The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-09-19
Beottie UP Writer
(NEA Telephoto)
(Continued from Page D

The three correspondents left the l press camp on Sept. l2, intending to cover the story Of c mass surren. der by the Germans near Chattil- lon. They ran Into trouble north of Chaumont.
 TrIcked
 We passed Q bridge on the Join. vile road where we met two men wearing bands of the French forces of the interior" the correspondent said, We decided later they were Germans, because they waved ug Into c trap,
 Just north of the village of Bretheney we encountered series of broken branches, and decided to turn aohut. But the NaEis had . diffirent idea"
 About 300 Germans opened fire with machine guns and rifles, he said, Deattie and two others hid behind the jeep, while he sprawled In c ditch.
 The party finally waved c white handkerchief, because they were helpless. The German fire slack. oned nlomentarily, then was re. sumed.
 The correspondents heard an. other jeep approaching, and warned 1t to halt. Six soldiers sprawied In c ditch after being fired upon. T then stood up and surrendered to c blond, frightened German youth, tho correspondent said.
 When he returned to the jeep he found Deattio and the others cap. tured.
 The prisoners, including three in. jured SoldierS-two others were Killed and one wounded in the at. tack-walked through Bretheney md were loaded aboard small truck.
 Given Coffee
 They were given coffee and warned that if they tried to escape they would be shot. Then they were driven to Chaumont, where they were interviewed at the head. quarters of the German command. ant.
 All their papers and one identifi- cation tag were taken, but their personal effects were not molested,
 The wounded correspondent was taken to e hospital ct Chaumont, accompanied by his companions.
 "The wounded man got excellent treatment" the correspondent said. He was taken to large French hospital, where c bullet was re. moved from the flesh Of his left leg.
 T was told the wounded man la. ter was removed in an ambulance, presumably to Germany"
 The prisoners were taken to bar' racks and locked in Q small room Beattie was allowed to bid his wounded companion Q final tare- well.
 "Then we were taken to Q cell and fed dark bread and coffee" the correspondent said. "At Beat ties request much of our property was brought to the veil, but 1t was SO dark we decided to wait until morning to sort 1t out" Early Orders However, they were taken away on such short notice the next day that they had no time to take any, thing. About 1 a. m. they were awakened and told that one Of them must leave.
 "Beattie volunteered because he spoke German, and was taken away" the correspondent said. "La- ter I was told that he left Chau- mont in a convoy bound for Ger many"
 The rest of the party was re- moved toward Nogent in a truck convoy. When observed by an Amer ican plane, the Nazis forced their prisoners to help canouflage the trucks. They later were confined in a railway station for the remain- der of the day.
 Before dawn on Sept. IA, the prisoners proceeded to Montigny. They were transferred to a German naval unit and confined to a farm house, where they were well treated.
 Long March
 The prisoners were forced to March toward Germany all through the. afternoon of Sept. i4 until about 5 p. m. when they got a sur- prise around Jonvelle. A Nad non- commissioned officer suddenly told them they were free.
 "At Jonvelle we met some Allied troops, and after wining and dining us in q barn we reported to the combat command" the correspon- dent said. Prom there we were tak- en to another headquarters"
 The correspondent and driver re. turned to the press camp about II a. m. today.
 Beattie's capture interrupts professional career which began with sports writing at Yale and brought him into the center of some of the worlds biggest news stories of the last l2 years.
 Between European assignments he made a trip around the world and for several months was sta- ] feo,satl tra Tyntwn and GkanahaA