World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, Canadian
Martha looked at him with a kind of dull terror in her eyes, with utter
hopelessness, and the man paused a second. He had not known he cared
for her so much. Then, in a flash, he pictured the horrors for which
this woman, a mere common spy, was responsible.
He made to grasp her more firmly, but she twisted herself from his
hold. Darting to the device which freed the mill-sails, she wrenched at
it madly. The sails caught in the breeze, and began to circle round,
swiftly and more swiftly, until the old wooden building shook with the
vibration.
* * * * *
From his observation post a German officer took in the new situation at
a glance. A few guttural sounds he muttered, and then turning angrily
to an orderly he gave him a curt message. “They shall not use it if we
cannot,” he said to himself, shaking his fist in the direction of the
whirring sails.
* * * * *
In the little village part of the church and the baker’s shop lay in
ruins. Martha had sent but a part of her signal, and it had been acted
upon with characteristic German promptitude.
In the windmill on the hill, which shook crazily as the sails tore
their way through the air, a man and a woman struggled desperately, the
woman with almost superhuman strength.
Suddenly the earth shook, a great explosion rent the air, and the mill
on the hill was rent timber from timber and the great sails doubled up
like tin-foil.
“Good shooting,” said the German Forward Observation Officer, as he
tucked his glass under his arm and went “home” to dinner.
COURCELETTE
“It was one of the nastiest jobs any battalion could be called on to
perform; to my mind far more difficult than a big, sweeping advance.
The First Battalion has been in the trenches eighteen days, on the
march four days, and at rest one day, until now. No men could be asked
to do more, and no men could do more than you have done. I congratulate
you, most heartily.”
In the above words, addressed to the men and officers of the First
Canadian Infantry Battalion, Western Ontario Regiment, Major-General
Currie made it plain to all that among the Honours of the First
Battalion few will take higher place than that which will be inscribed
“COURCELETTE.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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