THE BRITISH FORCES.

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 2732, 31 May 1915, Page 2

THE BRITISH FORCES.

BT ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. —COPYRIGHT. London Tim/js—Sydney Sun Services. FEB PRESS ASSOCIATION. NOTES FROM HEADQUARTERS. (Received May 31, 8 a.m.) London, May 30. The Times correspondent at tho British headquarters in Flanders, telling the story of tho Festubert bottle, cays it commenced on the night of the 15th on the advanced German lines, between Neuve Chape'lle and Givenchy. Tho result of a fortnight's fighting has been to drive back the German front more than a mile. It now resembles a string of beads, each bead a fortress, enfilading any farther advance, and which it will be necessary to destroy piecemeal before any connected forward movement is possible.

At tho outset of the advance the enemy attempted to fire behind us, making it perilous to send up men and munitions. Rain nullified the cannonade, numerous shells sinking into the earth without bursting.

Bombs played a large part in tho attack in clearing the enemy from tbo trenches, seven Welsh Fusiliers seizing 500 yards of trenches and 102 prisoners.

Unparalleled was the exploit of a company of Scot* Guards, who, cut off-, fought to the last man, aud were found afterwards lying dead, surrounded by swathes of dead enemy.

The Fcstubert advance was due to the magnificent initial work of tho engineers, who worked under heavy firo. The most important lesson to be learned from tho present phase of tho war is the value of young officers. All tho battalions engaged at Fcstubert, except tho Territorials, had been fighting since October, including the first battle of Ypros, and thero were desperate losses, and the consequences of new officer drafts seemed a risky experiment, but it has worked perfectly. Tho youngsters are popular, keen, and highly competent. The army is full of strenuous optimism and unshaken confidence, and is determined to finish tho job.