A SERGEANT'S PLUCK

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 52, 24 November 1917, Page 7

A SERGEANT'S PLUCK

INCIDENT. ON THE AISNE FRONT,

.. The other day there was an incident .on. one of the' platciiixat the foot of the Forest:of Coucy (north of Soissons) which earned for thelFronch servant, who was its hero—in'civil life he is a commercial travelletUhe Medaillo Militaire and. the Croix de Chevalier de.la Couronno Boyalo d'ltalic. ■ ■ .At half-past 5. in the morning, while he was, placing the men; of his section of look-outs in their positions for tho day he was. suddenly seized from behind by two German soldiers, part of a body which was to make a surprise attack.. They warned him by signs that he was to.keep .quiotj hut, ho managed to free his_ revolver 'arm and to fire a.shot to give the alarm, at tho same time calling out to one of his men— whom he had left about 20' yards off— to fire at the efruggling knot of men of.which he was a part- "instead of obeying him the man firca , into tho air, over, their heads, whereupon the Germans let go their hold ofHhe s'orgeant and. took to their heels. One of them had.a shot at tho'sera:eant\bei6rn t-hev' 'went, .'wjth the muzzle of Ms rifle al,.niost..touching the.' Frenchman's body The sergeant, however, managed 'to catch hold; of'the. barrel and turned the shot, so that it only wounded him slightly on'the thumb and chest. .He was sufficiently cool to'/notice that thoGermans had no! ..shoiilder"strapsor. badges,.a fact which si' Tees witb-a-general order recently , issued by the enemy to troops moving' up t« the assault. His resolution and pluck'in givinc. the ;;Slarin, instead-of tamely 'allowing himself to be'taken.prisoner, effectively put a 'stop to the little coup de main ,whjch..the'Gerfflans.had-ar-ranged. * . ■'"' ''■•■■■'•• '