The Daily Advertiser’s edition of August 29, 1914, said the total number of volunteers for the Australian expeditionary force so far medically examined in Wagga was 157, of which 124 passed the test.

“Of those, 66 have already gone to Sydney to report to headquarters, but a few have returned to Wagga and will not be among the war force,” the Advertiser reported.

“Captain EW Mitchell informs us that he is not leaving Wagga to go to the front.

“Lieutenant Forsyth has joined the expeditionary force and his place as area officer will be taken by Mr S.P. Bridle.”

In other local news on the war, the Advertiser reported on Wagga and Junee donations to the Patriotic Fund.

The total raised in Wagga to that point was 928 8/6.

Donors included Harry Leitch 25, CF Bolton 10 10, Alfred Mate 100 and Edgar W Wilson.

The Junee branch of the Lord Mayor’s Patriotic fund reported making good progress, with donations totalling 477 7/6 up to that point.

Donations included 10 10 from T.G. Stewart.

Butchery at Mons. | FINE BRITISH DISPLAY. UNDER ADVERSE CONDITIONS. ARRIVAL IN THE NICK OF TIME. LONDON, Friday - An official communique, issued at 11 o'clock last night, states that in the north the British were attacked by a greatly superior force and were obliged, after a brilliant resistance, to withdraw slightly.

Our armies on the right maintained their positions, while in the Vosges the French troops resumed the offensive and repelled the Germans with heavy loss. 

South-east of Nancy over a front of three kilometres, 2500 dead were found and over another front of four kilometres, 4500 lay dead.

The British wounded at Mons have reached Rouen, though the worst were sent to field hospitals.

ENGLISH ARTILLERY. | SUPERIOR TO GERMAN. | LONDON, Friday - The English artillery was magnificent but there was not enough of it in comparison with the enemy’s.

The shells of the Allies burst without fail but the Germans, who found the range smartly, failed to make their shells burst, while they frequently fell short.

MERE BUTCHERY. | GERMANS SHOT AND BAYONETED. | THE DEFENCE OF THE CANAL. During the morning scouting parties of German Hussars and Uhlans tried to reach the canal, but most of them were killed by artillery fire and a few were taken prisoners. Then the advance en masse began. Dead Germans were piled four feet deep. Although whole ranks were mowed down the main body managed to reach the north bank of the canal and began to build bridges.

The battle at this point became mere butchery. Ten times the Germans threw up positions over the water and ten times the British artillery destroyed them. Closer and more desperate fighting took place in a colliery village and blocked in the west.

The British held a section for some hours.

The Northumberland Fusiliers took part in this street fighting, which included a bayonet charge by the South Lancashires. Piles of German bodies were swept down by machine guns and blocked the streets in some places.

Meanwhile the sheer weight of the massed batteries carried the Germans forward. Their infantry also advanced in close order and offered a magnificent mark.

TERRIBLE BRUTALITIES | MEN BURIED ALIVE. | VILLAGERS STABBED IN THE DARK. | PARIS, Friday - The miners at Frameries report that the Germans reached the village on Sunday.

The first thing they did was to close the mouths of all the pits, despite the number of miners still working. The unhappy men were buried alive.

The villagers took refuge in cellars, where the soldiers stabbed them with lances.

Tales of similar atrocities continue to reach Paris. Refugees state that the Uhlans sometimes drive hundreds of villagers before them.

In one instance they forced 1500 peasants with their bayonets and rifle butts.

German Cruiser Lost | RUNS AGROUND IN THE BALTIC. UNDER RUSSIAN FLEET'S FIRE. GERMANS DESTROY THEIR VESSEL. | ST. PETERSBURG, Friday - The German cruiser Madgeburg went ashore at Odenahelm Island during a fog. The crew was rescued by a torpedo boat while under fire from the Russian fleet. Seventeen of the crew of the Madgeburg were killed and 85 are missing.