THE BLONDE BEAST

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10000, 18 June 1918, Page 8

THE BLONDE BEAST

RAVAGED FRANCE

EXPERIENCES TIND'EB THE GBRMAN HAHROW. Tho following narrative was written by an inhabitant of those- districts in France which tho Germans were obliged to abandon jn tho retreat which was forced upon them by tho Allied offensive on the Soninie in 1916: — .... I will now tell you how we were driven from our homes. Ever since the 20th February U 917) requisitions had become more and more numerous; everything, down to the smallest fowl or rabbit, had.been taken from us. Rainwater pipes and sheet-iron roofings were torn down; iron rods a nd trelliwwork disappeared; pumps were broken up, and wells filled with d»ng. scraro-iron and broken bottles, ily was * preserved up to the last because, the water in- it was good, but several loads of dung had been heaped up round it ready to be thrown in. Tihevo was a pile of JJagsots ail ready to sot alight in every granary, and a nol e >n every cellar ready for a mine to blow up the walls. Every tree, down to the smallest rose-tree or gooseberry-busU, was mercilessly hacked clown. \ Two lasts wer.9 drawn up, according to age and occupation. Notwithstanding my official iwsition I had to leave with the other women-workers; my mother being included in the group of persons classified as useless, owing to their age and family duties. I went to see the '•Kommandant" and protested against being separated from her, tolling him that not only did my mother suffer from had eyesight anil would be entirely alone, but that I was quite unfit for agricultural labour. At first my protests had no success, J>ut I returned three times, and ended By telling him tihat I would not be separated from my mother. "You must do as you are told, or you will both bo shot," was ihia reply. '"'Very well, you can either ahoot us together, or let us go away together/' I retorted. Later on he told me that my mother should leave with me, as a laibourer. Since the 24th it had heen rumoured that we should not be. allowed to take more with us than a. bag weighing 50-60 lbs that could be carried by its owner —no portmanteaux, nothing but a kit bag and a string bag-with. a. few provisions. LOOTINO THE HOUSES.

idn February 25th. the first pai'ty of women and children started in tho direction of N'oiyon (a route q.uite unknown to all of us at that time). The people of the surrounding district (from the first form of Vichevolle to the last house at VadeowxHirt) were all obliged to evacuate their houses, and their 'homes -were looted, under the very eyes of the unfortunate occupants, with a thoroughness and voracity that even a professional burglar could: not have rivalled. Van-ioads of furniture, bedding, linen, and clothing passed bei'oro us. As soon as the pillage was over the houses were dynamited and set on fire, and the neighbouring villages suffered ifche same fate. It was a horrible sight and drove us nearly distracted, making us long for deliverance and loathe the whole band of ruffians and incendiaTies. On tho 28th the rest of the villagers left in one single convoy, as our persecutors' plans had been upset and they had no time to sort us out. Wo 60on (had to leave our village. We were in despair, but not a man or a woman a mong us would show.the despair that all felt. It was with, hearts of lead that we lef.t our little village, for we were quite certain that it would ha utterly destroyed. 'Even our enemies [were surprised at our resignation and courage, and one of them remarked, "You French men and women very brave, no weep." I replied to the officer: "You will have to give back, what you have taken from the French. Tlho Geraian prisoners shall build us houses to replace those you have destroyed.' The convoy started out in an icycold mist that soaked one to the skm and froze one's very blood. We thought iwe were going .to a railway station, !but after passing through Vadencourt, Vermand and Poeuilly, we arrived at Vraignes, and everywhere on our route we saw the same burning and looting going on. ■ HHRDED sIN GA-TTLE-SH>EBS. At Vraignes we sa-V a great many civilians, who told us that there would eoon be 1300 of us in this small village, where the best lodgings, granaries and stables were always kept for the troops; and we all had to. be got in somewhere. It was a mournful signt; poor old men and women, some half-wiitted, some ill, all herded together. The cattle-sheds that were too dirty for the Soldiers were left for us. and over 1300 of us Qaflu to be lodged, crowded togother and penned up in the cattle-sheds, grana-. ries, cellars, and hovels left by the soldiers. Some of the latter ..were touched at seeing so much distress, rffcd gave up part of their billets, and brought firewood and coffee to the old people. Soon fires were burning on improvised hearths made of two largo stoves, and the trees which tho Geiuaans had out down were used as fuel, but tho water slightly coloured with coffee never boiled, it was so bitterly cold! Many throw themselves on tho steaming straw of tha Germans' horses, to try to get a little warmth. The Oh. . . . family was with üb, so we were eight. Never would we have consented to lodge at the place we wore told to by the "Koianiandantur," as it was full of filth and refuse. I wont to the ''Kommandantur" and asked if we might at least have a stable that wo could clean, and found the officials there were overwhelmed with complaints. So I took upon myself to go and look for lodgings, in spite of tho "Kommandautur." «

I found two small rooms at a farm where, bv crowding closely together, oight of us could manage to get in with our belongings. Our hostess -nog kinness itself, she shut herself up with licr friends, so that our nrosonce should not attract attention. Wo had our meals in her kitchen. Oh. tho menu -was easy enough; rio© and beans and the provisions we had brought with ua in our baes! Wo had a little food, but very littlo as the Germans had sacked - the storeroom and carried off lard, suet ond Boan. W« had a piece of black sticky stuff that wo called bread, and so wo lived in a continual state of anxiety. Vet happy at not being driven out of our little rooms. A COLLECTION OF MISERY. At tho end of twelve days an order came that upset the whole village; it was announced at 6 p.m., that by 8 p.m. all tho refugees wore to ossomblo at two points, the church and the largo farm whero we wero. For the moment there was utter consternation. Tho soldiers left tho farm, 500 civilians cumo to tho granaries and stables 500 others were in the church, tho rest simplv sat shivering on. their bags, with their teeth chattering in spito of the few classes of coffeo we tried to ttiko to them. It was bitterly cold. Tho [treat hall was just a collection of misery: poor old people raving and dving in the midst of vermin, consumptives whoso end never seemed to come. W© had to live on. like that until our deliverance- came. Tho dead wero wrapped in a sheet and laid out in the passage, whero about 300 of us hnd to pass every day. We couldn't help brushing against thorn, and their shcet» wore covered with vermin. One man braver than tho others nulled up a few boards from tho stable and made a rour;h kind of shell to nut the first of our dead in, and the passage was emptv for a few hours Do vou know why all tho civilians received instructions to assemblo altogether? Vraigm-s was to be sacked. It was sacked methodically,

then the houses were blown up and the fire spread to the dwellings round about. The more savage ones amongst the Gormans would say: "What splendid fireworks!" We all looked on without a tear, without a word of protest. For several days and nights we saw the same orimes repeated at Vraignes, and could, sea immense bonfires in the neighbouring villages. However, their retreat took place much sooner than tnoy had expected, and thev didn't have time to destrpv the .whole of {lie village, «> that some of tho inhabitants had the good fortune to find their houses still standing, butthoroughly looted and emptied of everything.

We soon found another trial awaiting us. Tho 1300 inhabitants were made to assemble in the courtyard of tho fawn, fenced round with soldiers, and searched Some were searched onlv very superficially, but others verv thoroughly indeed. Tho Bochos collected more than 30.000 francs in marks, gold and banknotes. I was fortunate enough to get off fairly well, and only left one mark in the soldier's hands. Far from being in despair, wo took fresh heart, for wo felt that all this portended some change verv poon. Some of the soldiers, whilst searching us had given us a hint that deliverance was at hand. Soon there was no .longer anv "Kommandantur" left to rule tho district, and we heard that ordinarv patrols were taking the place of the troops, keeping strict watch all the time over the mass of tho Tefugces. DELIVERANCE.

At last on March 21st and 22nd we | saw a friendly aeroplane: it came to inspect the trenches near tho village, and saw. too, that wo were there. Soon ( after I saw the first Englishman.. He was followed bv some of his comrades, and tho English patrol smartly chased the last German patrol as it fled from Vraignes; we heard the sound of rifles! We were English! (Sic.) The English patrols came in in numbers, and nest day our friends brought some milk to the old people who were sick and to the children. Thev distributed tins of beef and bread among us. We had lost all sense of reality and felt as if wo wore waking from a long nightmare! We must have appeared verv dull and stupid; but we had been huntedsliko animals for nearly a month. But now wo were with the English. However, our trials were not quite at an end. The English patrols continued

to chase the German patrols. Our aeroplanes camo to erect us and wo hailed them with delight. They must have thought we had ciuile taken leave of our senses, tho way wo laughed and gesticulated. In tho midst' of our joy we wero still afraid that tho Germans might return, so wo implored tho English officers to let us go far, far away into France, where tho Bodies could never find us Again.

Our kind friends tried to reassure us in their usual .equanimity, and explained the whole situation to us. All the, roads and bridges had been blown up, the enciigineers wero a.lread> at work, but there was so much destruction everywhere. Thoy threw a bridgo over tho Somme, and repaired the roads that wero impassable to motor-cars for the moment. "Moreover," our liberators addeA, "we are here. The Bodies will not catch you again, and wo shall find means of getting provisions for you with the _ least possibV delay and your sick are being looked after already, come and see." And indeed, somo of tho English wero already attending to tho dying. Neither misery, nor vermin, nothing could deter them. An injection for one, a cup of warm rattle to another, a few kind words, and tMPhn.ll hod lost the sombre air it wore the; day before. Tho children had their share "of milk, and bow pleased tho mothers wero! Our friends had como with their knapsacks full of useful things: medicine, condensed milk, packets of tea and sugar and tins of preserved beef. Our turn soon camo, our friends gave us small rations of all theso good things which they kept on producing from the small bags they carried ou their back or hanging from their belt. What a feast for poor half-stnrvcd people who had nothing but rice patties to eat! Everything had to- be given to us in small doses, as wo wore in surh an enfeebled condition. All theso details will show you how kind and thoughtful our liberators wore. On Saturday the motor-cars Camo to

fetch the old people and those who were sick. It was as much as a cart could do to get along the roads, although the engineers were at work on them, so we expected the journey to be slow and painful. ... We did our best to conceal our impatience, as ouir liberators could do no more. RENEWED ANXIETY.

We -wCTe walking about among the ruins in soma of. the streets at Yraignes to while away the time, and the better to fix on our memories the much vaunted Gurman kultur, when a curious whistling sound made us shiver. Wo were being shelled.

All the poor refugees tried to find their way to the cellars and to get under cover. What a panic! What anxiety again! I can see myself now in the little room where I had fled to gather all that I thought most valuable. The sarth was thrown up from the garden against the window. The wretches -were aiming at the farm where we had all gathered together. At two o'clock there was a fresh attack. We wore in despair. Where were we to aide if the monsters continued? We had two cellars for about 1300 people. On Sunday morning we placed out bags in the church and, acting on the advice of the English.,' we left Yraignes hurriedly and started for Beauvincourr, where the Germans would no longor be ablo to teach us.

What a forlorn convoy we must nave made! We wore terrified, and all we could do was to carry a string-bag wiHi a little linen, some food and a blanket. Some more English came to meet us, bringing us some provisions, and directed us to a spot'near the church, -where we had some hot tea "with milk, round a good fire. Tho motor-oars got to Beauvincourt very easily. About i o'clock on Sunday outr party left this new refuge and started for Bray. We crossed the Somme front. Oh, what a scene of desolation and upheaval ! No volcano could have brought about such a change! Our poor I'Vancc! Poor land, is it possible that man can have wrought so much havoc and destruction!

At Peronno tho motor-cars stopped for half an hour; each oar was carefully overhauled, and we weio given a ration of hot milk and sugar. Tho weather was -worse, and -we wero shivering with cold and weariness.

At last, about midnight, wo arrived at Bray. There we wore a«ain warmly welcomed by our kind friends, but it was very- cold in tho huts, and we could hardly "manage to get warm, in spite of tho blankets our protectors liandod round to us. Wo were well cared for and fed, but we wore without bread; we hcrped to find somo in the village; so,>provided with a pass, wo wont in a crowd to Bray. The shops were vory poor compared to those in town, and yet how foolish we must have seemed to the people at Bray! Wo went into ecstasies over the display at the grocer's, the butcher's, and ' the baker's. Wc hesitated to go in, and asked timidly if wo might buy and eat auy of the things wo saw, and other equally absurd questions. Three days later started for Amiens in newly-dis-infected horse-drawn wagons; 30 of us in each one. Amiens at last! A sad little band wo must hnvo looked when wo got there, poor; homeless folk, all nuidstained, weary and anxious.