72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

A BEATEN FOE.situated in the house of the genial Dr. Defossez, aroundwhose house and family could be written one of the moststirring stories of the war.Dr. Defossez s son, a soldier in the French army, hadbeen wounded in one of the very early battles, and withthe greatest difficulty had managed to make his >toway hishome. There he had been entrapped by the sweeping tideof German invasion, and had remained hidden for fouryears. Never, during all that time, had he dared to stiroutside the house, and for a long period had been forcedto remain in a secret room at the top of the dwelling, asthe Germans occupied the lower floor as a "Kommandatur"or town-major s office. One of his many desperatehiding places was the hollow body of a billiard table,whileGerman officers, unconscious of his presence, -played billiardsabove him. Growing suspicious of his presence, theGerman town-major ordered a search to be made, butwithout success. Time after time did they explorethe dwelling, and twice they used dogs, but to nopurpose. Though they discovered the secret room, theyfound it empty. Availing himself of a water butt on theroof, its occupant was able to throw the dogsoff thescent. Then at the end of four years agony of suspense,came the Allied advance and freedom.On the day following the Battalion s arrival at Abscon,that prince of good fellows, H.R.H. the Prince of Wales,paid the 72nd a surprise visit. Wearing a mackintosh overhis uniform and being quite unheralded, "Captain Windsor" came very much closer than he knew to being treatedas a "billet-snatcher," i.e.: he was suspected of being astaff-officer in search of a better billet than the one hepossessed. Fortunately the mistake was discovered in timeto prevent any misunderstanding. As one of the officersafterwards remarked, "That s the worst of having a Princewho insists on moving amongst advanced troops in an action."157