Bertrix

Not that it was so funny to see men killed like that by the hundreds.

But after all we had gone through, after the ghastly way we had been butchered at Bertrix, it really did me good to see those Bosches suffering themselves at last.

He didn't laugh long.

With the German reckless sacrifice of life, column after column was thrown into the river, until more and more got across.

The sun came out, and they raced on, steaming.

"We didn't mind the shells at all then," said Coco.

"Lying on the ground waiting for them at Bertrix, we had nothing to do but be afraid, and now we had no time.

All we thought of was to get at those cursed boches as fast as we could." And so through the bursting shells across the wide field to rising ground.

I will only cite one example of how we soldiers ourselves punished a wretch whom we caught committing a crime.

One evening, it was dark already, we reached a small village to the east of the town of Bertrix, and there too found, quote, poisoned water.

We halted in the middle of the village.

I was standing before a house with a low window, through which one could see the interior.

Two men of the crew had been killed instantly, and some had been seriously wounded by the flying pieces.

We utilized the pause to bury the two dead men, put both of them in one grave, placed both their helmets on the grave, and wrote on a board, Here rest two German artillerymen.

We had to proceed, and soon reached the town of Bertrix.

Some few houses to the left and right of the road were burning fiercely.