On the 28th of September, 1914, the 1st Group of the 4th Artillery, under Captain Commander T'Serstevens, after distinguishing itself in the combats fought to the south of Termonde, at St. Gilles, at Audeghem and at Wieze, came to Grembergen to take the place of the batteries of the 4th Brigade, which was made up of various units. Of all the positions at Termonde, that of the bridge itself, then occupied by a cannon3 intended to take it by enfilade, was the most dangerous of any. All the chiefs of the sections of this group had been on service there, turn by turn. Two of them, Sub-Lieutenants Hiernaux and Mayat, were killed there.
Hiernaux fell at his post, the night of the 1st of October, during an attack by the enemy. The Termonde bridge had been destroyed beforehand, and a wooden bridge had been constructed and mined by a section of the Engineers, who were there ready to blow it up. With the 13th Line Regiment, and a machine-gun, we occupied the left bank of the Escaut and the Germans held the town itself, which was built on the opposite bank. The bridge, therefore, constituted a passage common to us both, and the[Pg 151] defensive4 organisations on both sides were similar and formidable. The banks of the river were merely deep trenches6, and the nearest houses served as block-houses for the machine-guns and small cannons7. Our lookout8 men, on the alert all the time, were endeavouring to surprise the enemy's least preparations in the ruins, with which we were already familiar, of the burnt town. The framework of the gaping9 houses looked, at night, like so many weird10 skeletons. From time to time, by the light of a moonbeam, we saw figures gliding11 along between the portions of the walls. Such figures were always promptly12 saluted13 by the crackling of a ball and they would then disappear among the ruins. Over yonder, like so many will-o'-the-wisps, little blue flames could be seen at intervals14. They were caused by the élite of the enemy's picked guns aiming at any heads which appeared above our parapets.
The night of the 1st of October was a beautiful, starry15 autumn night. The German Artillery, after an excessively violent bombardment, which had lasted several hours and had obliged our much-tried Infantry16 to leave the dyke17 and to curve round the other parts of the bridge, now fired less frequently. The soldiers, leaning against their shelters, were enjoying fresh air in relative tranquillity18.
A vigilant19 sentinel suddenly hailed his chief. He had just seen a dark compact mass moving along. It was not very visible by the light of the moon, but it appeared to be making for the bridge.
There was no doubt about it, the enemy was trying to effect a passage. At the signal of alarm, foot-soldiers, machine- and cannon-gunners rushed to their posts, and the storm immediately broke loose.
[Pg 152]
Under the protection of a violent and continuous firing from the right bank, an assaulting column came out from the principal street of Termonde. The first men were carrying mattresses20, which they endeavoured to use as shields; the others followed, in close ranks without any order. They looked more like a flock of animals than a regularly constituted troop. They were singing their famous Gloria Victoria and appeared to be absolutely drunk. After the first discharges of musketry, the artillery gun had its men hors de combat, with the exception of Sub-Lieutenant Hiernaux and the man in command of the cannon, who both opened fire on the assailants. The machine-gun entered into action as well, whilst the soldiers of the 13th Line Regiment fired direct on the German troops who, nevertheless, managed to get a footing on the bridge.
The officer of the Engineers who had mined it had two discharges. Seeing that the assailants who were killed were instantly replaced by others, and that the enemy was threatening the left bank, this brave man established the electric contact. To our stupefaction, no detonation21 followed. The Germans had now reached the end of the bridge. Without any excitement, the officer seized the second discharge. A formidable explosion took place, flinging into the distance the ruins of the bridge, fragments of human beings, and various objects of their equipment. All fell pêle-mêle into the river and on to the banks, covering the soldiers who were hidden there with blood and with human shreds22. In face of this disaster, the assaulting column stopped short, horrified23, and then rushed back in disorder24 towards the town, whilst huge flames rose from the piles of the bridge which had been soaked in petroleum25.
[Pg 153]
The surprise attack had failed, and two more weak attempts were cut short by our shelling. The usual vengeance26 was then resorted to. The enemy Artillery concentrated its fire on the vicinity of the bridge. Our brave troops lived through one of those critical moments when the destructive power of the human machine is only comparable to the grandeur27 of souls ready for any sacrifice. For one long hour, our soldiers were submitted to a storm of steel which, with a hellish clatter28, warned them of a fresh attack. It was necessary to conquer the intense nervous strain, to watch without ceasing, and to examine all the impenetrable and threatening fortification works on the other bank of the river. It was whilst examining all this, from above the shield of his cannon, that Sub-Lieutenant Hiernaux fell, just at the critical moment, struck between the eyes by a ball. His fine death proved to us once more all that there is of energy, sang-froid, and courage among our subaltern ranks.
Quartermaster Francotte ordered the officer's body to be carried to a neighbouring shelter and he covered it over with a wrap. He then took Hiernaux's place at the cannon and kept his aids there all night, whilst the neighbouring trenches had to be abandoned for a time, as they were impossible, on account of the gas from the explosion of the shells.
Two days later, Sub-Lieutenant Mayat was on service at the bridge. In the afternoon, the Commander of the group and his aid came to examine the adversary's organisation5. The heads of the three officers, Sub-Lieutenant Mayat between the other two, were just for an instant above the shield formed by the cannon. This formed an excellent target for[Pg 154] those on the other side. A ball whizzed by and one of the heads disappeared. Mayat, without uttering a cry, fell against his chief, and a stream of red blood spurted29 from his pierced temple and inundated30 his face, which had turned suddenly livid.
At present, the two friends are sleeping their glorious sleep side by side, in the little cemetery31 of Grembergen, where we buried them reverently32. The day will come when those who know of their noble death and who, more fortunate than they, have been spared, will be able to go and place flowers on their tombs, in order to show their gratitude33 and admiration34.
But no homage35 can be equal to the tears of sincere grief of the officer who was sent to take Sub-Lieutenant Mayat's place, when he saw his comrade lying at his post, in all the rigidity36 of the last sleep.
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1
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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organisation
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| n.组织，安排，团体，有机休 | |
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trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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7
cannons
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| n.加农炮，大炮，火炮( cannon的名词复数 ) | |
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8
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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9
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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12
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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13
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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14
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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15
starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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16
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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17
dyke
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| n.堤，水坝，排水沟 | |
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18
tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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19
vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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mattresses
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| 褥垫，床垫( mattress的名词复数 ) | |
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21
detonation
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| n.爆炸；巨响 | |
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22
shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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25
petroleum
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| n.原油，石油 | |
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26
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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27
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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28
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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29
spurted
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| （液体，火焰等）喷出，（使）涌出( spurt的过去式和过去分词 )； （短暂地）加速前进，冲刺 | |
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inundated
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| v.淹没( inundate的过去式和过去分词 )；（洪水般地）涌来；充满；给予或交予（太多事物）使难以应付 | |
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31
cemetery
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| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
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32
reverently
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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33
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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34
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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35
homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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36
rigidity
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| adj.钢性，坚硬 | |
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