The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-01-05
.RR|T|SHER FILLED WITH HATRED
STAYS EIGHT GERMANS WITH CLUB

WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN
FRANCE. Jan. THE full story oil
the heroiSm Of British captain VINO
WAS 40 moved with hatred Of tho Ter
mans for Gripping his child with a
bomb. that he attacked and killed eight
of them with club. and withstood a
sudden German onslaught by his IN
spring leadership, had just been r''
ceirad. THE tale has made the cap
tain's name hv-word Of gallantrT ana
bravery in III" British camp. Here are
tho facts:
When the Germans delivered tnelt
tremendous assault against MasnleTeS
and Marcoing during their general OF
fenslve on November %0th. those TWO
towns and the territory about them
were being held by Il division or Eng
lsh troops. On the stan OF ING COM
handing general there was dash'ne
captain who may he designated as zap
tain Black. for purposes of this MARIA
tive.
Black was man Of long service.
and much beloved by all the troops.
He had been Il jOval companion un'lI
recently. when. during a German AIT
raid DYER England his baby girl was
crippled for life by Il bomb. Black had
, become bitter against the Germans.
and had sworn that he would exact
full penalty for the airmanS deed.
The captain little knew when he
turned in on tho night OF the 18th OF
November how soon he would be able
10 get his revenge. Next morning the
Germans attacked Masnieres in force.
and the brigade to the right Of the
troops holding the town was forced to
fall back The brigade In tho town.
however. stood firm and fought the
enemy off Meanwhile. waves OF Ger
mans had swept by to the south or the
town. and were swarning westward.
Captain Black came out Of his head
quarters south OF Marcoing 10 find five
Germans already in possession OF a
great dump nearby. SO quickly had
the enemy advanced that this was the
! first intimation that they were nearby.
Black had in his hand heavy walking
stick. which was his only weapon.
| Without moments hesitation he
| charged The dump alone, and beat
about him so fiercely that he Drained
all five opponents before they recov'
cred from the surprise. He had made
good his VOW, but his work was not
, finished.
! Other Germans appeared west OF Les
Rues NertS,. 4 southern suburb OF Mas
! nieres. Black collected all The signal
ers. cooks. ordcrleS and other servants
available. and with two companies OF
regulars delivered an attack towards
! Rues TerteS. The Germans fell back
and fierce hand-to-hand lighting fol-
! lowed. Black led his little army from
house to house. and as often as the
| Germans made stand he drove them
out, until finally the whole suburb had
! been cleared with the exception OF one
machine gun. whose crew OF eight men
kept pumping bullets into the British
ranks.
Black charged this machine gun
with one orderly. Four other brave or
derlies had been shot down beside him
caught as the machine gun was reach
! ed. Black then attacked the Germans
previously. and this one also was
with a revolver in each hand. and shot
down the last man Of eight. This
cleared Rues Tertes OF the enemy and
| outposts were established about the
place. Black had been wounded dur,
ing the fighting, but he held on TO his
command until relief came next day
This story Is not the only one to be
related Of that bitter day about Mas
nieres. A regiment which had the
stitfest part OF the fighting in the town
was made up Of troops known as die,
hards." and they fought all day with
rifles and bayonets at close quarters,
and never gave a step in the face of a
great onslaught made against them.
! During the fighting the colonel had
been wounded in one eye. and so seri-
Gus was his injury that his other eye
became useless. His troops continued