WAR NOTES.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 16 April 1915, Page 1

WAR NOTES.

LONDON, February 26. —Brave Men.— The exploit which gained Lieutenant Lead and Sergeant Hogan their V.C.s is likely to live in military history. A number of Germans were occupying a trencli running due north and south. At each r. „

end there was a sort of pocket or chamber, the connecting trench, being nothing but twists and turns at sharp angles. Following several unsuccessful attempts to take the trench, Lieutenant Leach and Sergeant Hogan; with 10 men, made a dash for the extreme south end of the trench, which they occupied. The 10 men were left in this chamber, whilst the lieutenant and .sergeant crawled along the connecting trench, their purpose being to drive the Germans into the north end chamber. They hoped the Germans would then climb out and make a rush for their inner lines, so coming under the fire of the 10 men at the southern end of the trench. Lieutenant Leach cleared the various sections of fthe twisting connecting trench by putting his arm round the corner and using his revolver. The Germans could not fire round corners with their rifles, bo they were gradually driven back into the extreme northern end of the trench. Instead of bolting, however, they called out, saying they would surrender. There were 36 of them, of whom 20 were wounded, so Lieutenant Lead and t'he sergeant made a highly-creditable " bag." —A Patriotic Wife.— A very good story comes from a Derbyshire village. A certain man received notice to present himself for medical examination, as he was willing to serve. "This is very strange," he told his wife. " I never even 6aw the household census paper, which I am supposed to have filled up." " That's all right," said the wife. "I filled in the paper whilst you were out. Potior T n „i-'o „,;n

Brother Jack s gone, so you will have to go." The husband did go, and he is now in training to do his bit. —Bird Sentinels.— According to 'The Times,' investigations show clearly that pheasants are excellent sentinels. "Several reliable witnesses vouch for the fact that pheasants in Yorkshire, Cheshire, and Lincolnshire were very restless (crowing, etc.) on January 24, between 9.45 and 10.30 a.m., whilst the naval action in the North Sea was in progress. In some cases the human ear could not detect the gun fire, but there is no doubt the pheasants werfe affected by it. —Foolishness.— The Government acknowledges that there are 15,000 alien enemies of military age at large in London. With these figures to ponder over, one can credit the statement of William Le Queux that if anyone understanding German likes to visit some of the public bars in certain quarters he names, they will hear numbers of Germans openly abusing t u "\ English summer, etc., and drinking to "the day when German troops will occupy London, which they think will surely come about. So long as the authorities show such absurd slackness, it is not surprising that the Germans here think their arms will finally prevail.