THE BRITISH STAND AT MONS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2245, 3 September 1914, Page 5

THE BRITISH STAND AT MONS

SOME STIRRING NARRATIVES A TERRIFIC ONSLAUGHT , London, September 1. A wounded Highlander, referring to the- four days' battle at Mons and Charleroi, says: "The Germans bluffed tho French into the belief that the main attack was being made near Charleroi. While they were preparing for tho Germans, the Germans, with ' a striking force of 400,000, were searching for tho weakest point, where the British happened to have been placed. They hurled themselves at us before we could look around. The lid of hell was lifted. "At first they advancod as though for a picnic, but wo ploughed gaps yards

wide here and there, and they then realised that the 'Funeral March , was more appropriate,, "When the first retreat took place on Monday, the Germans pressed on all their available arms to Tiarass us and shepherd; us into a position whore they oould have driven a wedge between us and the French. "We fought all wo know to prevent that achievement. Every man. was aware that the safety of the French Army.depended upon our firmness. "The heaviest losses occurred iu coverinc the retreat on Monday and tko following days; it was then that our guns were lost. ■ "The guns had weak infantry support, which did their utmost to stay the onward rush. Bluish-grey clouds of German marksmen picked off our norses, and then the cavalry swooped down. "The officers realised that it was useless to make further sacrifices, and ordered the abandonment of. the guns. I only saw one battery (four guns) thus lost. In another case Gorman Lancers ewooped down and killed the last mei. of one battery, but the situation was

saved by a couple of companies of the Munster Fusiliers, who rushod at the enemy with fixed bayonets, and put them to flight. "Lator on the Munster mon captured a few- German horses. The last I saw of them aud the horses, they were dragRing the guns away." Another wounded man states: "I saw a handful of Irishmen throw themselves in frontof a regiment of cavalry which was trying to out off the horses from ihe battery. Not one of the poor lads oscaped. Later they were finely avenged. When the cavalry came down, the Irish lads used the bayonet."

AT THE COST OF HIS LIFE. SERGEANT BLOCKS THE ENEMY. (Rec. September 2, 11.55 p.m.) London, September 2, morning. During the fight at Mone a handful of British held a canal bridge against overwhelming odds. The Germans, who wore a hundred yards away, were preparing to rush the bridgo when an pngineer sergeant saw that if they suo«edod a section of the Britishers would be cut off, so having ( little time to dynamite the bridge, tfie sergeant was only able to employ a few inches o{ fuse. He ran forward and. destroyed the bridge, but his head was blown off and, as an eye-witness said, "Another Victoria Cross was saved." BLAZE AWAY AT SOLID CERMAN MASSES. A PRIVATE'S STORY, (Reo. September 2, 6.40 p.m.) London, September 1, evening. A private in the Rpsshire Buffs declares: "It was simply grand to see the cool way the men blazed away at the solid Gorman masses. One company had exhausted its ammunition, and a German officer under a white nag offered to spare 'it if it surrendered, but the men only laughed and told him to 'Come and fetch us. . The Germans crept closer and closer, and when they thought they.had us we rushed out to ahow how the British surrender with bayonets. They were completely taken aback, and met us with clubbed rifles,' but we fought our way to safety." SOUTH AFRICA A "GAME OF - SKITTLES." EFFECT OF SHELLS SEVERE. (Rec. September 2, 7.50 p.m.) London, September 1, morning. Soldiers of the West Kent Regiment who were wounded state that South Africa was a game of skittles compared with Mons. The Germans came in great masses and it was like shooting rabbits, only as fast as one was shot another replaced him. The rifle bullets caused a very small proportion of the wounds, whereas the effects of the ehells were terrible. CERMAN RIFLE FIRE POOR. HIGHLANDERS SUFFER IN THE LEGS. (Rec. September 2, 5.6 p.m.) London, September 1. The consensus of opinion 5 of the wounded now in England is that the German rifle lire is extremely , , poor. Even their overwhelming - numbers would probably not have availed but for the excellent German guii fire. Wounded men state that the reason so many of the Highlanders were wounded in the legs and feet was that their legs were easily visible at a distance against khaki.—("Times" and Sydney ''Sun" Services. , THE TROOPS CONGRATULATED. FRENCH GRATITUDE. (Rec. September 2, 5.5 p.m.) Paris, September 1. After the battle at Mons Sir John French drove round the' English linos congratulating the men on their splendid work. General Joffre, the French Com-mander-in-Chief, eent a message to the British 'thanking them for their services which placed the French under a debt of gratitude which they can hardly repay.—("Times" and Sydney ''Sun" Services.) j A TREACHEROUS GUIDE. LEADS BRITISH INTO A TRAP, (Reo. September 2, 5.5 p.m.) London, September 1. ' During the fighting at Mons an interpreter and guifle in a French uniform led the British advance party into many nasty situations, and eventually into the arms of a superior German force. The British escaped and the man, who narrates the incident states that he eaw a- oaptain shoot the guide.—("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.)

WOUNDED SLAUGHTERED. \ ' GERMAN BARBARITY.- : London, 1. ; -Mr. Martin Donohoe, the London "Chronicle's" war correspondent, relates that a sergeant of the Middlesex Regiment, who was wounded at Mons, lay helpless while the German infantry swept by. The cries of the wounded told him they, were being ruthlessly, slaughtered. [ The- sergeant simulated death, but as the- Germans passed a violent blow on the cheat from a rifle-butt broke a rib.' Another Prussian stabbed him with' a bayonet.