Best Stories of the 1914 European War — John Shaqi
Best Stories of the 1914 European WarVarious
History
Best Stories of the 1914 European War
Various
World War, 1914-1918
“The German entry into Brussels was a wonderful and impressive sight. I
have seen many military parades in time of peace, but never a parade on
so vast a scale, which went on without a hitch. It was impossible to
imagine that these men had been fighting continuously for ten days, or
that they had even been on active service. First of all came six
cyclists, then a detachment of cavalry, then a great mass of infantry,
then guns and field guns and more infantry, then huge howitzers, then a
pontoon train and then more infantry from 1.30 o’clock Thursday until
Sunday morning without a break.
“The pontoon trains were especially impressive. They were carried upside
down on trolleys, drawn by six horses. All cavalry horses as well as the
horses of the artillery and commissary were in wonderful condition. The
men also were very fresh and keen. Each company had a stove, the fire of
which was never out. There was always some hot drink ready for the
troops and the German soldiers told me that it is only this hot coffee
and soup which kept them going on long forward marches.
“The inhabitants of Brussels turned out by thousands to watch this
endless procession of Germans as they marched by singing all sorts of
songs and national airs. They sang in excellent tune, one company taking
up the refrain as soon as another stopped. Like everything else their
singing is perfectly organized.
“An aeroplane kept its station ahead of this advancing horde and it
signalled both day and night by dropping various colored stars. What
these signals meant I do not know, but all movements of the troops were
regulated by them.
“I became overwhelmed after watching this immense mass of men marching
by without a hitch for three days. I never believed such a perfect
machine could exist.”
HE WASN’T HER HUSBAND
Mme. Gilbert, wife of the French aviator, was recently arrested near
Clermont-Ferrand at the village of Paray-le-Monial, where she was
informed her husband was being fêted on his return from a successful
raid. On her arrival she found her alleged husband an impostor--a
warrant has been issued for his arrest, since the real Gilbert is at
Dole--and she was challenged by a gendarme when trying to return home.
Finding her without papers and carrying German uniform buttons, which
she bought from prisoners as souvenirs, he promptly arrested her.
Release was obtained with difficulty on the arrival of her
father-in-law with the necessary information.
COOL NERVE OF BELGIANS
Stories of the cool nerve of Belgian soldiers under fire are being told
everywhere by refugees and correspondents arriving from the battlefield
in lower Belgium. The story is told of one volunteer who returned after
a skirmish with Uhlans and calmly announced: “Well, I killed two.” Then
as he filled his pipe, he added:
“I hit one right there,” putting his finger to his forehead. “His helmet
went spinning and I picked it up later and saw the hole my bullet made.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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