think how much fight there would be left in you.
 Shell fire will destroy the morale of : any soldier, for when @ man is fair enough to look facts in the face he will acknowledge that courage is common to any nation. No nation has a monopoly of it, and the Ger | man has his share.
 In these days perhaps he gives in rather easily; but he is getting Hell from the Allied artillery-at Least on the Western front. And, who knows. | perhaps doubts of their ultimate tri- i umph have begun to assail them. l 1 have seen them fight well with the | from a Hun no bigger than myself, I i we'll remember l hate to admit 1t, 1 but he licked me honestly; only his l sportsmanship saved me. He simply ! knocked mo silly-and passed on. I 1 hate and loathe their barbarity-I hate them for bringing this hell upon l the world, but I am English, and as such. must give the other fellow his 1 Gue.
 During my experience With the in i famous~ deeds of Belgium and France, l I always remember an incident which came within my own experience ] During our retirement one of our
 men was hit in the leg, and Of course 1 tcu down. It was impossible to take ! him~~wtth us. for we had to get back