HUN AIRMEN ATTACK WOMEN

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 309, 18 September 1918, Page 3

HUN AIRMEN ATTACK WOMEN

TWELVE "W.A.A.C'S" KILLED IN FRANCE BRUTAL AND DELIBERATE 1 ATTACK In a military hospital in the middle of London is a ward full of wounded soldier-girls, fresh home from France— bright-faced cheery Waacs, who nave lost none of their womanly characteristics while they have been proving their heroism in the land where big deeds are done. _ "We were, of course, far behind the lines when we were damaged," said, one of them, a red-haired girl, with a shrapnel wound in her side. "We all got our wounds at the same time in an air raid just a week ngo; we were together in a town which for three weeks was raided night after night by enemy aeroplanes for somo reason, possibly because Fritz knew it was a rest camp. Anyhow, they never let us alone if there was the least bit of moonliglit, and the alarm used to be given us by means of a whistle every night at about 10 o'clock. Then wc collected our mattresses and blankets and marched wit of the town about a mile away, where our trenches were dug specially to give us protection in these times. "When the rnids first began to take place we used to go to some woods outside the toww, but the Huns seemed to 'see us every timo against the chalky ground as we went up, and would come down over the treeß and fire their ma-ohine-guns through after dropping their bombs. For nine days I never had my clothes off at all. Last ,Wedn'esday the warning came as usual at 10 o'clock, and we trooped down to the trenches laden with blankets and mattresses, and then we heard the aeroplanes buzzing in the distance and the bombs dropping. They seemed to fall so thickly that we believed the aeroplanes would discharge all their cargo before they got over the town, but the noise got nearer and nearer, and we heard the bombs raining on the town, and thon tho machines came overhead, about a dozen, I should say, and we saw them faintly in the moonlight against the sky as we crouched down. "A bomb fell on the edge of the trench, and the only girl I have ever seen unnerved in these raids ran along to me crying like a little child and flung her arms round my neck. There didn't seem to be anything to do for her, 'so I simply held her while the 'planes came on, and then one of the macliines had trouble with its engines and came down within 20 feet of the ground, saw us, and released a bomb. It fell on the edge of the trench, dropping on to a loaded petrol lorry. The lorry blazed up and revealed us nil to the Huns, who then showered down bombs. I think about ten girls were killed. I felt a piece of shrapnel m my side, but didn't say anything for fear of frightening the girl who was with me still more, but she found her arm covered with blood, aaid instantly she seemed to lose all fear and did what she could when 1 got a little faint. "Then bombs fitted with some kind of gas fell. ' Tho 'planes disappeared after releasing all their cargo on us, and tho unwouuded girls were trying to help those who were hurt,_ when the nurses and ambulances arrived Soldiers from the camp rushed up, and swore that when they were back in the line tho'Huns should pay for bombing women. I waß not really badly wounded, and was sitting on top of the trench, the last one, waiting for an ambulance to come along. "A Tommy wandered along and said, 'Don't you know they are having rollcall ? Good Lord! are you wounded ?' and he bound up my arm, which we .both thought was injured. Ho fetched his officer, who had me earned, to the Waacs' hospital, to save" time waiting for the ambulance, and the next nightwe heard the raid from the underground hospital in the town. ."When we left for England .French chi'dren crowded round us, anxiously inquiring if wo were very much hurt, and smiling at us. Tho nurses wore wonderful to us—just like mothers, and we can't say how much we think of them. Of. course, an air raid is bad, but don't we'have them in England.-' And anvwav, it's a pity if you can t stand a little for your country whan the boys have done, so much. I have come back from France with a deeper appreciation than ever before of the splendidness of men and women."