Day by Day with the Russian Army, 1914-15Pares, Bernard
History
Day by Day with the Russian Army, 1914-15
Pares, Bernard
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Poland; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, English
the left and want to know who is there, as so far there is not a sound
on that side. We run forward about 300 yards and begin going up the
hill. At 100 or 115 yards in front of us we see the trenches. I don't
know whether they are Russians' or ours. The firing does not slacken.
If the Russians have gone, then they may come back. "Forward," I shout,
"first battalion, forward, hurrah," but no one wants to move. All our
men turn to the left, and no one listens to me. Only when I repeat the
order and explain that there are very few Russians, they go forward.
Three or four Russians are still firing; the rest throw away their guns
and throw up their hands, about seventy. I leave four men with them and
go forward. To the left of us the Russian machine guns are firing on
our flank. We are joined by a company of the 2nd Rifles. I direct them
quickly to the left, where I see flashes of musketry fire. Myself I go
at a quick pace to the hill. I see that the Russians are returning
and can easily turn our 4th company. Quickly forward. It is sad to
think of so many lives. The will of God be done. Just then I heard from
behind shouts of hurrah and bullets whistling. This was the reserve
of the 98th Regiment, which was going to attack the Russians whom we
had already taken prisoners, and took us for retreating Russians. They
fire at us with machine gun. I shout out, use my whistle and at last
succeed in stopping the fire. I look round to the left and see that
Captain Tezera coming up. I am very tired, tortured with thirst and can
hardly stand on my legs. With a gesture I explain to him the position
of affairs to the left. He is wounded in the hand. Our men quickly
entrench on the hill. Czwanczara takes me to a hut and makes some
coffee. They now suggest that I should go to the first-aid point. I am
in the village of Bukowa. I wait for Janikowski with clean linen, so as
to change. The Russian shrapnels are bursting in Bukowa, above which
are our trenches. After paying the hostess I go to look for the doctor.
Everywhere there is a mass of wounded, ours and the Russians. Some dead
Russians lie on the road. In the hut I happen to meet our major. I tell
him that I am going off. He seems very annoyed, and says that he has
no one to replace me. The doctor of the 2nd Rifles looked me over. He
was anxious about my lungs, otherwise it was simply fatigue and a bad
cold. At the first-aid point there were a mass of wounded; lots of them
ours. I met Janikowski. I heard from him that among the wounded were
Boguslaw, Minster, Klein, Tepser, Werner, Silberbauer, seriously; and
killed Radlenbacher, Gezl, Scoutmaster Malina, and Altman. The field
hospital was in the school. There were many wounded in head and chest
and stomach. I slept with the slightly wounded, and had a fairly good
night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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