"SAVED SITUATION"

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 144, 19 June 1915, Page 9

"SAVED SITUATION"

GALLANT CANADIANS IN FLANDERS HEROES TO A MAN. (THOU OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.! LONDON, 30th April. What, the Canadian troops accomplished in the saving of Ypres is clearly told in the following short War Office despatch, issued last Saturday : — "The fight for the ground into which the Germans penetrated between Steenstraate and Langemarck still continues. The loss of this part of the line laid bare the left of the Canadian Division, which was forced to fall back in order to keep in touch with the right of the neighbouring troops. "In the rear of the latter had been four Canadian 4.7 guns, which thus passed into the hands of the enemy. But some hours later the Canadians made a most brilliant and successful advance, recapturing these guns and taking a considerable number of German piisoners, including a colonel. The Canadians had many casualties, but their gallantry and determination undoubtedly saved the situation. Their conduct has been magnificent throughout." The special correspondent of the Morning Post in northern France asserts that the Canadians have saved Ypres. Thus : "When the great battle began they were occupying a line which commenced to the eastward of Ypres, close to the Zillebeke swamps, and ran north-east to St. Julian, where it turned sharply to the north along the Haanebeck river towards Bixschoot, the French joining on at the Ypres-Langemarck road. In order to support the French artillery General Alderson had pent some of his big guns to the rear of the French line between Pilkem and Het Sas, to engage the German heavy artillery, which was concealed in the forest of Heuthnls, north of Langemarck. The asphyxiating gas was projected from a point between Langemarck and Poelcapelle, whence the north-east wind carried it down to the corner of the Allied line. "All Canadians are speaking with proud admiration of the "work of the 16th Regiment, the men of Alberta and British Columbia, in the battle. With remarkable foresight General Alderson, who was holding this battalion in reserve, instead of having it parallel to his front, had it perpendicular, that is to say, facing north. When, therefore, the Germans broke through from Langeniai'ck towards the canal, and swung south to cut off the Canadians, the 16th was ready to meet them and to advance at the crucial moment to maintain the line_ intact. This was undoubtedly the critical part of the battle, and the heroic conduct of the men from the Far West undoubtedly carried the day. The artillery, which was cut off for a time in the first German rush, consisted of most of the French park that had been strengthened by the Canadians, and although none were permanently captured by the Germans, they were able to destroy some of them by taking away the breech locks. The Canadian guns were recovered, as already reported. " PRAISE BY BRITISH TROOPS. Wounded British soldiers who are now in England, are loud in. their praise of the Canadians. "From Thursday evening to Friday morning," said Sergt.-Major Robinson, of the Ist Yorkshire and Lancashire Regiment, "the Canadians held on to a position which was really untenable. Their left wing was exposed, and the Germans worked^ round it ', the Canadians re-formed to" face the enemy and to keep themselves from being surrounded. The left wing was a vital point, and any weakening of the Canadians would have given the Germans an enormous advantage in the fight for Ypres. If the Canadians had not held on the Germans might have been masters of Ypres to-day; We who were hurried to their support know what they did, and the whole Army ought to thank the Canadianß. ■ "At one o'clock on Friday morning the order came for us to move up to St. Julien, and off we set. For two hours we held reserve trenches by the canal, and then we went forward again and lay down in the open fields waiting. Everybody knew that' to the north-east the Canadians were holding the Germans in check, and we saw and cheered their wounded as they came back. ' We knew that if any men could hold out the Canadians would. And they did." A sergeant in the 9th London Regiment (Queen Victoria Rifles) gave a vivid account of the fighting between Ypres and St. Julien. "We had been in the fight for Hill 60," he said, " and on Thursday midday we went to the north of Ypres for a little rest. We were just going to our huts when we heard a commotion on the road and saw troops retiring. We had our orders at once, and went off and dug ourselves in on the west side of the canal. That night and on Friday the Canadians were holding out in advance of us. Nobody can praise them too highly, and regiments like ours who were in reserve speak of what we know when we say that those' Canadians were heroes to a man. On Friday I was at the canal on the high bank, and, looking across the flat ground, I saw a grand sight, line after line of infantry advancing steadily and umvaveringly under terrific shrapnel fire." RECOVERING THE GUNS. , How tho 10th and 16th Canadian Battalions recovered the four puns is vividly told by one of the wounded now in London : "We marched towards the spot from which we were to charge the German position. It was a period of tension. We of the Canadian Corps felt that we had to make good. That in itself was sufficient to inspire us; but, bpsides that, around us were scenes which appealed to our manhood. We saw women and children who, frightened by the German shells, were moving away as rapidly as possible from the fire. A cry had gone forth that the Germans were coming. What terror it seemed to convey to th<> women and children ! Wo saw their faces full of fear as they passed us, hurrying from the danger zone, I believo that sight, in itself, was a stimulus to many of us. " I think it must have been midnight before we were arranged in order for tho charge. About 600 yds in front of us was the bush concealing the German position that had to be taken. We moved quietly and in excellent order, and everything went well until we got within 200 yds of the wood. Then what is impressed upon my memory is a mass of machine guns began to fire upon us. Immediately we made a rush ; the cheers and aho'its of our men mixed with the noise of the guns. When we were told to advance we had been rautioned to go ciuietly and not to cheer. But who could be quiet now? 'This way the 10th,' exclaimed an officer, aa he led his men, and indicated the way to the wood. We cheered and shouted as we rushed forth. Men fell around me. How we lived in front of those machine guns will ever be a mystery to me. How our guns could face anch a fire puzzles me now when I think of it. But they did. "Wa must have lost a lot. I was struck rather badly, being hit in the head, arm, shoulder, and thigh ; but we went through the wood, took thp German position, and recovered the guns —three, I think, the fourth being smashed. After that the position was held." A aei&e&ntL in.-tb.fi Canadian Scottish

added that the Germans appeared to wait, for us, and then, having got our range, ponred lead into us. Cheering, we rushed on. The Germans could, not withstand the attack. I saw two put up their hands and shout ' Monsieur, mercy, mercy ! ' i They appeared to think we were French. I received a bullet wound in my wrist, and just at that moment in front of me I saw an officer fall.' The Canadian officers led their men in true British fashion. I was going to see whether this officer had- been seriously hit when a piece of shrapnel blew my elbow off. I crawled along for about 100 yds, and then two bullets caught me in the side. After that I could no longer lako part in the charge. I saw our men making a tremendous rush forward." ' ' There were also some brave women about," said a private of the Canadian Scottish. He was shot through the shoulder in the rhnrge. " When I got back to a dressing station not more than 1000 yds from the German firing line," he remarked, " I saw two women serving hot drinks."