Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-05-22
British General Boynton
Thrills With War Stories;
On His Way to Lecture

Melville Boynton, a general in the
British First Legion, sometimes
known as the Musketeers, an honor
airy organization composed entirely
of veterans with not less than one
medal gained in the present conflict,
a veteran of the Battle of the Marne,
of the Aisne and of East African
conflicts, after being continually en-
gagged in squabbles, revolutions and
wars of all sorts, is now in the
United States enjoying a short rest
and during this time he is working
in the interest of the great Ameri-
can Red Cross.
While in Harrisburg last evening,
on his way to Williamsport, where
he will lecture in the interest of the
Red Cross, he related some thrill
ing. experiences.
On his left hand Boynton wears a
handsome opal ring taken from the
hand of a dead German officer. In
gruesome fashion he related to an
eager audience of listeners, how,
when he secured the ring from the
finger of the dead Hun, dead for
some time, he took the finger with
it. This ring, is valued at between
three and four hundred dollars, he
is of Flemish make.
General Boynton, the only Ameri-
can wearing medals for service in
Central Africa and in German East
Africa, also has on his left breast a
handsome silver medal awarded to
him by King George after service in
the Battle of the Marine.
Boynton entered the service of the
French army in August, 1914. arriv-
ing there shortly after the war broke
out. Serving in the French army
until February, 1915, he entered the
service of the British army in March,
1915 and served in it until March,
1917, when he was wounded. At
that time he suffered smashed ell
bow from a spent shell. The only
other wound suffered by the war
veteran in this conflict is a shrapnel
wound in the neck, sustained while
in service along the Aisne.
Boynton, whose American home is
at Harper's Ferry, w. Va, was in
Brazil in 1889 at the time of the
revolution and enlisted with his
friends in the Revolutionists' army
against Don Pedro, the Second. En-
gagged in various conflicts almost
continually in the twenty-five sue
ceeding years. Boyntin at noon to-
day says he has never been on the
losing side, and II am d. sure
that am not on the losers side this
time" he added.
In the great world war, he has
seen service in France, Flanders.
British East Africa, Uganda, Vic
toria Nyanza, and was a member of
the British party that took German
East Africa, the last Hun territory
in Africa.
THE American Red Cross is doing
splendid work over there and l can
only corroborate what other return
eed soldiers have told you," Boynton
to-day said. 49," he added, "I
feel as if am doing almost as much
good aiding them in their efforts here
in America, as If I were on active
duty along some battle front" In
his lectures for the benefit of the
Red Cross, he gives an Illustrated
lecture, showing $4,000 feet of actual
fighting, gas attacks, etc. These
films, he said, are official British war
films and are only loaned. They
cannot be purchased, he declared.
The British Musketeers, all vete-
rams with one or more war medals
Boynton told, are serving largely
with British armies, although some
are with the French and some with
Italian forces. Most of them are
veterans he declared, "and will
son be back on the front with them.
likely with the American forces" he
added. He said that he expected to
again enter service this fall.