HEROIC FRENCH MESSENGER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 1407, 1 June 1916, Page 3

HEROIC FRENCH MESSENGER.

96 HOURS SPENT IN .CROSSING VERDUN hATUtEJfLKLiD,

A „ PARIS, March 31. A glimpse 'of what may be called the mechanism of the Verdun battle is given by an officer just returned from the lirst-line trenches. . Ta^ e . a regiment starting for the firing line. You would see it break up along the road into little groups into light fractions or units, with a respectable distance between them with tne object of reducing to a minimum the number of victims in case of a ''inai-mite" falling among them. f On the firing line the same dispersed order is maintained. The hand of death h given the least possible hold on the troops. It follows, that each little unit acquires a, sort of autonomy. The chiefs of each platoon or section engaged m the first line keep their company captains (stationed slightly in the lear) constantly posted aa to their movV rnents or situation. ... The captain having collected, the information, advises the 'battalion commander. - And, from majors to . colonels, - from colonels to brigadier-generals, from brigadier : geiierals to; generals of division, the reports, a^iysed,l3if ted, condensed, finally ieach r the Commander-m-chiet.

Ihe methods of transmission of such reports and orders (in so far as the first lines are concerned, at any rate) are practically limited to liaison officers and messengers. The liasion agent is often an ordinary soldier^ like the bugler Haverland ot the 33rd Regiment, who for 96 hbuis traversed continually' the mile of battler, field separating his major from ,the cclonel. That mile of ground wasvunder constant phtll-fire. . : '"

Three, times Haverland had his rifle smashed in his hand. Undisturbed he went to •anfl; fro with his reports/ Communicating to the colonel his own impressions, for this humble herp wa,s qopl enough tojook about him and- take -an interest in the battle while, making., his perilous journeys. . -> ; -,>v, ,'-,.>.