Show BRITISH SOLDIERS TELL STORIES OF THRILLING experiences AT FRONT 70 i english cavalry gave good account of itself at mons cutting through much heavier mounts and heavier men than its personnel contained vivid description of naval engagement gager ga nent off helgeland Hel goland lod london A noncommissioned officer in the dragoons has sent to a relative a fine description of the work being done by british cavalry all our men in fact the whole british army are as fit as a fiddle and the lads are as keen as mustard there Is no holding them back at mons we were under general chet and horses and men positively flew at the germans cutting through much heavier mounts and heavier men than ours the yelling and th the dash of the lancers and the drago guards was a thing never to be tor ford gotten we lost very heavily at mons and it is a marvel how some of 0 our fellows pulled through and positively frightened the enemy we did somo terrible execution and our wrists were feeling the strain of bf heavy riding before sunset with our tunics unbuttoned we had the full use of our right arms for attack and defense after mons I 1 went with a small party scouting and we again engaged about twenty cavalry cut off from their main body we killed nine wounded six and gave chase to the remaining five who in rejoining their unit nearly were the means iveans of trapping us however our men dispersed and hid iri in a wood until they fell in with a squadron of the and so reached camp in safety after that a smart young corporal accompanied me to reconnoiter and wo we went too tar far ahead and were wera cut off in a part of the country thick with uhland As we rode in the direction of two wounded men were limping along both with legs damaged one from the middlesex and the other from the lancashire tusi fust leers and so BO we took the them up cure a grand sportsman corporal took one behind his saddle and I 1 took the other the men were hungry and tattered to shreds with fighting but in fine spirits pi rits we soon came across a small billage village ril lage and I 1 found the cure a grand sportsman and full of pluck and hospitality pita lity he seemed charmed to find a friend who vas as english and told i me that the germans were dressed in the uniforms of british soldiers which they took from the dead and from prisoners in order to deceive french villagers who in many places in that district had welcomed these wolves in cheeps clothing we were warned that tho the enemy would be sure to track us to the village the cure said lie he would bide the two wounded men in the crypt of hla his church and put up beds tor for them it has a secret trap door and was an ancient treasure lir house of a feudal lord whose castle we saw in ruins at the top of the hill close by then he hid away our and uniforms in the roof of the barn and insisted upon our making a rest chamber of the tower of his church which was approached by a ladder which we wore to pull up to the belfry as soon as we got there ho he smuggled in wine and meat and bread and cakes fruit and cigarettes with plenty of bedding pulled up by a rope we slept soundly and the owls owis seemed the only other tenants who resented our intrusion no troops passed through the village that night in the morning the cure came around at six and we beard him say mass after that we let down the ladder and he came up with delicious hot chocolate and a basket of rolls and butter or 01 lie be had placed in differ a mile apart and put french fittings on them so BO as to deceive the enemy he thinks we are well away irom from the main body of the german army moving in the direction of paris but will not hear of our leaving here for at least three days but I 1 cried cure we are deserters desert erst the old man wept and said deserters no no saviors saviors you have rescued france from the torments of slavery however we have now secured complete disguises as french culli yat vat eurs baggy corduroy trousers blue shirts boots stockings 9 s belt hat bit cravat everything to match and as we have not shaved for two weeks and are bronzed with the sun I 1 think that the corporal and myself can pass anywhere as french peasants it if only he will leave all the talking to me one thing I 1 must tell you the two wounded soldiers dont wish us to leave them because I 1 am interpreter and not a soul speaks english in the village so we have explained to the cure that we shall stay here until our comrades are able I 1 to walk and thew then the party of tour four I 1 will push our way out somewhere on horseback and get to the coast the sacristan at once offered to be our guide and it Is arranged that we take a carriers wagon which travels if lc this district and drive our own horses in it and pick up two additional mounts at a large village on the way to the coast french people very kind we must get back as soon as ever we can nothing could be kinder than the people here but this is not a bat we came to france for and hanging banging about in a french village Is not cot exactly what a soldier calls cricket you cannot imagine how complete the germans are in the matter of rapid transport large automobiles such as the railway companies have tor for towns round harrogate and scarborough built like char a banes bancs carry tile the soldiers in batches of 60 so that they are as fresh as paint when they get to the front but in point of numbers I 1 think one ot of our side Is a fair match tor for tour four of the enemy I 1 hope that the british public are beginning to understand what this war means the german la Is not a toy terrier but a bloodhound absolutely thirsts thirsty for blood corporal F r of the ninth lancers in a letter to a friend describes the action in which the cavalry took part on august 1 24 this last two weeks he be says we have had bad it very bard for the past ten days we have had about fourteen hours sleep and of course we do not feel up to much we had a terrible day last monday week when we charged the german guns we were under heavy shell fire tor for five hours and could not move the longer we stayed trying to get cover the more guns worked round our flanks we were in a real death trap and I 1 thought my last day had come it was hell on earth we had nothing to do but to run the gaunt gauntlet let three times during those few hours I 1 had tour four different horses each being shot under me but I 1 escaped ed without a scratch tells story of naval battle A member of the crew of H al S southampton which played such a valiant part in tile the fight off helgo land writes to his parents as follows we started the first thing in tho the morning when we had bad a brush alta ith I 1 to destroyers it was misty and they were practically invisible but I 1 believe they were hit twice before disappearing earing in the mist atter after that we turned and steamed out ot of it but were recalled by an urgent wireless message from one of 0 our ships which was in difficulties of course the ship was immediately turned and we proceeded at full speed to the scene of operations the enemy turned out to be a three tunneled funneled cruiser somewhat larger than us we immediately opened fire at a range of 0 to yards the enemy replied and steamed away from us but eventually we ran parallel things began to look lively as we were putting shells into her at the rate of five every ton ten seconds and six inch at that the shells have a terrible effect and fumes from them kill anyone within a range of 60 yards while they set on fire everything near them presently she was seen to be on fire and a few minutes afterwards a beautifully placed shell put paid to two of her tunnels funnels all amidships was now a raging fire and the end came when her ber mainmast went by the board we immediately ceased fire and altered our course going close to her ship out of commission my what a sight she was the fire amidships had made two of the funnels and flames and smoke were pouring out of her her port side was like a aeve every gun was smashed and bent some looking round corners some on their sides in fact her whole upper deck was chaos the was a tangled mass of ironwork while the wire stays from the foremast were swinging in the air what she was like inside heaven alone knows we passed within two hundred yards of her and the only living beings on the upper deck were one man on the quarter deck and what looked like a couple ot of ofil officers cers standing under what had been the many of 0 them had jumped overboard and ot of course were rescued but these only totaled seven officers and 79 out of the crew of or after this heavy firing was heard beard ahead and we shot os off again the enemy this time was another cruiser similar to the previous one and steaming in line we repeated the operation era tion only she blew up and sank before anyone could be saved while this was going on another ship approached pro ached and gave us a broadside which was replied to with interest to the effect that she left suddenly for a previous appointment in a sinkin sinking 9 condition it is believed and in flames this makes three ships in about one hours actual fighting after this we shot away out of the dauger danger zone and proceeded to home and safety when we came in all the ships manned the side and cheered like madmen |