I've killed many Germans, but never women or children. Original French watercolor by John on blank field postcard. In the background are indolent Russian soldiers and Vladimir Lenin, in the foreground stands what may be a Romanian soldier who is telling the Russians, 'You call me savage. I killed a lot of Boches [Germans], but never women or children!'
T'appelles moi sauvage !. Moi, tuer Boches beaucoup, mais jamais li femmes et li s'enfants !You call me wild. I killed a lot of Boches [Germans], but never women or children!
"On Sunday, the violence of the thunderous detonations grew in length and strength. Then, suddenly, the terrible word retreat was heard. At first in a whisper; then, in loud, forceful tone: 'The Russians are retreating!' And the first-line troops came into sight: a long procession of dirt-bespattered, weary, desperate men — in full retreat! We had received no marching-orders. The thunder of the guns came nearer and nearer. We were frightened and perplexed; they had forgotten us! But they came at last — urgent, decisive orders: we were to start without delay, leaving behind all the wounded and all the equipment that might hinder us."
Florence Farmborough writing on April 22, 1915 of the events of Sunday the 19th. Farmborough was a teacher of English in Moscow when war broke out, joined the Red Cross, and trained as a nurse. On April 12 she was in east Galicia, Austria-Hungary, 'practically surrounded by the lovely, undulating ranges of the Carpathians'. Three days later, she heard reports the Germans were reinforcing their Austro-Hungarian ally with troops and heavy guns. On the 17th, the guns began a 22-hour bombardment, and Russian wounded began arriving at her field hospital.
Nurse at the Russian Front, a Diary 1914-18 by Florence Farmborough, page 36, copyright © 1974 by Florence Farmborough, publisher: Constable and Company Limited, publication date: 1974
Heavy artillery, 1915-04-19, 1915, April, retreat, heavy artillery, Galicia, Russian soldier, 1915-03-27
