MORE ABOUT THE CANADIANS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 10060, 3 May 1915, Page 6

MORE ABOUT THE CANADIANS.

ANOTHER STORY OF THE GREAT FIGHT. A COLONEL HERO. (Bi Elicteip Tiliqbaph—Coptbioht.) (Per Press Association.) LONDON. May 1. The Press Bureau has published the record of an officer with the Canadians which states : "Four divisions supported by immensely superior heavy artillery attacked the Second and Third Canadian Brigades holding 50C0 yards of front, from

the Ypres Holders railway to the YpresI'oeleappelle road. When the Zouaves retreated the Canadians at a moment's notice had to extend their lino to 9000 vards.

Later on Thursday the First Canadian Brtgaiie which was in reserve was hurried up. The Canadian Scottish Battalion and Tenth Battalion led the assault on the wood west of St. Julien. They found the Germans had blown up the four guns which were captured in the evening of the 22nd.

During the assault the tire of the machine guns played upon the Canadians like a watering i>or. The situation was so critical at dawn that their commander decided that it was essential to counterattack the German trenches 2' 3 miles ahead. General Mercer led the First and Fourth Battalions assisted by a British Brigade. Colonel Burchill. carrying a cane, coolly rallied his men. who were wavering under the withering fire, and a moment later he felt dead whik- heading the fourth battalion. The Canadians -prang forward to avenge and an a>toni>hing charge followed. which was pushed home in the face of direct frontal fire in broad daylight. After a handto hand struggle the last Germans were bavoneted and the trenches were won. Meanwhile the Germans made several emissions of poisonous ga--. forcing the Montreal Highlander- to abandon the trenches, but they"rallied and re-occupied them. The German onslaught linallv forced the Thud Brigade to retire their left flank upon St. Julien wood. Canrain McCraig. of the Montreal Highlanders, was seriou-ly wounded in the trench. He rtqght have been carried to safety, but he refused, and continued to corn. mand. Winn order.- were received to withdraw the men wi-hrd to take him. hut McCraig resolutelv refused to burden them. and he wa- left in an abandoned trench with three loaded Coil revolvers, and lie was waiting, racked with pain, to -e!l his life as dearly as possible. Seven British battalion- reinforced the on Friday afternoon, but the Germans' increased artillery fire and their overwhelming superiority of numbers made the position untenable. Stubbornly iontesting every yard the Third Brigade abandoned St. Julien. it \\a.- impossible without hazarding a large force to disentangle two or three hundred Montreal Highlanders and Royal MontreaJers in St. Julien. Their rifle tire was heard hoar- after the rest of the Canadians left.' It the Montrealers died, they died worthy of Canada. Meanwhile the retirement of the Third Brigade left Brig-adier-General lurry's Second Brigade in air. Lurry flung Ins left flank southwards as the Third Brigale had done when expelled from the trenches by ;he emi-sion gas. Curry counn r-attacked and retook the trenches in the bayom r point. j

Cletier:tl Aldesson on Sunday. commanding' the reinforcement-. t■ h>k up the attack. A- ti><■ liriti>lnr> the Canadian lint.'- tlipy pau-ed ;.ud gave deepthroated < litn - for < anatla. Tiie German attacks w< re prv-»t d -o Fiercely on Monday that Gent-nil Aklcrson asked General Curry if hi- r-itrur:!v« u !sri gade was able to return to tin- tiring line, and he replied "The nun are iit - d but ready and will be glad to®return." Curry's lirigade though reduced to a quarter of its original strength, returned to the hottest section of the fight and held the position through Monday, and only retired from the light on Wednesday.