The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-14
One Sergeant Picks Up Eight
Prisoners to Keep Prom
iSe to Chief.
DARING GROUPS AT WORK
Australians Capture $50 Men,
Is Machine Guns and
Trench MOrtars.
~ PERRY ROBINSON.
Special Cable Dsspntch 10 TIE srN from the
London Times


copsrioh'. 1918; all rtshts reserted.
WITH THE british ARMr IN FRANcE.
July IL delayed One Of the most in
teresting adventures in patrol tactics Is
still proceeding in the neighborhood Of
Merr!s. where. in full daylight and with
out artillery or trench mortar assistance,
small groups OF Australians carried our
line forward to within 500 yards OF Mer-
ris over a front Of 2.20O yards. They
captured more than $50 men, including
officers. Among the booty brought blck
we're fifteen machine guns.
Mere handfuls OF men were employed
IN the achievement OF this solid success.
This morning two patrols. among the
busiest maintaining our hold on No
Mans Land. were working along a rail-
way when four Of their number who
were separated from the rest came upon
forty Germans near farmhouse and
captured the whole group. This incl
dent provoked some rivalry and further
expeditions were organized As result
through the whole day groups of pris-
cners were continually coming back TO
tho cages,
There Is a true tale OF one Of our
sergeants who was told he might be eX-
cused from performing some little tas"
which 1t was known he disliked If he
could 20 out and catch six German
prisoners. lie su .gested the number was
excessive. bu; the officer who made the
offer Was adamant. 50 in company with
soldiers OF his company he set out and
reported himself an hour or two later
a. 2 i,h a
from whom tine prisoners were taken had
Just relieved a BaNariau division in
which infractions of regulations recently
we're reported and in which it frequently
has been learned recently that scipline
had been breaking down.
1t would not be true to suggest that
the morale Of the better German di-
visions is obviously reduced. but there is
no doubt that in this particular sector the
enemy has been cowed by the dash and
originality of the Australian patrols,
who in the last TWO months have an
neXed No Mans Lana Wherever they
have been put
In the Merris sector, which was very
different from the positions on the
Somme. no strong, even. regular line yet
had been dug, but before this advance
the enemy had forty-hye posts forming
an awkward salient in our line. but this
has now been completely Strengthened
out
Throughout the whole British service
there is an air of great grief because of
the loss OF Aviator McCudden His death
was due to an inexplicable accident He
was on his way from Scotland to take a
rev command and few over from Eng
land in his favorte single scatter plane,
landing successfully at the only aero.
drome in northern France, whore he had
business. After a short stay he set OF
L.yain to Join his squadron.
While he was sun only "A few hundred
feet above the ground his machine
slipped 10 one side and crashed into a
Clump of trees near the aerodrone. Nc
Cudden was killed instantly. The official
record OF his air victories SLOWS forty-five
enemy planes brought down and thirteen
driven down. The most outstanding fea =
ture Of his dying was his cool judgment.
lie would msnpuvre patiently for posi-
tion and keep at II with astonishing skin
and pertinaCity until the enemy was shot
down.
No man worked tarder to make and
ma aintain an esprit de corps in his squad
ron. II was his squadron's record mot
his Cwn--f for which he cared most and
for witch he worked hardest.