CAVALRY WORK IN FRANCE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15108, 26 October 1914, Page 9

CAVALRY WORK IN FRANCE.

BRITISH OFFICER'S THBILLI>"G STOEY.

GREAT BRITISH CHAEGE

The following letter, written by a Yeomanry officer on September Ist, from the Chateau FoatenclJo, near tho Belgian frontier., has been received by a relative in Surrey:—

'•I have-had tho good luck for a Yeomanry officer to get attached to a, taxalry Brigade in i-mHh-Dorrien'i Division. They would orJy take for routine men v-itli a good c-yo for country, and General AHeuLy tipped the scale in my favcnir when he four.d that I had^ a sound working of Irenes, conversationally as well as grammatically. Nominally I. am attached to tho ■Ith Dragoon Guards ; bat. in fact, any jotr that comes along is given to 'extra , officers, especially if they arcsafe in tho saddle and marksmen with a revolver. . . . "NVoll, the hottest time so far has been tho fighting near Mo us, from which tho Uritisb Division retired after a desperate encounter with overwhelming forces—home say ten times cur strength—on Sunday, August --'3rd. Thou, on Monday, Tuesday, und Wednesday, v.c fought rearguard 'actions, and gradually tho enemy seemed to push on more southerly in direction. But there can be no doubt that Mons was the stiffo&t bit, and tho men were fcimply grand. With courage, determination, every muscle of their bodies at concert pitch, und with a dash, which cannot, bo adequately described o;i paper, tho Lancers, Hussars, and Dragoons absolutely the German cavalry. It was a magnificent piece of work, and tho artillery practice was making havoc in the enemy s ranks all the time. "We who wore on outpest duty on an eminence with tho signaller, about half a mile away, longed to bo in tho scrimmage, but had to bo content, with tho less noble part of spectators.' The roar was terriiie. and tho clash of arms when the bodies gained contact rent the air. Above all, tho voices of our men rang out- as we spurred on to tho charge.

".Many had flung away their tuiiics and fought villi tho shirt sleeves rolled up above the elbcnr. The German cavalry has not got tho pace and free movement of our men. They all seem stiffer in the saddle, and although superbly mounted, their horsemanship lacks the suppleness of th£ British cavalry. Soino of tho Hussars and Lancers> Avero almost in a horizontal position on tho offside ot : their -mounts when they wore cutting right, and left with bare arms. Our losses were heavy, but tho enemy suffered much more— four or five times as much is the estimate of tho General —in proportion to numbers engaged. Our two JJirisions against firo"German army corps—but when the facts are straightened out you will be more proud than ever of your little British aud tho ' r glorious achievements in Franco. A r'rench Canadian, born and bred in Quebec, Avho is with mo ns sergeant, and naturally spnaks French perfectly, literally wept with joy as ho tfaid to mo: "The Kaiser, without intending it, has proved to lx? tho greatest friend tho British Empire over met in its long and eventful history. "Wo are tho pieces. Ho lias supplied tho cement. , "Now, you will -wonder .'how it comes that "ivo . arc < in a chateau lighting instead of fightius in tho tield. iPhe story will interest you. "We aro hiding until it is safe to cloar out and rejoin the forco (French or British) when tho enemy has evacuated the country. On duty on .Wednesday. August L'6th. v.o ' weirt out scouting over a largish area and came across ji party of Uhlans, much the worse for wear, resting in a wheat field close to a spring. They fired upon 'us, whereupon wo chased them into tho wood, which swarmed rith infantry, so we did not wait to bo made prisoners, but took tho hifth ro id towards the Belgian frontier in tho opposite direction to that in which our division was inarchinp;. Wβ had pleiitv of revolver ammunition in caso wo encountered any Uhlans. Our horses wevo tired, and poor Poter was JlajcKinp; and longing i'oi a bran mash or meal and water as a tonic. About seven o'clock wo espied a'ttiudmill. and Sergeant Lo Farm approached it and found it deserted. TUo miller had clearly abandoned it. "Wo wero'signalled to approach by Lo Fanu, and to our delight found packs not quite emptied of bean-meal and middlings and one sack of oats. So we managed to givo our ten horses at least a feed and a throat wash and them inside the mill and mado them rest while wo climbed up to the Tipper story and kept a. sharp look-out, haring barricaded tho bottom door and closed every chink in the_ door and lower walls with sacks. Wo slept on sacks, taking the watch in turn, and we had enough biscuits, chocolate, and raisins to keep us from starvation. Next morning at dawn wo resumed our journey, Sergeant Le Farm and my servant being the advanced tile. Villagers, wno eyed us suspiciously'at first and wero uncommunicative, overcame their shyness nfc the sight of Englishmen, wlio carried proofs of their goodwill in tho shape of a recommendation from tho Cardinal Archbishop of Amiens, who has most kindly issued to several British officers ongaged in scouting and reconnaissance duty this most valuable sealed passport to the hearths and homes of Northern France. We were warned to avoid certain places, where tho enemy was known to bo iv somo strength, and a schoolmaster on a bicycle took us iv tho direction of this place, which ho knew would. be safe. Tho owner or' tho chateau is a widowed landowner, who would not leave her village and ucople, so I thought it civil to afk tho bchoolmaster to go on ahead with my card and compliments and explain that if it would embarrass her wo would seek rest ekewhere. "Tho reply came to us- without delay that 'a most cordial welcome was at the service of tho ten soldiers if they would accept tho shelter and ho&pitalitv of iho chat-can. . And what reception it was! Tho dear old bay eighty years of ace and walks witji a stick, her snowy whito hair dressed ala Mario Antoinette. She- seemed , like a picturo on tho walls of tho Palace of Versailles. Two Sisters of Charity, who were on a visit, attended her as she stood at the entrance to her beautiful castle, secluded in a grovo of trees —roses everywhere. I quickly explained our predicament. Wits it, I asked, dangerous for us to hide in her barns? 'Now, I have remained here because I wished to bo helpful. How can Ibe uioro useful in this war than by feeding travellers who have lost their way? Take off your uniforms. My servants will go at once and buy civilian costumes tor you,' was the reply. So we all kissed the hand of our benefactress and. are resting and hiding until wo receive, intelligence. The place is oif tho main route and away from turntfike roads, which explains why the dear old soul has escaped molestation. T have forty pounds in French money, but I dare not ask her to take a. franc, even, for tho clothes she has purchased. Tho joea sleep in a large, roomy barn, end I have a wash-house to myself. Our arms, uniforms, revolvers, and saddlery are under an , onorrnou* pilo of firewood. This goes to Dunkirk to our Consul.''