The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-03-07
TORY OF HIS CAPTURE
LIEUTENANT B. j. GALLAGHER
NOME FROM ABROAD
HELD IN PRISON BY HUNS
Waseca Man Relates the Con-
ditions Which Existed Be-
hind Teut Lines

Lieutenant Bernard ]. Gallagher,
Waseca county's only prisoner of war,
Is home today after eight months in
the hands of the Germans. Healthier
and happier and fatter than ever be
fore. despite his borrowing expert
ence. he arrived at the Northwestern
station at nine o'clock yesterday
from Chicago, after being discharged
from Camp Dix. New Jersey. He
landed in New York on February Il,
out
most widely experienced soldier, with
eighteen months in the service but
not one with an American organiZa-
ton, DIR. Gallagher modestly told the
story of his extraordinary visit to
Germany. The story of the events
leading UP to his capture by the boche
on March %, 1918, was the first first
hand account to reach Waseca of the
great German offensive of last spring
the drive which almost spelled de-
feat for the allies. 1t was during this
gigantic German advance of forty
five miles on a fifty mile front that
DIR. Gallagher was made prisoner,
while caring for a group of British
wounded men who had been outflank-
ed by the Huns and cut off from their
organization, which had been forced
to retreat
Lieutenant Gallagher was serving
as Battalion Medical officerNwith the
Sixty firss division. British forces,
which was holding the sector in front
of the ST. Quentin, when the German
army began its first great offensive or
the spring on March 21st, 1918. His
division at that time was on the eX-
treme right flank of the British line.
The German drive was started along
a fifty mile front from Arras to ST.
Quentin and had for its purpose the
cutting of the British line at its juno
ton with the French, thus cutting
off the British and French and rolling
the English back TO the sea.
Contest Began March Fl.
THE great contest began on the
morning of March "a, at 4:30 a. M"
DIR. Gallagher stated TO The Waseca
Journal Radical. 1.-The artillery fire
that opened up was as terrific as any
war. The Germans broke through,
and the British line was driven
steadily backward for eight days. We
were constantly being outfianked by
he eng =, bottled lrrp, and then get :
ting ous< hrongh the neck of the bot
tie. The roads were packed with
French civilians from the towns and
villages trying to get out of the way
of the Germans, all of them wheeling
their carts and chickens and wheel
barrows full of effects, always taking
more than they could carry and being
compelley to dump much of il along
the way as they were overcome with
fatigue.
"On March 26, the remains of our
battalion dropped back along the
roadside for short rest and some
thing to eat, for we had had little OF
either for several days. On March
% our organization went into posi-
ton at village called Marcelave,
about ten miles east of Amiens, and
1t was here that l was taken pris
oner"
During the heavy Smelling of the
afternoon, the ambulances were un-
able to be brought up to the dressing
station at which he was serving The
casualties were heavy. The battalion
was entrenched behind railroad cut
ting and DR.. Gallagher's station was
about half a mile ahead of the lines.
receiving the wounded as they came
In. During the afternoon more than
200 wounded men I were received
through his station. After giving them
first aid, the more heavily wounded
were being taken back to dugouts and
old cellars in carts, wheelbarrows
and every other available means OF
transportation.
Realized His Fate.
1--WE had taken all of our wounded
back except about twenty and l had
just come out of one of the cellars
which were being used as safety
stations for them, when / saw the
German Very lights so up, to let
their people know all along the line
where they were. 1t was then that /
first realized that we had been cut off
from our battalion. which although
it had planned 10 hold the position
all night, had been forced to retreat
again. Word that we were to aband n
our position never reached me, anG
we were left, with twenty wounded
men, in the hands of the Huns.
81 was in the cellar talking with
some of the men when received my
first greeting from b German soldier
He was a non commissioned officer
who had ccme into our improvised
hospital to investigate. He inform
e6 us, after viewing the situation.
that ambulances would be brought up
in the morning to take away the
wounded men. Next morning no am
balances came, but group of Ger
man officers Visited us and assured MS
that they would come during the day
sometime.
Forty eight Hours Without Food.
"We remained there for more than
forty eight hours, with no food OF
water, ard nothing more, was heard
of ambulances. During all this inc
we Were being shelled heavily by the
British, probably by our own battalion
On the third night. / went out to try
to secure some relief for the men
several of whom had already died
and was "recaptured' by a German
enlisted man, and taken proudly to
what appeared to he a Battalion
headquarters, exactly the place was
looking for. After vigorous protest
German off'sers came back with mt
h hon -,