Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-04
STIRRING TALES Of PER|LS
AND MANY HEROIC DEEDS
Even When Members Are Slain
by Enemy Shells.
LEADER DISCUSSES WORK
One British Telephone Operator Re-
mains at Her Post, Although Hun
Aviators Rain Bombs and Wreck
Building Where She Sat.

LONDON. August 3.-stirring tales
Of the perils and heroic deeds of Eng
lands girl soldiers" somewhere in
shell-torn France were told by Mrs. II.
e. Leach. head of the "waacs," in an
interview.
Hun airmcn werc bombardins and
smashing to smithereens the few re-
naming buildings in an already shell
wrecked town UP near the French
lines
Everybody save one girl was scam
pering for shelter. That girl. tiny
-ycar-old English lass. a
Wac" telephone operator, with bombs
and shrapnel pouring about her raZing
a portion of the very building in which
she sat. remained at her post through
IL all.
By miracle she came through with
out i scratch.
"of course, l was frightened at first"
she sniiled d. -.hut L remembered l was a
soldier. My duty came first. SO | Just
bucked upland damned the plugs into
the switchboard for dear life, warning
residents In towns farther back"
Here's how gray-haired woman
: w lac, communicate OF a camp OF ooV
girl "Waacs" (Women's Army Auxiliary
Corpse. by her heroism and calmness
under fire saved the lives OF every
member OF her camp during a Hun raid
that ruined and reduced TO a pulp every
building in the camp.
1t was midnight when n bomb from
one OF the German planes exploded In
the center OF the camp. Frightened,
half-clad women ran from their beds.
What might have resulted in a panic,
with it's appalling death toll. was
whipped into an orderly procession to
the shelter trenches by the calmness
OF the commandment.
For more than three hours and n
half during the raid she carried coffee
and food to the girls in the trench
and helped buoy up their courage with
reassuring half-humorous stories
She was given a military cross
THE GOODNESS OF the girls them
selves and their perfect discipline was
wonderful" said Mrs. Leach
CLASS OF WOMEN WHO
ARE DOING GREAT WORK
That's the class OF woman now be-
ing sent to the American army in
France. Each one Of them will relieve
soldier from routine duty such as
chauffeuring. officers orderles clerks,
cooks. etc. for duty in the trenches.
Starting at the beginning OF the war
with q few hundred army cooks, the
Waacs has grown into great army OF
40. 600 girls and women. 1000 of whom
are in service in France
Some drive army motor trucks and
officers cars, some do cooking. book
keeping. stenography and some even
care for the graves OF soldiers in
France.
All show the bravery and hcroism
of men under trying conditions. After
their camp was ruined by the German
air raid. the same 500 girls were trans
ferrcd to another nearby camp. Three
nights later CORPUS ChristD their new
camp was attacked.
In the same orderly fashion they
marched to the shelter trenches. a
bomb was dropped in one of the
trenches and exploded in the midst Of
the girls. Nine were killed and twelve
injured. But there was no panic. The
girls calmly cared for the victims.
The marvel Of it all was their dis
cipline." said Mrs Leach.
Queen Mary is the honorary head
Of the Waacs and Mrs Leach, wife of
Brigadier- General Leach. is the cXecu
tive head.