The Western Front

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 217, 20 February 1915, Page 5

The Western Front

AIRMEN'S NARROW ESCAPE. THE FRIEDRICHSHAFEN RAID. "MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES.'' NEW ZEALANDER HONORED. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, February IS. The Press Bureau states that tin' American Ambassador in Berlin forwards a sworn declaration that the aviator Brings was captured in November owing to his petrol tank being holed. lie received a grazing bullet wound on his ear. After he landed a German soldier, at a distance of forty yards, fired five ineffective shots, and Briggs then lifted up his hands. Soldiers and civilians then dragged him out of his machine, and while he bent his face downwards he received a heavy blow, it is supposed from a rifle butt. A German officer saved Ilia life by standing between Briggs and the crowd that was rushing on, threatening to shoot anyone who touched the Britisher. [Commander Briggs and several other airmen made a raid on the Zeppelin shed at Friedrichshafcn, on the German shore of the Lake of Constance. A good deal of damage was done. The other airmen got away safely.] The Gazette to-night contains twentySeven pages of Sir John Fivneh's rc*>iiimeielations for gallant and di-t'mguHicd sen ice. Theic are about three" thousand names. Sir John French's dispatch mentions Captains B. Montgomerv (a Tasmaniani and C. B. Wilson, 10th' Hussars, Lieuts. F. W. A. Steele (a Victorian). Dr R. Martin, of th- Medical Corps (a New Zealander), Colonel Gordon Wilson, Cantarns A. W. MaeArthur, Onsjow, and M. Carbery, the last three deceased.

Invereargill. Last ight. Captain A. Martin (Medical Corps, a New Zealandc r) moiitioiu-il in General French's despatches, is Dr A. A. Martin late of Palmerston North. He h a son of Tlios. Martin, of Lnmsden. formerly of tin. Railway Department, and .brother of Mr J. T. Martin, manager for Wright. Stephenson and Co.'s Christchurc'i branch, who is now in Java in connection with the Wismar's cargo. Captain Martm is a native of Lnm;den Southland. General .Toffre personal]v decoraied Mr Oswald Watt with th-. Legion of Honour.' The Times, in a leader, commenting on Sir John French's dispatch savs, "We trust no further obstacles will be rais-d to newspaper correspondents proceeding to the front under due restrictions. We believe such arrangements are alrcadv 'n progress," Dr Snow,, lecturing before the Roval Statistical Society, said that there were no males under forty-five in Britain available for emigration. l„,t ], a ]f j,„ women under forty-five could be spared end their immigration was hiirhly desirable for the development of the' Dominions. DUM-DUMS DISCOVERED. SUCCESSFUL SURPRISE ASSAULT. THE BATTLE AT LA BASSEE. London, February IS. The eye-witness at headquarters states that during the bombardment of the brickfields near La Bassee on February 12 the Hermans took refuge in dug-outs. Our assault/was so well timed and sudden that when the enemy emerged' from his burrows our infantry was on top of them. Those showing' fight were immediately bayoneted, but many, recognising the hopelessness of resistance, discarded their arms and cried for mercy, offering their watches, money, cigarettes and fruit to buy their lives." One Herman officer was bayonetted while telephoning, presumably for reinforcements. One of our men, armed with only a shovel, killed four Hermans who were trying to escape. A large amount of dum-dum ammunition was captured. Many of the cartridges had the bullets reversed, with the bases outwards.

BISHOP DONE TO DEATH. METZ CATHEDRAL MINED. Rome, February 18. The Very Rev. l)r Walravens,*Bishop of Tournai, has died. The Berlin clergy agree that his death was hastened b't German ill-treatment, compelling the bishop, though 71 years old, to walk to Brussels. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Lnndor, February 18. The Eclair, a Paris newspaper] states that the Germans are carrying on subterranean work at Metz Cathedral. The pretext of the authorities is the installation of heating apparatus, but in reality it is a provision for the early abandonment of Metz. The Germans are preparing mine, chambers to blow up the magnificent edifice. Fremantle, February 19. A wounded private returning from the front says that when the British were retreating from Mods privates in the British Army thought that the war was over, that they were beaten, and were hound for Havre, en route to England. He says that it was difficult to describe the atmosphere surrounding the hand-to-hand conflicts. Often men became demented with the lierve-ra.-kiny noise in the trenches. They rushed out sinking towards the eiiemv. and onlv met 'with a hail of bullets, which meant instant death. Paris. February IS. A communion* stales: "We captured i' binrtar and a hundred bombs in the German trenches nerth of Arras, and progress elsewhciv was maintained. BELGIAN KING AS AN AIR SCOUT. Times and Svdney Sun Services. Received 111.' 8.30 p.m. London, February IS. King Albert ascended in a biplane and reconnoitred the German lines for an hour. The Germans "reefed the biplane with sharp, but abortive fire.

MUTINY IN GHENT. AMONH HI-RMAX OFFICIOS AX I) MEX. Received 211, 12.50 a.m. London, February 10. A mutiny i„ Client. whi<-h began in February, resulted in olIOl) Hermans and thirty ofliccrs being tied in couples and sent t.i Brussels for refusing to go to the Yser front. Later, the mutineers were sent to Herman v.