Heroes of France

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 September 1916, Page 2

Heroes of France

♦ .-TORIES OF HI? A VERY AT VERDUN. Paris. July C. A semi-official report issued here states:—For the past four months ail unprecedented amount of lier<u-sm lias been <Vsp!:iyc<! before Verdun. To appreciate this one has only to see the men who return from the battlefield waited and worn-ont but proud in the consciousness of the great task they have accomplished. Verdun is the shield behind which victory has been prepared. There is a battalion which fought for ten days in broken ground to the north-west of Tliiaumont. Tt withstood twelve att u-ks. delivered twelve attacks and met twelve counter-attacks. One day it had to face ten German companies, including a machine-gun section and two sections armed with flammenwerfer and; fire grenades. Among the heroes is Lieutenant Lepicard, inspector of a large company of skilled territorials. When a German counter attack succeeded in penetrating our lines and the machine guns of the Bosches had been placed in the trenches Lepicard asked the commander to be allowed) to lead a section against the guns. It meant certain death, but he inspired his astonished men with his sang froid. "Daring lads," he shouts, "let us charge like musketeers of old. He gets as for a* the parapet of the trench and falls with sis bullet# in his body, but- tlto trench is retaken and the German machine guns are destroyed. Some of his devoted men wish to carry his body to the cemetery. ''Such a man as this," they siv, "should be buried m •a proper cemetery." A SOLDIER'S ADVENTURE. The adventure of a soldier should also be related. He is taking an ord, 'r by night and stumbles, falling into the hands of the Germans who capture him. He promptly (swallows the dfspatch containing the order. He is hurried towards a German machinegun section and is invited to servo one of the guns. He naturally refuses, but the French To'.s Ijoyji 11 to fire and put the enemy to flight. Left alone he takes a machine-gun on his back and regains our lincts. Worthy of special mention are the men of the machine-gun sections. They have fought at Sedan, Fere Chainpenoiie. La Boisselle. Hebuterne, Tahure. Audi Verdun. Some call them "the Fearlcs." others "the Bosche Terrors," One section wan reduced to two men and their guns were partly buried. Ought they to be abandoned? An adjutant and two soldiers threatened by flammerwerfer resisted the grenade attacks, and having repulsed the Bosch cs unearthed their guns and replaced tlieni in the battery.—Exchange Telegraph Company.