South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-10-22

guns. and repeatedly had 10 aban-
don the attempt 10 get down.
From my hiding place could
hear the commander cursing the
gunners. and afterwards I heard him
order one OF his men 10 90 and tell
the battery commander 10 correct his
range or cease firing altogether.
I was lying all this time in the
garden Of a house not very far from
the inner harbor. and 1 knew that
any prisoners taken were likely 10
be brought along that road. 1 had
with me four trusted companions. !
but I was by no means certain that
they would be enough 10 effect the
rescue OF any prisoners should IL be
necessary TO rescue by force What
1 was really counting on was that
the Belgian government. who knew
OF the existence of the house where
/ was. would have instructed the
men or man deputed by the British
commander TO make straight for this
house as soon as he got ashore and
was certain that it was impossible I
to reach the boats again. This hope I
was realized. for after the firing had
died down l heard the sound Of hur- /
rying footsteps, and on looking out
I saw the figures Of two men in
British seamens uniform hurrying /
along the road.
Mistaken for German.
l jumped out and signed TO them \
TO stop. One of them evidently took /
me for "A German for he rushed at
me and struck me with his fist. L
partly lodged the blow. but could /
not prevent myself falling AS fell
1 called in English: Don't be a /
fool; 1 am the friend you are look |
ing for
The sailor then helped me TO my
feet, and apologized for his hasty
action. 1 told him it did not matter I
as it was better to be on the safe I
side. Rife shots were fred in cur
direction. but so far as I could see
they were random shots, and the
Germans did not appear TO have got
on the track OF the two sailors yet. /!
| found that the men were Seamen /
/ Robert Duncan and Petty officer
Mellor. Their task had been to re-
main on board the "Vindictive" TO /
1 best they could There was no ques- /.
| ton OF getting off in the boats with
/ the rest Of the men, but they had 4
/ TO take their chance Of reaching the |
shore and making their escape eth /
er before or after falling into enemy I
/ hands. Both men had been in the I
ha bit OF doing observation work /
ashore. and were remarkably skilled /
] in noting the essentials.
. They had learned all that they
wanted to know about the position /
/ OF the "Vindictive" between the piers
and ;hey were also anxious TO con /
/ firm this by waiting on shore until
/ they found whether the Germans
could succeed in dislOdging the boat
l from where she lay. All this and
more found out afterwards, but my
/ immediate concern was TO get the
| two men to a safe place. / hurried
them through the garden into the
| house. and they were hidden in the /
cellar
Fortunately the Germans did not
suspect the presence of the men
there even if they were aware of the I
fact that they had got ashore, and /
for two days we kept them in hiding. /
on the third day we fitted them up /
as Belgians. both men being able
TO speak French and Flemish we'll
enough to enable them to pass as
Flemish when speaking French. and
Belgian when speaking Flemish. /
They were dressed as Belgians Of the !
laboring class, and they went to seek |
] employment with the squads who
were sent down to repair the quay
walls damaged in the fighting.
Cool and Calm.
These two men remained at work /
long enough to find out that the /
Germans had failed in their efforts /
To shift the wreck of the "Vindic- /
tive" and that the passage was
closed 20 all but very light craft /
They also learned from overhearing /
conversations of the German naval
officers that Zeebrugge was then
useless as n submarine base, and /
that the Germans would very soon
have TO let go their hold on the Bel /
gian coast if they could not use it
again for this purpose.
I was lost in admiration for the
cool way in which these men put
their heads into the lions den. II
never expected them to come out
unbitten, but they did.
When they returned. they an
nounced their intention of making
/ their way along the coast TO Dun I
kirk. and I went part of the way
with them, but had to leave them
before reaching the neighbOrhOOd |
OF Zeebrugge We had little diff |