Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-10

the top and started for the German
positions. The enemy con- .nander de-
cided to retreat with his batch of pris-
oners to the second line rather than
defend the front trenches. 1t was a
critical moment. AS we were lined up
the "Hurrah" of our comrades reached
us. 1t stimulated us to spontaneous
decision.
We threw ourselves, 500 strong, at
our captors, wrested many of their
rifles and bayonets and engaged in a
ferocious handto.hand combat, just
as our men rushed through the torn
wire entanglements into the trenches.
The confusion was indescribable; the
killing merciess. / graspeC five hand
grenades that lay near me and threw
them at group of about ten Ger
mans. They must have all been killed.
Our entire line across the river was
advancing at the same time. The
first German line was occupied by our
troops and both banks of the Styr
were then i'm our hands.
Thus ended my captivity. l was IN
German hands for period of only
eight hours and amply avenged even
this brief stay. There was great ac'
tivity among us for couple or DAYS.
We fortified the newly won positions
/ ana dfOlllti ilNdNh u -
foe, Two days later we received the
signal to advance. But again our
artillery had failed to cut the German
wire defenses. After pushing on
against the withering fire and in
curing heavy losses. we were com
PEELED to retreat, leaving many of our
comrades wounded and dying on the
| field of battle.
Our commander improvised relief
party by calling for twenty volunteers.
/ | responded among the first. Provided
with twenty red crosses, which we
prominently displayed, and leaving
our rifles in the trenches, we went
out in the open daylight to rescue the
wounded. I was allowed to proceed
by the Germans almost to their barbed
wire. Then, as leaned over a
wounded man whose leg was split l
heard the click of trigger and I'M
mediately fiattened myself against the
ground. Five bullets whistled over me-
one after another, most of which
landed i'm the wounded soldier, killing
him outright. l continued to lie mo-
tionless, and the German sniper was
evidently satisfied that he had killed
me as we'll / remained in this posi-
ton till night, when | crawled back to
our trenches.
OF the twenty Red Cross volunteers
only five returned alive.
The following day an order OF
thanks was issued by the commander
to all those soldiers who had been cap
tured three days previous and took
the initiative to save themselves by
fighting their captors. NV name ap'
peared first on the list. Those OF us
who had refused to give any informa'
tion to the enemy were praised in the
order One soldier, who had revealed
to the Germans many vital things
was executed. l was recommended
for a cross of the second degree, but
being a woman, I received only a
medal of the third degree.
We met the year 1917 while resting
three versts in the rear. There was
much fun-making and merriment In
the reserve billets. Although the dis
cipline was as strict as ever, the rela
tions between the officers and men had
undergone, in the three and half
years of the war, complete trans
formation.
The older officers, trained in prevail
conditions, were now gone, having diet
in battle or been disabled. The new
Junior officers, all young men takel
from civil life, many of them forme
students and school teachers, were lib
b, eral in their views and very human
in their treatment. They mixed freel!
with the men in the ranks and allowed
us more liberty than we had ever en-
joyed At the New Year festival w
all danced together. These new rela
tions were not entirely due to the nev