ORGAN RECITAL.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 263, 10 December 1914, Page 8

ORGAN RECITAL.

The following programme, consisting of Christmas aud request numbers, will be played by Dr Bradshaw, City Organist, at the final organ recital to be given in His Majesty's Theatre on Sunday next, the 13tli inst., at 8.80 p.m.:— Grand Toccata for the Organ in C major (with pedal solo) (by request), allegro, adagio, grave (J. S. Bach); Pastoral Symphony from the "Messiah" (Handel); Offertoire upon two Christmas themes, Normandy Carol, and "Adeste Fidele.s" (Guilmant); Overture, "The Mastersingers of Nuremberg," for full orchestra, by request (Wagner); Chorus from "The Childhood of Christ" (Berlioz); The March of the-Magi Kings (Dubois); Sacred Song, "Nazareth" (Gounod); Pastorale in E major (Lcmare); Concert Fantasia on "Home, Sweet Home" and "Rule Britannia," by request (Guilmant).

"OUR GRAVE." CONFESSIONS OF A HUN. A GERMAN OFFICER'S DIARY. The following extracts from a diary found on a German officer on a recent battlefield are issued by the Press Bureau:— August 9.—Near Gouvy (Belgium, N.E. of Houffalize), 7.30 a.m. We are still without orders to move. . . . Our orders must haA'e been lost on the road. ... I hear that our losses in the assault on Liege were something like 1800 men. August 12. —The brigade was warned of the advance of a strong force of the enemy, and was ordered to oppose it. . . . . The 2nd battalion billeted in Baplain. A filthy billet, far worse than a bivouac. August 14. —The Grossenhain Hussars (King Albert's Own) arrived and brought us the news announced in Dresden papers that the 64th Brigade (the writer's own brigade) had been badly cut up. And we haven't had a sight of the enemy. August 15. —The enemy is apparently entrenched on the Meuse. I went into the A'illage to requisition a dictionary, but I couldn't get one. ... I was astonished to find so much still left to requisition, especially butter, considering that the 177 th Regiment had gone through in front of us. August 17. —Damnably wet. We are staying an extra day here to prevent our men getting soaked through. "Pleasure of Looting." In the afternoon I had a look at the little chateau belonging to one of the King's secretaries (not at home). Our men had behaved like regular vandals. They had looted the cellar first, and then had turned their attention to the bedrooms, and tliroAvn things about all over the place. They had even made fruitless efforts to smash the safe open. Everything Avas topsy-turvy. Magnificent furniture, silk, and even china. Things that happen Avhen the men are allowed to requisition for themselves. I am sure they must have taken aAvay a heap of useless stuff, simply for the pleasure of looting. August 18.—We had several cripples in the 6tli Company. Late in the evening the train arrived (about fifty vehicles). They had come from Gouvy, after doing 60 kilometres, probably the result of a mistake in reading an order. August 20. —The men are not accustomed to long marches yet, and they are not as active as one could wish. I shouldn't like to take them under fire, eA r en after 20 kilometres (12 miles). At Achene we met the Jagers who took Dinant, but had to retire in the face of superior numbers of infantry. They told us the enemy's shooting was poor (too high), as in 1870. August 22.—Early in the morning the Staff sent us the news that Namur had fallen. Some of the enemy's aeroplanes passed OA'er, but so high that the infantry and artillery did no good by shooting at them. The best plan would be to send our aeroplanes after them. We haven't yet got any good antiaircraft guns. ' August 23. —Night alarm. A house was-on fire, probably to disclose our position to the enemy. A spy was caught and shot. "We Shot the Whole Lot, Our men came back and said that at the point where the valley joined the Meuse we could hot get on any further, as the villagers were shooting at us .from every house. We shot the whole lot, sixteen of them. They were drawn up in three ranks; the same shot did for three at a time. Two 6in howitzers succeeded in getting into position, and in tAventy shots reduced the village of Youvines to ruins.

The inhabitants might have escaped the penalty by handing over the guilty arid paying 15,000 francs. The losses in our regiment (30 killed and many wounded) were caused chiefly by villagers who shot at us from the houses. The men were absolutely mad at this sneaking way of fighting. They wanted to burn everything, and they succeeded, too, in setting light ,to several houses. In the afternoon our artillery fairly sprinkled the principal buildings in the place the whole length of the village with incendiary shells. It was a marvellous sight, the high ground from Dinant to Leppe (?) overlooking the Meuse all in flames. The division crossed the Meuse; you never saw such disorder.

August 26. —After passing , Merlemont we came to •Villers-en-Fagne. The inhabitants had warned the French of the arrival of our troops by a signal from the church tower. In the evening we set fire to the village; the priest and some of the inhabitants were shot. We passed through Pettigny and Couvin. Couvin had been partially looted. We reached Bruly and crossed the Belgian frontier. The villages all round were burning. We billeted at Gue d'Ossus, the first French village that was set on fire. Innocent Men Shot. The inhabitants fired on our men again. The division took drastic steps to stop the villages being burnt and the inhabitants shot. The pretty little village of Gue d'Ossus was apparently set on fire without cause. At Leppe apparently 200 men were shot. " There must have been some innocent men amongst them. In future we shall have to hold an enquiry as to their guilt instead of shooting them. August 28. —We heard that a squadron of Hussars had been almost annihilated by the enemy's infantry in the wood in front of the village. August 29. —Off at 3 a.m. almost in total darkness. The other side of Doinmery we came on a wood where a hellish fire stopped us. The whole edge of the wood was one line of fire. There was a panic; everybody gave orders and nobody thought of telling us to lie down. There was a shocking mess, shots in every direction. I wouldn't live tlirough those moments again for worlds. At last the captain managed to get a few men together to form a firing line. We were being shot at by friend and foe. It was a grave error on the part of the staff to start the regiment on a night march after three tiring days. . . . Suddenly firing began again. There was nothing to be seen but bushes behind which the Turcos were very cunningly hidden. The enemy has been remarkably well trained in making use of the ground. It was an awful fight; we had the sun in our eyes. We had to cross ground that had been systematically prepared for defence, with wire entanglements, etc. ... We got on to some high ground about 1000 metres from Launois when our own artillery opened fire on us. It wasn't a bit nice. . . . Our machine gun company suffered heavily from our own shells, unfortunately. Several officers were wounded. The enemy makes almost too good use of the ground, with the result that he

shoots too high. Bullets were always whistling round us without our being able to see the enemy even with an excellent pair of glasses. Behind the hillocks the Turcos were absolutely invisible. We took some prisoners, in particular an officer on whom Ave found a nice prize of maps of the whole of Belgium and the line of the Rhine. . . . The regiment's special job is to escort our heavy guns, and their job is to knock out the enemy's heavy guns, which are very difficult to locate, as .they dig themselves in very cleverly. . . The most disagreeable part of the. fighting was undoubtedly the enemy's artillery salvos. We marched to Villers le Tourneur. All the villages in the neighbourhood were blazing, as our artillery had set them on fire to protect us against attacks. "A Disgrace to Our Army."

August 30.—. .. We had to be very much on our guard against the enemy's cavalry that was trying to get round the left flank of our artillery. We soon found that the enemy had more guns than we had. . . . We seized Auboncourt. We are in a terribly tight place, as Ave have pushed far much too quickly. September 3. —Still at Rethel, on guard over prisoners. . . . The houses are charming inside. The middle class in France has magnificent furniture. We found stylish pieces everywhere, and beautiful silk, but in what a state! . . . . Good God! .... Every bit of furniture broken, mirrors smashed.

The Vandals themselves could not have done more damage. This place is a disgrace to our army.

The inhabitants avlio fled could not have expected, of course, that all their goods would have been left in full after so many troops had passed. But the column commanders are responsible for the greater part of the damage, as they could have prevented the looting and destruction. The damage amounts to millions of marks; 0A r en the safes have been attacked.

In a solicitor's house, in which, as luck would have it, everything was in excellent taste, including a collection of old lace, and Eastern works of art, everything was smashed to bits. I couldn't resist taking a little memento myself here and there. . One house Avas _ particularly elegant, eA r erything in the best taste. The hall w T as of light oak; near-the staircase I found a splendid aquascutum and a camera for Felix.

September 5. —I never want to make such marches again, simply a test of endurance. We crossed the Marne Canal on September 6... . . We were in a wood, which the enemy searched with shell fire. Left and right it rained bullets, but the one I am fated to stop Avas not among them. We cannot adany further; the enemy is too strong for us. Infernal shell fire. We had a dreadful thirst. A glass of Pilsener would have been a godsend. We could not hang on any longer, so we retired. We made several attempts to reach the village of Lenharre, but the enemy's artillery swept the whole wood so that we could make no headway.'And we got a sight.

French Shooting Accurate

We soon had the answer to the riddle, as the Avhole of the enemy's shooting was so Avonderfully accurate. actually on the enemy's practice ra"hge. .... The Guard Corps was on a .ground" which, the enemy kneAv like the back of his hand, and so was in an extremely critical position. Our artillery could do nothing, as there was nothing to be seen. Absolutely exhausted, we waited for the night. September 8. —We went forward again to the attack against an enemy perfectly entrenched, in spite of his artillery fire, which nothing could silence. A perfectly insane fire opened on us, infantry and shell fire with redoubled intensity.

A magnificent spectacle lay before us; in the far background Lanherres was in flames, and we saw the enemy retreating, beaten at last. The enemy shelled us furiously and scattered ua with his machine-guns. We got to the village at last, but were driven out of it again, with heavy loss. Our losses were enormous. The 17$ th Regiment alone had 1700 men wounded, besides those killed. It was hell itself. There were practically no officers left. One word more about this artillery range; there were telephone wires everywhere. It is thought" that French officers hidden in trees were telephoning our exact situation in the woods.

September 9. —. .. . Where was our intelligence branch? Our artillery arrived half an hour too late, unfortunately. The French are indefatigable in digging trenches. "I Am Terribly Depressed."

I am terribly depressed; everybody thinks the situation is critical. The uncertainty is worst of all. I think we advanced too quickly, and were worn out by marching too rapidly, and fighting incessantly. Seytember 15.—. .. . After marching till we were all absolutely done, and our feet knocked to bits, we were sent into the fight again. And they call us reserve troops! September 15. .. . After marching Corps passed all day. Their infantry has lost as heavily as ours. God knows what the idea of this reinforcement is.

I am convinced that this country will give us all a grave. The 105 th Regiment has had a furious fight with the English. A shell has just burst in a house and killed ten men.