“THE MEN BEHIND THE GUN.”

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3873, 9 March 1915, Page 7

“ THE MEN BEHIND THE GUN.”

A SURPRISE FOR THE GERMANS. FINE BELGIAN FEAT. LONDON, Jan. 15. The Belgian soldier fights differently to any other soldier in.the field. He alone' in this tremendous war ol machinery audl machine methods has nmmdlv adhered to the old methods of light ing, and retained his individuality. When, strategically, the bel-u-ian armv was supposed to be on the defensive' each Belgian, soldier was individually on the offensive, ever 011 the w a toll to exact an eye for an eye or a. tooth for a tooth from the brutal barbarians who had overrun Ins country and trampled underfoot everyll.l’.s lie lield dear. What «. h.lhtary strategy to men whose homes mid been razed to the ground, whose dear ones had been murdered or assailed by the ruthless Huns? Consequently the Belgian campaign lias been marked throughout by incident and surprises, by sudden charges, l,v detached affrays, waged with primal fury, man against man, horse against horse, in which quarter was never given nor expected. Such flu affrav occurred recently a little to the west of Dixuiude, at; an advanced post of the Allies’ line, tightly held by the Belgians. The Germans thought the point so weak that it might be broken, and they despatched a small column of men to essay the task. . ' They were sighted by a Belgian outpost patrol—a mere handful of a dozen biiefi, with a machine gun. Obviously the proper thing from a military point of view was for the patiol

to,have fallen hack on its main bod* 1 and given warning of the Geunaii at tack.' But the little hand 0. Bt - | gions did not look at it Horn that , point of view. They decided to the advance, and let the sound ot the tbdtting warn their comrades. A small (Inserted farm house commanded the road the. Germans must take, and thither the Belgians betook themselves with their, machine gun, ulnon they posted ot a window, command mg tile open mail. The Gormans came on —200 or more —ilever imagining that their advance was to he disputed. -They marched on steadily, and the Belgians in the farm house withheld their lire until they came within close range. 1 hen thov onened out with-then; rifles and machine gun. 1 he stolid gveen-giet line of advancing Germans was thrown into confusion by the unexpected attack. They stopped short in dismay, and,# while ' their officers endeavored to urge them on, the Belgians 111 the farm house kept the machine gun incessantly at work, and picked off the Germans with thqjv rifles. At that range it was almost impossible to miss. German after German went down, and finally the whole column souMit inglorious shelter in the ditches beside the road, while the officer in charge sent a hurried message baeic for some artillery reinforcements. For several hours the gallant little band in the fann house kept the foe at-bav, picking off. every German helmet that showed itself and stopping aIF efforts to -rush the faun house At length the German battery came'up, and opened a murderous five on 'the farm. Ihe end -of the

brought- up Belgian reinforcements just at the right- moment. AN lien Ue Germans made their infantry attaeu on the farm under cover of their battery they were met- with a terrible voliev, and a party of Belgians came forward on the run with fixed baronets. There was a short, nerco struggle: then the Germans, unabie to face the cold steel, turned and flejt in all directions, pursued by the beiTlie hand of defenders of the farm house suffered heavily. Four ot them had been killed, and nearly ad the remainder had been severely wounded. They were taken hack to the Belgian lines, and thence to a base hospital, where most ot them are on the fair wav to recovery, and looking forward to another encounter with the hated /?nemy.