A SOLDIER’S ADVENTURES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 222, 8 June 1915, Page 3

A SOLDIER’S ADVENTURES.

HOW HE ESCAPED FROM THE GERMANS.

A thrilling story of how he escaped from a Belgian hospital “ captured ” by the Germans, is told by Private E. Clarke, of Hockley, Birmingham, who was with the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment in the fighting near Mons, was struck by shrapnel. “About 3 a.m. on the day of the fight,” he says, “shells were dropping round us like snowballs, and sixteen of the eighteen fellows in our littletreneh were killed outright. Two of us lay wounded for over twelve hours, with nothing to eat, before we %verc pulled out. It was an awful scene —a thousand times worse than hell!” Private Clarke was afterwards removed to a Belgian hospital at Wesmes, where a piece of shrapnel was extracted from his leg. Shortly afterwards the institution was “captured” by the Germans, a detachment of the Kaiser’s men marching in and the papers being taken from, the Colonel in charge at the point of the bayonet. Clarke’s escape from the hospital was effected with great pluck and daring, A well-known Belgian merchant, who has also a big business in Manchester, came visiting the hospital every day, and one day Clarke asked if by any chance ho could assist him to escape The merchant replied that to attempt to escape in soldiers clothes was impos sible, but promised that if he could get into civilians attire he would do what he could for him. The wounded soldier replied that that was easy enough, and it was accordingly arranged that Clarke, who limped badly from his wound, should meet -the Belgian at a little place called Quarhoh, si short distance away, before dawn the following morning and to follow him ai a short distane behind. He did so, and they proceeded to the house of a friend of the Begian, where they breakfasted

Subsequently the .kindly merchant'hired a hack and they wore able to pro ceed on ther curacy unmolested inspire, of the fact that they had to pass Gor-/ mans no less than five times. Private Clarke witnessed many cvrful sights while in the hospital. Three soldiers died of lockjaw, while a Belgian woman was brought in wounded, who was shot because she did; not onto the door uickly enough when the Germans called. A it tic girl was t also shot through the stomach by Germans, Private Clarke' fought in three engagements in the South African Wa.-. In ordinary life he is well-known as an actor-vocalist.