PLUCK AND GRIT

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 2999, 22 July 1916, Page 2

PLUCK AND GRIT

TERRITORIALS PROVE THEM-

SELVES

LONDONERS IN ATIGHT CORNER

IJY ELECTRIC TEU-GKArir, —COPYRIGHT. [Australian-N.Z. Cable Association."] (Received July 22, 8.50 a.m.) London, July 21. Mr. Philip Gibbs, the war correspondent, states that in tho offensive the territorials proved great soldiers, both in attack and resistance. The Queen's Westminsters, Queen Victoria's Riiles, London Rifle Brigade, Rangers, and London Scottish, advancing on Gommecourt, reached the German lines and captured a network of trenches with amazing speed.

The enemy put in a barrage of high explosive shells, through which no living thing could pass, and the Londoners were caught in a death trap. Tlieir escape was cut off, and the barrage had smashed in our communication trenches, preventing supports reaching tho men in the captured salient. , Their comrades made desperate at- : tempts to send ammunition. One «. party of 60, with hand grenades, set. ff out, and only threo returned. I The enemy organised a series of I counter-attacks. Some of the enemy j parties approached tho Londoners- | from the northern position, whence I the enemy enfiladed tho London Scot- \ tish who were on the right, holding a, J redoubt and building barricades. J Their ammunition grew scarce, and. 3 tho supply of bombs was almsot ex- j hausted, and' the Londoners gathered] German bombs; hut the position be- | came uglier. The men, however,. 1 never lost heart. ' I An officer rallied six good men and. | ordered the .others to retreat with the j wounded and take a chance across No> | Man's Land while ho -put up a last ; fight. He stuck to the barricade tin- 1 til all but two of the little party were-1 killed, and he was the last to leave. 1

Gradually the Londoners withdrew | under a great shell fire. Many of" ' the wounded remained on the field, j suffering great anguish for days. One } officer, wounded in the leg, crawled ■! about the field for twelve days before j| he was rescued. }