STORIES FROM THE FRONT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3168, 2 December 1914, Page 5

STORIES FROM THE FRONT.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, October 2. An otliccr of the Lancaster Regiment, now in the London Hospital, relates that, together with four wounded men of his regiment, lie endeavoured to escape from German custody. On the way they met a party of Germans, whom they hoped to Capture, but they were hopelessly outnumbered. Thu Germans fired upon them, but failed to register a hit, and the gallant five sought refuge m a farm. Here they were discovered by the enemy, who blew up the farmhouse and killed the four men. The officer was rendered unconscious by a huge beam falling upon him and pinning him to the ground, and when he regained consciousness he asked a German officer who was standing near to have it removed. Although the officer was suffering agony, the German only laughed sneeringly at him, and placed a soldier as sentry over him. In this position he remained for throe days without food or drink, and at the end of that tunc, the Gormans having left, was found by our own men, who at once removed him to the hospital. GERMAN GENERAL’S NICKNAME. Old ‘ Von O’clock ’ —that’s vi hat w r e call von Kiuck, partly because of h;s name and partly because his troops nearly always attack us at that time of the night—was at his tricks again the night 1 got hit, just over a week ago,” says a wounded noncom. of the Devonshires. “ I was on outpost duty, and was questioning the man in front, when something suspicious made him challenge sharply. In good English he got the reply Friends!' and just as he had rapped out ‘ Advance ’ he dropped at my feet with a dozen bayonet thrusts. I sprang back, making enough row to alarm our chaps, and scon our pickets fell back all along the line, before the oncoming enemy. A big party of Germans horse and foot, were after bur scouts, racing like mad to get to headquarters with the news of the enemy's onslaught.” THE GUNNERS’ FAREWELL! “ Good-bye, you follows !” Thirty gunners of a British field battery had just been killed and wounded Thirty others had been ordered to take their places, knowing that they were going to their death. Th : s was their last greeting to fheir comrades in the reserve lino. Two minutes afterwards every man had been put out of action, and another 30 went to the front with the same farewell greeting, smoking cigarettes as they went to almost certain death. The “Black Marias” were falling thickly behind the battery, killing and wounding every man serving the guns. Eventually tno ncrsistence and accuracy of the British fire had their effect on the German artillery, an.;! British infantry was able to advance and take the opposing position at the point of tiie bayonet. Similar incidents occurred all along the western wing, enabling the Allies to hold their own against tlhe repeated furious onslaughts made by the Germans in their attempt to break through. WONDERFUL INFANTRY. An officer writes on September 19 with reference to events after fighting near Mons: —“ Next day we trekked slowly for 14 hours back to Le Gateau, and the following morning began the battle of Le Gateau, about which you know more than I do, I expect, as I could only see a very small part of the field, in which wo wore pretty successful. About 2.50 p.ra. we had to withdraw again, and wo marched all night long until 9.30 a.m. on the Thursday, and again from noon till 8 n.m. To add to our miseries it rained all that awful night. I had no idea men could be so absolutely dead-beat from want of sloop, and yet go on. The infantry were wonderful, and two days afterwards had collected themselves and were as fresh as ever almost, though, alas! in smaller numbers. , . . Of course, one knows very little of what goes on, but everything is turning out trumps, and in a day or two Brer Gorman will be badly on the run, I think. At the present moment I am wiiting this in a hole sunk in the ground, lined with straw, which is yery comfortable—nice and warm and dry.” AS THOUGH AT DRILL. A lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery, writing to his father on September 19, says: My battery has just received the congratulations of the general on our good work. The major pushed us up to within SCO yards of the enemy's trenches, just behind a wood, and from there we laid out two German batteries and kept down the infantry fire. I could hardly speak at the end of the day with shouting out orders in the din, although I had a megaphone to help me. The men were very cool, and worked just as though they had been at drill. At one time during the day the village where we are had quite a theatrical appearance, men and horses falling, -shells bursting, houses on fire, and nothing but smoke and noise. But ths battery went on firing steadily all the time—ammunition came up regularly. We had a topxmng target a few days ago. I was sent on as advance guard with my section, and spotted a column of transport on the road three miles ahead. We opened a deuce of a fire on them and scrapped the whole lot. Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, were doing tho same further up. We afterwards saw the result. They had abandoned foragewagons, supplies, bicycles, rifles, and ammunition, and heaps of killed lay around.” A PRIVATE’S BRAVERY. Private J. Warwick, of the 2nd Durham Light Infantry, noir in the Manchastcr Military Hospital, says that at the battle on the Aisne the Gormans were entrenched not 80 yards away on the other side of a hill, their trenches being far the more formidable. “ We had not long to wait before ahells and bullets began to fly about us in &U directions. Our men tried to rush up the hill, but first one and then another fell under tho hail of fire. The Germans ■were at least 12 to one, but our men held their own, fighting as I have never seen men fight before. We had a great leader in Major Robb. He led tho men splendidly. Lieutenant Twist, one of our number, tried to advance with a company up the hill, but he was quickly shot down. I saw him shot, and although the shrapnel •was flying and bullets were coming like rain, I made a dash and brought him back to the trenches. Then I saw Private Howeon, a Darlington chap, fall, and I succeeded in bringing him from the firing line. The poor chap was shot through the neck and tho shoulders, though I believe he is still living. I then went back again and succeeded m bringing in Private Maugham My last journey was tho most -riLnilt of all. I had to travel over the Iresfc of the hill to within 30 yards of the

Gorman trenches, and how I cseaxied bei.-ffe killed I really do not know. I crawled on my stomach and got along as best I could, and I am glad to sav that I succeeded in bringing Major Robb back right, as it were, from the very noses of the Gormans. It was a hard job to get him, and in my effort I was shot through the back and fell.”