Evening star., 1943-08-04
u. ). Officer Finds
His Countess-Mother
Is Heroine at Front
BY GAuLT MaeGoNA<,


AN ATLANTIC BASE SECTOR.
North Africa, Aug, tNANAl,~~
When 25-year-old 1t Nicholas Rad
ienow landed here his mother met
him at the quayside He had finally
caught up with her in her war Rc-
activities.
She is the Countess Ladislas du
Luart, director of the French mo-
bile surgical service, which, since
the outbreak of the war. has been
financed by funds from New York
1t now has "a vehicles and a staff of
60 French surgeons, nurses and am
bulance men. The Countess op-
Grated her vehicles, succoring
wounded Frenchmen and Americans
during the initial battles after the
Moroccan landings, and then went
to the Zaghouan front with the
French Army She was right up at
the front in the battles around Jebel
Mansour last Easter, treating 1900
cases in six weeks.
The Countess came to Africa
from France, with the permission
of Vichy, to attend typhus victims
in the notorious Columb BeGhar
concentration camps. These were
released following the American
liberation of North Africa
Saved From Frances Fall.
Hundreds of New Workers in 1899
and 1910 subscribed to the fund for
creating this amazing outfit, which,
owing to the ingenuity of the
Countess in moving 10 the depths
of the African desert, was not lost
after the occupation Of all France.
The supporters of the French war
effort paid $4,000 to establish Coun-
tess Du Luart's outfit They would
be thrilled If they could see the testi-
monials that Lr. Badjenow has seen
out here. 1t. Badjenow is the son
of the countess first marriage. A
beautiful, blond Circassian princess,
she married a Russian colonel of
Czarist days.
Following the tradition of her
country, they eloped on horseback
while the brides relatives charged
after them, wildly firing revolvers
into the air. So the countess began
her career of adventure in which
she has proved herself one of the
bravest women in the world.
Member of Foreign Legion.
Besides numerous decorations. she
holds the grade of first-class private
in the French Foreign Legion-an
honor bestowed on her after the
Zaghouan battle in recognition of
her services behind the legion's lines,
She is the first woman member of
the famous fighting organization
1t. Badjenow joined the United
States forces as a private and rose
to the grade of sergeant before he
was commissioned He was educated
at the University of Virginia.
While he has been separated from
his mother he has acquired many
rivals for her affections, for the
countess has become mother" to
thousands Of her patients.
The first American she aided. on
November 9, 1912, sent her picture
inscribed ITO my mama, with all the
affection and gratitude one heart
can hold-your son, Kirby"
He was Arthur H. Kirby of Nash
vile. Tenn, who subsequently was
decorated for yalor in Morocco.
1t. Bsdjenow also saw letter
from group of Polish prisoners
released from Columb Bechar, testi-
flying to the splendid job done there
hy the countess American-endowed
ambulance corps in relieving the
niseries of the inmates of that
desert prison.
Kept Unit Intact.
Nine. Du Luart's work virtually
paralleled that of Gen. de Gaulle,
but in the sphere of mercy Con-
vinced that the need for her mobile
surgical unit would come again, in
stead of accepting the Vichy phony
peace, she kept it intact. Her faith
was justified when she was given
the responsibility of caring for the
toughest surgical cases from the
three divisions fighting at Zaghouan.
Gen. Koeltz, the corps command
er. wrote her from his front-line
headquarters that "bv the extreme
care and devotion to duty of all your
personnel. many Of our valiant SOL
diers were pulled from the Jaws of
death, and found, after their hard
combat, aid and comfort"
The countess is now organizing
her group to go to France with Gen,
Giraud's army of liberation, and her
son hopes to catch up with her again
In Paris.
fReleased by the North
American NewSpaDer Alliance Tnr