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- - DEEDS of the WELSH1 .REGIMENT.

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DEEDS of the WELSH1 REGIMENT. Being the Diary of a Soldier. Remarkable Record of Experiences -.Ii. at the Front. t* 'I> -_U_ By PRIVATE SAMUEL KNIGHT. The Herald of Wales has the good fortune The "Herald of Wa.les" has the good fortune to be able to publish what is really the first general narrative and analysis, on the human side, of the European Catas- trophe. This diary of a private soldier—a Swansea man— includes practjcally a 11 the big events of the war, written on the spot by one who took an active part in each, and can felicitiously describe them in chaste, dramatic and elegant prose. For our diarist is an "intellectual" never un-1 mindful of the deeper significance of the scenes through which he passes, the home life of the peoples, the tragedy to civilians of war's havoc. The map to which Private Knight makes frequent re- ference will be published with a. later instalment. The contents of a private diary, being the record of an individual's feelings and thoughts, are seldom submitted to the Press for publication. The writer's yw" are individual and particular in character, and are, thpretore, not suited to the tastes of the public reader. I had no intention of ever publishing my diary. hut upon reflection, I consider it my bounds duty to proclaim to the w&rid in my humb? way the deeds of the Welh Regiment, composed chiefly of the f'" bona of Swansea. ',0 Now and again a newspaper would stray into the trenches. There "ve would read of the gallantry of some British Regiment. In rain we. who had borne the brunt of the war from thft outset, sought for an account- of our efforts..Onr heroic cjeeds. the accomplishment of which meant the sacriifce of so many of my comrades, were feft unsung. It is therefore not so much to the honour of us few who have been spared. but to the everlasting an- gloriou!" ¡ memory of my comrade, who now lie beneath the cold soil of France and Bel- l gium. that I publish my diary no' not my diary alone, but their s. for my trials were their trials also. I was called up on August ith. Or rh e same day I proceeded to Cardiff, i thence to Bordon Camp, Hampshire. After a few days of anxious waiting I proceeded to Southampton. Wednesday, August 12th.—Embarked on the Bremar Castle." The Queen's Regiment occupied the lower, the Welsh Regiment the upper decks. It was a beautiful night. The moon'8 reflection danced on the ripples. The anchor, weighed, and as if at a given signal, a; thousand Welsh throats, to the wonder of their silent English comrades below, buret forth into song. Pelyn Aur," Beth Sydd i mi to y Byd," snd Hen Wlad fx -Nhadoii re-echoed again and again along the silent banks of the Southampton waters. Thus we said "good-bye" to the Motherland. To- ward", midnight it. became very cold. 1. with no covering, had been lying down on the deck I crawled about and .n found warm nook—one of the ven- tilators leading from the engine-room. I eetled down and was ooon asleep. Thursday, August 13th,-Awoko at 4.30 a.m. Saw the French coast. 8 a.m. antered T.e Havre. Ringing Welsh and Freoch National Anthems, It's a long way to Tipperary." Crowds of French people streaming along the quay, shouted Vive 1M Anglaiee and Vive L' Angletere." 10 a.m.. di-sembarked. Saw a ecmrnat--who wanted to buy rae brNrti-in difficulty with some French people. So armed with a French and English dictionary I went to his rescue. 2 p.m., marched through Le Havre to camp 15 miles away., En route we were •showered with gifts from the French in exchange for onr hadges. We were givell wine and decorated with flowers. The regiment on the march looked like an animated flower garden; zi-vat bloorut striking out of tho barrels of the rifles, in the cape and coats of men. Friday, August 14th.Undpr canvas at I<e .Ha\-rp. Colonel read a message from the Kin?. 15tii-P,oused at 2 a. m Saturday, August 15th—Roused at 2 8,m, Terrible storm raging. Never saw such a display of lightning. Moved off in a terribb downpour to station and en. trained for Reeroi. Sunday, August 16th.—My first train journey in France. Don't think much of it; 2S hours in a cattle truck. These trucks we labelled to carry eight h'oræs, We were 46 men in ea<?h truck- De- trained. marched 12 mile? in a downpour, and billeted in a village called Lesc hel1œ. Monday, August 17th.—Le&chelles: "Route march 8 miles. Tuesday, August Ifth.-Le,-chp route march 10 miles. Changed some English for French money; found a pear and apple tree; splendid meal of stewed fruit followed. Wednesday, August 19th.—Loschelles: Route march 10 miles—sweltering heat and pack painfully heavy. Thursday, August 20th.Marrhfd 12 r. i iles towards Belgium. Billeted in linage: Rne large bam full of hay. Farmer takes us into his orchard to a tin., plum tree covered with the ripe luscious fruit. Soon made short work of it. Made myself snug in the hay, then, sleep and dreams. Friday, August 21st.-MoH'd off at 4 30 a.m.. still in the direction of Belgium J'ains in the shmùders: I rciiing with Mich a weight ttot&l ?Ibs.?is very trT- ing. I agree with the remark current among my comrades, that we have another enemy to fight as well! as the Germans, viz.: the park on our backs. Have marched 15 miles. Men fall helpless on the rGad At (he last halt I experimented nitk the scraps and buckles to fix my I equipment so as to distribute the weight j on my body. I have succeeded, and ami now Reeling very fit. Billet in a French, village: plenty of hay in the barn. I do, a little shopping; pair of socks, bread, chocolate, and biscuits. Saturday, August 22nd.—Moved off «t three a.m. still towards Bel- gium. Reached Maubsuge (see map) the fortified town on the frontier. We I ting an we pass through the town, much to the astonishment of the native, who answer back vociferously. Vive I"Anglo.ferp- and Viw les Anglais:" Our regiment is complimented on its appearance by the General Staff. We halt outside the forts; Freneh soldiers come into our lines. Here the general atTBosphero goes to show that the Germans are not far off, I waJi out and examine the barbed wire entangle ments, the finest I have seen. I con- jecture that it will taks-SOM,LL stubborn fighting to break through this place. But like the rest of the world. I was unaware of th?t powerful GermAn gun—that masterpiece of sc ience and invention. It took the Germans about half an hour to raze this fort fo the ground., W< mwe oS agam lu t? aftauww. a-nA- at G p.m. billet in a Belgium village. I ester an allotted barn. take off my equip, ment and fall wearily upon some hay. as w, had just completed an 13 m Me march. T had not been resting one minute when the order to fall in come- along again. We are off. Very cautiously we trudge along in the gutters on each side of the roatj until we come to the outskirts of a village. We lie in the gutter, then crawl stealthily towards the village. Wr hear movements of cavalry in the villas* square. With bated breath and fingers on triggers one man chal- lenges them. Wo find they are Frenelt- raen, with their swords dripping with the gore of many Germans. We barri- cad., ih" roads leading into the village and mount our sentri^. I am fortunate enough to obtain a few hours' rest. The name of this village is Pessant. (See Map). Only A Company of my regiment is in occupation. Sunday, August 23.—Dawn breaks, and I see a heartrending sight. Kefugees. consisting of feeble old women and young c hildren, sit in little family groups in the roadway. The expression on their poor faces I shall never forget. Driven from their homes, they have been walk- ing alt night. If in the past few days we have been a little in the darkness as to the object of our presence in this country, we see it now. What man does not think of his home. mother, wife, or s ister! We have a cause now. Every man is infused with a new energy. The villagers are being warned to leave their homes for a place of safety, as the Germans are expected soon. I go on out- post duty on one of the roads just out- side the village. We make a barricade of ¡ carts across the road. and mount guard. We allow no one to pass out of the village towards the advancing Germans, and exami ne passports of all who come into the village. e move to a brick- yard, fortify this place with the un- baked bricks lying around, and make loopholes ior firing purposes. I take some photographs. Things are very slow. The officer suggests a game of cards. I deal, and we commence the rubber; but no aooner have wo begun when the order I comes along to move off. The South Wales Borderers relieve. U6 here, and we march off; a night march to a village on the right of Mons. (See map). We join the regiment here and go into billets. At I the moment. I settle down for a well- earned rest, I am told 06 for guard. I am third relief, and mount at 2 aaii- I remain on sentry until 4 a.m. I have orders to call the officer at the latter hour. I sleep, or endeavour to do so--my bed is a stone floor— from 11 until 2. 1 mount guard at, 2 a.m. At 2.30 I rouse the sergeant and report rifle tiring on our left. We lisipn for a while, but it is not near enough to rouse our men. The firing ceases, and the sergeant returns to sleep. About. ) a.m. I again rouse the sergeant mid report searchlights and firing on our left. We listen to tho aUack until it dies away. (This turned out later to be a night attack en Mons)- August 2tÍ1.-At. 1- a,m. I (an the officers and the men are roused. I come off guard. Enter a garden and fill my haversack with plums. The village priest gives us cigars. We fall in and march towards Mons. We commence digging trenches in a ploughed held. A clear held for fire lies before us. Here I get my first thrill. One of our aeroplanes is being shelled bv the Germans. The aviator ap- pears pretty safe, and is soon out of their range. We are half-way through our trenches when suddenly the order comes .n l 'the to fell in, and we march back towards th;j frontier. We have proceeded a few miles when Captain Haggard, who has been making good use ot his field glasses, shouts at; order to six men near him. They mount a little bank. I hear him give them the range; then, hall; bang' and a German patrol is wiped out—First blood to the Weight We continue march ing under cover of our guns, whose shells scream over our heads in their passage I towards the Germans. We come to a village and halt awhile. Our artillery ü;1 busily liring from on? portion, then is hurried madly to take up another. About 300 yards in front deafening explosions occur accompanied by huge volumes of black smoke. Nobody seems to know what these are. Some one suggests that they are our own guns firing high explo- sive shells, and that the smoKe 1-1 emitted from the gun when the shell is fired. But these, as I found later, were the ex- plosions of the now celebrated Jack. Johnsons," or Cqal boxes," as we call them. Again we are on the move, and still in the opposite direction to the enemy. I am thirsty and hungry. It was at 3 a.m. on the 22nd that I drew my ravinii- three biscuits and a tin of "bully" beef. I make good use of my plums. We halt, for half an hour in i. village, and I fill my water bottle from a well in the garden of a deserted housft A.t the same time I help myself to some pears from the orchard. I do not know what we would have done without this fruit. We are off again: marching, marching, marching. Nobody seems tc, know our destination, and as evex-y village comes into view hope springs in ever;, man's breast that we shall be billctted there. But night falls, and we are still marching. Now we join a main body Cavalry, artillery and infantry move en masse. There is a hurried appearand-, about everything. To allow for the movc-

!WHY THE 8MEWS WAS MOT PRINTED.

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- - DEEDS of the WELSH1 .REGIMENT.