TRENCH GIRL’S SACRIFICE.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 February 1918, Page 6

TRENCH GIRL’S SACRIFICE.

PRISON FOR HELPING BRITISH SOLDIERS.

FATHER AND CAPTFVES SHOT

A brave French girl, named MUe. Germaine Chaudrel, who lived her family in a little village ne Guise, in the Aisne Department, -just returned to France after two and a half years in captivity, in German

prisons. The Journal relates the very dramatic events in which she and her family took a glorious and leading part. It was on October 20, 1911, that the region of Guise was invaded. M. Chaudrel and his family composed of the girl Germaine, aged 15, and his son, aged 16, had remained in their little farm. On that morning, while in his fields, M. Chaudrel suddenly saw a British soldier come out from behind a hedge and approach him, followed by ten others, These poor fellows had lost themselves could not return to the French or British lines, and had been hiding for days in the country.

A neighbour, an old woman named Coby, took seven of the Tommies, and the Chaudrel family the four others. They lived in cellars, and everything wont on all right up to December 24, They were about to celebrate Christmas in a very humble manner, when, in the evening Mme. Goby’s daughter noticed a group of German soldiers approaching the house. The girl rushed in the house, and while the Germans were entering the front garden she let the seven Tommies out by a back door, and took them to a little wooded field. The Germans visited the house, but found no soldiers

M. Chaudrel then decided to take ’these seven men to his place with the others. They lived there for two months more, the girl Germaine and her brother keeping watch night and day. On February 22, 1915, the tragedy took place. The Germans heard through a spy of the presence of those eleven British soldiers in the poor farmer’s house. .In the afternoon they surrounded the farm and house. Germaine rushed up to the attic, where her proteges were. She was caught on the stairs by a German armed with a revolver.

“Where are the English?” he asked “Look for them!” replied the girl. The Tommies knew the danger their protectress was running. They opened the door and gave themselves up.

The house was burned and a few days after the women were condemned by court-martial, Mme. Chaudrel to four years in prison, her daughter to two and a half years, her son to three years. Mme. Coby to five years and her daughter to one year. In court the girl Germaine asked, “what about my father and the British soldiers?”

The Hun answered, “I regret to say they were all shot a few days ago. They all died bravely.”