The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-02-09

Ills ullIlu W 6SCdpe, ana InPee
sOre he was successful.
front of some of our lads, bullet
whizzed past and entered a fatal spot.
The German fell dying to the ground.
There was a Complete sileAce for
about ten seconds, a sort of anticipa-
ton that the Germans would have
their revenge for their comrades
death. Had it not been for the re-
strain. exercised by their officer I am
almost certain they would have ami
Inflated thu lot of us All the same,
we were treated like dogs. If we fail
ed to move aside we were kicked, and
i at the same time bayonet would be
| held at our throat.
| 1t will be remen bered that when
8ritain's Volunteer army first came
in contact with the Germans, the lat
te! showed what hate really meant. 1t
was said that the gallant Canadians
were massacred, and that some of them
had been G. A+cified. Some of these tales
are true, some are no., but I can
vouch for the story of the fate of two
Canadians who were crucified.
Prior to the Germans capturing the
trenches two Canadian Sergea7ts were
taken prisoners. They were alive and
well when they fell into thu hands
of the Huns, but they were never seen
alive again. To be precise, they were
crucified on two trees just behind the
firing i,Le
I was not entirely satisfied that
these two brave men had suffered
such fate until I was being convey
ed up the lire. at the base of one tree
I saw one of the sergeant's tunicq,
whilst within short distance 1 saw
the other sergeant lying at the bottom
of another tree, dead.
Bowen Two Dead Huns
So ended my career on the battle
field. I had only been in action about
10 hours, and here I was-a prisoner
of war.
| The trench was n shambles, and I
tel you I was pleased in Il way to
leave tn" gl:vstly sight behind. We
were marched eff towards the rear
of the lines.
T. SO happened. however, that an Old
injury to my knee had broken 1ut
again, and ccnId hardly walk. 1 wss,
therefore, to my surprise, at once TAX
en- before a DOCTOR, along with &. busler
called Bond, who also belonged to the
Durhams.
The doctor, who was able to speak
English, treated me quite civilIy, 1ln1
dressed my injury. Following this,
the bugler and lost touch with our
comrades. We were ordered to des-
cend some dark steps, which led 70
an old disused cellar, above which
was a barn.
There wera NO badc nor aovtbJpo
to convey that the place was used as
a base dressing station. There was
however, plenty straw On the floor,
and so I threw myself down upon it,
and prepared myself for a good sleep.
was just about doing off when
I was disturbed by tramping on the
steps, and on looking towards the en-
trance saw two Germans being
brought in. They were very badly
wounded, and 1 felt surprised when
they were each placed at my side. I
never thought 1 should see the day
when I should have to sleep between
two Germans.
5 Though their groans were pitiful to
l hear, nevertheless I closed my eyes
t and fell asleep.
The following morning I awoke,
and found the two Germans still by
: my side. Not a murmur came from
/ their lips. 1 thought this somewhat
r strange, so I leaned over one IF them
2 and shook him gently. He never
= stirred. He was dead.
then looked at the other man, AMI
r / found he was also past human help.
J. Thus I spent my first night in Ger
= man hands between two dead bodies.
: Shortly before nine o'clock, which
: was the time I was called to leave the
d evil-smelling cellar, I saw one of our
officers, Captain Coulson, who at that
time, l believe, was unconscious. l
l spoke to him, but he did not respond.
y Two guards then appeared on the
scene, and we were ordered to go
still further down the line. Both OF
{ US were in great pain with our injur-
ed legs but the guards gave US no as
3 sistance, so Bond and 1 hobbled along
:, the best WY we could.
On our way l noticed a great guam
II tity of German artillery which was en-
. tirely screened from view In fact
had not one of the guns fired W.
y should not have know it was there.
AS we marched over the open fields
- the German soldiers rushed towards
: US and gave us a good cursing, which,
i however, did no harm. So LONG as
Il thew onlv cursed I didn't feel at all
c worried about my life. Those men
= who could speak bit of English jeer-
= ed and yelled at US and suggested
y what they were going to do to the
English swine.
On coming to a village we were
Il bundled into what at one time had
T been a very fine old church, but
y which at this period presented very
- : sorry spectacle. Hail. OF the steeple
/ had gone. There were no signs of any
T Belgian men in the village, but /
caught a glimpse of few women who
however. were completely under the
|. heels of the Germans.
n They peeped al uS through the