100 years ago

Mr Alan Ostler, the “Express” correspondent wrote from a French Station, the name of which was not disclosed: “A troop train had just drawn up at the far end of an isolated platform, and from it embarked wounded British hussars and captive German cuirassiers. One of the British soldiers told of his encounter with the German cuirassiers.

“We came plump on them round a corner in a little village,” he said.

“Absolute surprise for both of us. Before you could wink we were flying at one another as hard as the horses could go, and the villagers were yelling and scrambling into the houses on either side of the road.

"There was no firing. It was absolutely a proper cavalry charge, like you see in the pictures - horses going hell-for-leather and every man sitting hunched up and hoping he wouldn't get his knees crushed by the fellows on each side of him.”

"Lighter though they were, the hussars went at a pace that more than compensated for their inferior weight. The cuirassiers in full stride and on fresh horses might have ridden over them, but, slower at the “take off,” and mounted on horses already ridden to death, they were taken at a tremendous disadvantage.

"Twenty-seven of them were killed, and twelve were taken prisoners. “Their mounts were dead beat,” said the trooper, “and the men not much better. And do you know what we found in their mess-tins? Raw horse-flesh and dry oats!”


50 years ago

Mr Percy Forge, St Saviourgate, wrote: “On inquiry at the chemists I was surprised to learn that penicillin tablets can only be obtained with a doctor's prescription. I wonder why? This is a wonder drug, not a poison.”

A local chemist stated in reply: “The Therapeutic Substances Act forbids the supply of penicillin except under a doctor's prescription. If penicillin were freely available people might build up an immunity to it and then when it was really necessary to use it, it would not be effective. Some people are allergic to it; people might prescribe penicillin for themselves when another antibiotic should be used.”


25 years ago

York was winning its battle against a plague of rats which was threatening the rest of the country.

The rat population, nationally, had increased by 20 per cent in just 12 months, but quick action by the city council had contained the infestation in York. But other areas of North Yorkshire, which had reported rat infestations up by up to 50 per cent, shared a growing health risk.

Mr Trevor Phillips, director of environmental services at York City Council, said there had been no significant rise in the rat population in York because of the authority's regular programme of sewer baiting.