UNDER BRITISH FIRE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3572, 5 October 1916, Page 5

UNDER BRITISH FIRE.

PRISONER'S GRAPHIC STORY

(Australian and.N.Z. Cable Service

LONDON, October 4

Tho "Daily Chronic Jo' s" Paris correspondent states that a German noncommissioned officer, who was taken prisoner at Comblcs, relates that his battalion's losses were heavy ' before, reaching Corn bios, us the only road to it. was swept by shells. Once they wereinside tho fortress.they wore reassured. It seemed to bo absolutory impregnable. Tho subterranean defences included circular chambers, capable of holding 200 mon. .The subterranean pas?>fi2.cw. however, hud only two «xiL°, raid t.ho British fu;t illcry. with devilish precision, shelled the exits. " Wo wore pra"ticaJly buried a live.

i?or two days the doluge oi projectUea. i-fiiuinucil. Noi/liiiu.;, c:ui «"lc-.icriij»> :o. The earth Irembled. 'Our man fell into a fearful state of nervous oscitemento' Half of them were uiliable to do anything but weep. A iW tried to escape, and were never soon again. Our officers affected to be calm, but tycre moro' terrified at heart than we were. Soon provisions ceased to arrive. For two days more the awful bombardment con-" tinued above us. Everything . was, •ablaze. Our hut was suffocating." Ten oi my comrades were alraady dead • from' nervous shook.

"Then the assault came. Wo defended ourselves to the end, but wo could not withstand the British fury. We were crushed in bloody 'hand-to-hand fighting, and surrendorocV