SAVING THE GUNS

Evening Star, Issue 15677, 16 December 1914, Page 6

SAVING THE GUNS

A wounded corporal of tho iVorthaniptonshire Regiment tells the following story—- " Of all the things I saw, what impressed me most was a battery of artillery under fire. It dashed up to a point that had been marked by a stake with a number on it by tho officer who was responsiblo for fixing the positions. Just as it stopped, the Germans, who seemed to have got the range to a fraction, sent shells around the battery. The horses got frantic, and began prancing and jumping and kicking in terror. The drivers, gome of whom had dismounted in readiness for unlimbering, held on to the reins, but the maddened animals were in such a state of terror at the noise made by the bursting shells that they could not be restrained, and at length they dashed off with the guns in the direction of the German lines. The drivers who had been trying to hold them were knocked down, and one was run over by a carriage, but those who had not dismounted hung on to the animals, and tried to pull them up. Meanwhile a party of men with other artillery horses dashed off in pursuit of the guns. They caught up to them, and rode alongside the runaways, but could not stop them. There was nothing for it but to shoot them, and this was done after some difficulty. Then it was necessary to take out the dead team and put? the other horses in. • Tho German shells had followed the bolting battery, and the shells came screaming at the men as they worked feverishly at their job. A number of them were hit, but the others stuck to their work undismayed. Just as they were getting the guns away a narty of German infantry came on the scene,- but by that time our battalion had moved out to cover the withdrawal of the suns, and we gave the Germans as much as thejr could ftiana." .'..*•