First British Casualties On Western Front

Northern Advocate, 18 December 1939, Page 5

First British Casualties On Western Front

(Received 2 p.m.) LONDON. December 17. BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE HEADQUARTERS IN FRANCE STATE THAT BRITISH FRONT LINE TROOPS SUFFERED THE FIRST CASUALTIES IN ACTUAL WARFARE. Several were killed and some wounded in night patrols in no-man’s-land. .All were brought back. The first big action has occurred on the Rhine From, says the Paris correspondent of the British United Press. 'There was an artillery duel between the big guns of the Magi not and Siegfried Lines, which hammered each other for several Honrs. Activity appears to he increasing. This morning’s communique stated that artillery and infantry action occurred at various points.

Hand-To-Hand Fighting The Paris communique last night stated; —

“An enemy detachment equivalent to a company, raided one of our posts, east of the Moselle, after artillery and trench mortar preparation. “Hand-to-hand fighting occurred. “The enemy was repulsed with heavy losses, and left behind arms and materials.”

It is officially announced in Berlin that the Danish, Dutch, Belgian, • Swiss aind Luxemburg frontiers will be closed each night at 8 o’clock until 7 o’clock the following morning from December 18 onward. The object is “to counteract smugglers and spies crossing under cover of darkness.” Prisoners Taken, Berlin Says. Describing the shock troop activity on the Western Front yesterday, the German official agency states that one unit heavily engaged the enemy troops in six dug-outs in the Fobach r-egion, inflicting considerable losses. “Prisoners were taken, and have enabled us to draw certain conclusions.

“Our losses were small, two are missing.”