A HORRIBLE STORY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 281, 6 May 1915, Page 6

A HORRIBLE STORY.

WOUNDED BAYOXETTED. PRISONERS SHOT BY ESCORT. An extraordinary story is told by a young member of the 101 th French Infantry Regiment who has returned to Paris. "On August 22, at Ethe, in Belgium," he says, "after a murderous engagement, we were ordered to stay behind and pick up the wounded and bury the dead. Xo warning reached us that our men were retreating, and we were still in the village when the next day at 9 a.m. a Ciennan patrol made their appearance, followed shortly afterwards by two regeniients. Both the patrol and the officers of the Regiment assured us that the Red Cross attendants would not be touched.

'•Later on a third regiment arrived, and under pretext that they had been fired on by women—there was nothing to prove their charge but-their word—orders were given to burn the village. All tl'.e French soldiers—about 200—were ordered to draw up in the main street, range themselves in,columns by fours, and throw up their hands.

"Then at the point of the bayonet we were, marched oil' in a deserted street. On the way a command rang out, and we were shot down by our escort pointb'nnk. More than twenty of us were killed outright. .-As for myself, I was grazed by a bullet which pierced my trousers. The wounded and unwounded were then marched back to the village square. All those who were able to walk- were grouped with the civilians—the latter, old and young alike, had been forced to quit their cellars—and marched into a field by the side of a sawmill. Here we were told to halt. Some sixty soldiers kept guard over us.

HORRIBLE GERMAN BUTCHERY. " "Suddenly the soldiers began firing volleys into tlie mass. I threw myself down. Two of my comraoes fell dead on top of me. Their blood trickled on to my face. The soldiers then retired, with the exception of a few who remained behind and began to prod with their bayonets the bodies of those who were still breathing. An olliecr came and ordered them away. "About midday other soldiers appeared. Mounting on the piled-up bodies, they began to seek out those who were yet alive, hi felt their boots and the weight of their, bodies on me, but I did not budge. About eight o'clock in the evening some men came witli picks and spades to bury the dead. Us, however, some of tlie victims were still alive, they carried tfiem away to the ambulance which had been sot up in the Mairie. I seized this opportunity to make my escape by wading through the stream running round the field. I was in a terrible state; my clothes were covered with blood. On me were the brains of some of my murdered comrades. I made for a neighboring wood, and lay concealed there all next day." The soldier then tells how he and six companions lived on beetroot, nuts and blackberries for sixteen days, and, although hunted by dogs, ultimately escaped into Holland.