Berkshire Chronicle Reading 07-1915

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·Hej!e.:a1.eO -PriYl>te Harti....
,by :the ,[wavy -toU hI> took of
.q.wte ...a:tUffied wifh ' his half,

''1a_ t.he 'enemy . pressed 'on,

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C&.Ver, 89;the fOroo 'WeI'\' o'rder!'!1
.baso at ~0Jl iJ3.i~. 'Hore ' tl~

..wout

I1lI.ttHlal 'tncnClt
1ft. i1eOp, eni!
,d.,!.f""doid:· lI"<flt· <tho , eDam\y C8.1IKl ' acrOlia 'tijo
>'61(1....." ·
....i.r ... " ·{)pe.i ,field' 'va~ing hom ljO
~~

,a",,0Sl!.

~ei·nI11lcm!~n!rle~.

ito ' ''''1;

"thoy ',(<mo

but ' their spirit iIIlO>rriool .Iob"",
p.ut hi • .ri& ,through 11 hoo.go
appoDCll·t <if E nTley tha-L tho OllPo/"

wit.h "'ite fiame. SlHlrp
[,""'Rated ;as , tlie
,· \tnenoh
,aud'ooouodi '1Ig

,
qU10,lr .""'U

~' d'1~'6,
,
' ....
·-'-t·mg
6we
.....
.<wer lIIDo ;p;ampet, bayoneted ,t his 'individuaj (momy.
, But.
m.ust
.h.,d marv.elloUB rccu perati'IO
~J' 'l?.ow~~, <lIB 'oj;IQn ;aitor hI> '",ail .8QOn .Attaoking

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1,,...,,

, IlioJ:Idoo fualge.
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Ab~at thi'l ,time .tho pwkat fl'om .Bandford fuidg()

'OI1,Ptu,roo .&n .offioer an? twel-ve. ~on of this £oroo,
· b'l~ ll'elldlDg, ,the' urnp",,!' • .d"!'I;llon. these capturr;d
· prl,o»cr~ ,-took ;& leadIllg :pMlt '0 Ith .. 'Loddon B nidge

., atfa<;~·

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. , ~~rM BULLETS 'AS "DA[LY IFOOD:~'
. .1\ t:>?dy of the enemy approachod liko a row
· nlne'p'I~ ",long. the Wokiu"ham Hoad, wbich '
hero qUite ot~&,ght, ana ulfordC<! a specia l chan'1"
fot Private Hawk"" and hi. machine·gun. Ho [hill
ab.ol~~e!y n p :o ifficuJty in wiping out th'is f';.rc~,

dr
ill

and, tiring -of "this eru,y t.ask, proceeded to take 'an

eXCell~n1: ~ha·re 'in defelldi"g 'L oddon Dridge, Lat¥
, an .tbla w,ped-o~t fo!,co woro attacking. as if m "t"';i~
', OO116t. wem. the,r dady food. As the l I>ttack Pl'~
, closor, dosplte Jt.ho heavy toll e",aotod by·:the E"1"''''
I..de£.endoTs. Se~g.....ot Edwards tlontr&eted hi. dc£
epP
Ifalling 'back upon · hi. reserv. .. , Iilowing up the
I way ar<ll!. thll.! reventing ' aeces. ,to liis ·reaT.' ,
Yll\yni~ .gap ./) .. DB near o:s I could .. conjectur~,
32ft. '6!!-,";' .separated ,'the onemy ,f rom getting in t~o
rear· ,~u:na:toly for them. :the offioo~ had ·n IbOOlY
of ' Athle~., Ii'r<!ened ~ mihtary dlSClphno, 'to

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:rai:

· upon ~.o or;<Yss thls gap.

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f

oar

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"forward "the Athlet&s,
.'
' W"". ·th.,re " man disml'Yoo 1''' '
There's not to reason wily,
i There'8 but .to do and ·d1£."
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.It ~118 'q fin ... s.ight to see thom ." easily" lO<l.pinll'
-the ' gap and Oro",lng to t,hc . tear. KllO .... ing i tl:\a
OOl13tltution . of his oppon6ntsL Sergt;:ant Edwards
· had ...nticipated that thoy. r,ight .attempt th.ia
·desperate feat, , 80 bad placed 11 dotachment of IjO
men irl the g rounds of '1:he George: A. close ran
, tbey 1l1lIlihiiated this body of .dcsporato Athlet' .
' who .deeeriVOO a better ,fate after .. deed ' which ' wi
' li~.e ~ .the -AnnaL. of ;thio battl... '
,
. Whilo -this flank attack Wll~ taking plaoo, ""1>"l\tio
·of :tho 6njlllly bad,·quietl!. 09<'up\l'd )tho ,.f"rm ..of- M\'.
,;r.ewiniton , 1l.l,(i :wnell' th;eir ~fOncent.,.tip'l1 ';W,"" 0011/'
.:p!<>te .tho ·gaW8 ~e\'le ' open~, and ' the whdlo bod,~
J'maded by the Officer, . ca'l!O ·tumblmg ",ut, lilljO
·potatOO,s '" f ...lIin~ . from' 'I> .:barrel, eaoh ' ona P I.ming
'.the mhor, . anxIOuS ·to· be '1t1lp "first 'in ' at fhe ·d eath.·
JWot , quit!> ' an' ideal ,"!'",. of attacking ,a' :stropgly
<d~fen4<1d fort, . looploOlod and ' oortlcadcd m 0\'0'1'
·dll'ectu)D; The gates 'ocoupy the centre of " spwe
which c~nverg08 up.o n it ,in ' """eml direction". N eod.less to Bay, prl1ctioolly (;he wholo fonce of th" ~efonce
was ooncentrated upon ,this hustling, 6houti.q~ bodrof mOD. and they ,w ere wiped out. I 'l'h~ir OXlt ,w af.
. 'P"'0cooed by 11 num.,..oUB hody ot squawking, exciteil
hens, ,whoso ,mUllu..1 eioorc.... .would lead to .. hetwt
f rep .of eggs :during- tllfl me>Ot 'f""v da\ys. ' 'Hence, iolth
eggs at '2.. Ii dozen, Mr. Lewillgton ,woald .QoubtleEi.
!l'lad I to "'1I:&i,n _ &bo Athletes an h i. prcmi,c.l
. ~he -enemy '8 of.lioer j~all~ -fO!' .3 consultation, land
.onllmed that he was ·Ieadmg a body ,bf 250 ' monT
Ho", Sergelrilt ~Ilrds, . .afw.r .hui Ig'~llant 1md /m()!o~!
•OOIIGful ,cefenoo', ' heatoo bf lim 1lXertlODft, mado
~hnicad 'Q1'ror. . 'He ,.dl!lftted I>-' f~!'j)a \ 01 150 I!lO
ol~l .l'p,ot!'to:es .. _~i:ng 00 ha.n. 4o~hl!lO . ,men in ,the ",<ition. T!NI
oon<l,iti()"
.enolDY's .~er , did not · <;leduct any far loss. 'Wllli "
,,~tAniticm
. rea~ posltlon .WDB: The en.. my~ . 250 'men 'l'0r.
fronted by Ear!ey'. 250 mell .,ti/1 " reser:vo. of .
'men at tl"l brlilge, pius 100 men fo r bemg
posSe.'lI3ion 'i>! .. fortifi eil p lace. " Thus Earley
- Ii f6rce of 7.00"m.en to resi.t an attncl, of 250
'. Hence t~G Reading Valun'teers and Athletes
lil:o.rtia,~Ii.u~~~ · beiiten at IJoddon Bridge\; l ea"in" tho 'E arley
in ~omplete control of t 'is p'lrtio~ :of the'
.A SHARP ATI'(A.CK.
'; tream 6 ·.sharp l ttnck !lad'
811'dl ooll .. ~'n. Her-c file Earl~y Defence

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