WESTERN CAMPAIGN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 20 February 1915, Page 5

WESTERN CAMPAIGN

OFFICIAL NEWS ANOTHER FAVOURABLE DAY FOR THE ALLIES. (Official.) PARIS, Feb. 19. There has been another favourable day. The Germans at Malincourt made five attacks in an attempt to re-capture the trenches taken yesterday, but all were repulsed, the enemy leaving several hundred corpses on the field.

| There were similar efforts to recapture ih<' trenches lost on ilie 3Gib and \{}h .a Souain. Perthes, uiH Pifiivsejn'u 1 . phe French, drove L.aek i !i<- assaUfuits. with , the bayonet, r.ipiuiitig three guir- ui-J Staking several humi red pri.-oners. The prisoners stated that some regiI ments had lost from a fourth to half their effectives. We assaulted and captured the village of Norroy, in Lorraine. BRITISH AERIAL RAID DESTRUCTIVE BOMB AT IBLANKENBERGHE. AMSTERDAM, Feb. 19. A bomb dropped during Tuesday's air raid struck a tram car at Blankenberghe, killing fifteen Germans, and wounding 43. ONLY MILITARY POSITIONS TO BE ATTACKED. LONDON, Feb. 18. In connection with air raids on the German coast, the Admiralty announces that instructions have been always issued to confine attacks to points of military importance, and aviators are using every effort to avoid bombing residential : parts. j-.-. . ' 5000 GERMANS MUTINY AT GHENT i i i R.EFUSAfL TO GO TO THE YSER. i LONDON, ,Feb. 19. . ' A mutiny at Ghent at the beginning of February resulted in 50CO Germans and 30 officers 'being tied .in couples and sent to. Brussels. for refusing to go to the Yser front. Later the mutineers were sent to Germany. MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES PROMOTIONS AND DECORATIONS. LONDON. Feb. 18. A "Gazette" of 22 pages has been issued. It contains the King's honours for services in the field. Fifteen officers !are promoted maiors-general, including Colonel R. H. Davies, of New Zealand. Eleven Victoria Crosses are bestowed. Twelve Commanders of the Bathi are created, including- Generals W. P. PuljHenev and E. AHenby. Many re- ! oeive the Distinguished. Service Order i medals, and. military crosses, i' Surgeon-General Williams is miaide_ an ! honorary surgeon-general to the "British ! Army. LONDON. Feb- 19. The following are among the recipients ! of the Victoria Cross: — •Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander, of the 119 th Battery, who on Ausust 24th. ! against overwhelming odds. saved I his guns, Colonel Alexander .and j three men dragdncr them away by (hand, enabling "the 'Fifth Division *c yoI tire without serir>ns loss. ' Drummer Kenny, of the Gordon Highlanders, for fearlessly rescuing five wounded men on October 23rd at Yprvs. He had previously twice saved and carried machine guns out of action. | Lieutenant Brook, of the Gordon I "Hisblanders", who was killed wbile ' leading two attacks on October 29th, pre- • ventinsr the Germans from breaking-, the ' line at a time when it was impossible to organise a general couriterj attack.

Captain Valentine, of the .South | Staffordshire Regiment, who was killed while leading an attack at Zelebake on November 7th. Lieutenant Depass, for entering; a German sap on November 24th, and inrr a traverse., despite German bombs. Privates Robson, Royal Scots; Mac- : kenzie. -cots Guards, and Lieutenant Neunie, Royal Engineers, for gallantly rescuing wounded. :'.'■ Privates Acton and James Smith, of the Border Regiment, who were tinder fire for sixty minutes -while rescuing •wounded. Cleary. of the Irish Guards, heading a storming party, killed five Germans holding a barricade at Quinchy, and tneja rushed on to a second barricade and "took.,,,five prisoners who were attempting "fb man a machine gun, arid practically captured the position alone. " ' ... ' -.-' - Athur Martin Leake, Avho won 'the Victoria Cross in 1902,'. is granted a clasp for conspicuous devotibn to duty, at Zbnnebeke in.November. This is a,n unprecedented heing equivalent to two Victoria Crosses. • •'-.■• ! (Received Feb. 20. 10.10 "a.m.) f ... LONDON, Feb. 19. Captain C. B. Wilson? whow as men- , tibned in Sir John Trench's last de- ' has been awarded the Military . Cross METZ CATHEDRAL GERMAN PREPARATIONS FOR DESTRUCTION. LONDON,. Feb! 18.! The "Eclair. Paris'! states that the Germans are carrying on subterranean work at Metis Cathedral. .The authorities made the pretext that they were installing heating; apparatus, but in reality, in provision for the early abandonment of Metz, Germans were preparing mine chambers to blow up the magnificent edifice. SIR JOHN FRENCH'S DESPATCHES ENEMY'S ACTIVITY NEAR YPRES. 1 BRITISH TROOPS STTOW GREAT | GALLANTRY. ! AVIATORS DOING VALUABLE .| WORK.

London, Feb. 19. 1.26 p.m. The High 'Commissioner reports : •Sir John French .reports that the enemy has displayed considerable Activity during the past few days, south-east of Ypres. The fighting on this part of the line was at times severe. . At one or two points the enemy succeeded in occupying some trenches, but was driven out by counter-attacks. Tn one place sixty German dead were left on the iground. - One of the German trenches was blown up and a, number of prisoners taken. _ • Our troops counter-attacked with great gallantry despite difficulties entailed by the water-logged ground. During bad weather on the flight of the 15th and 16th an attack was made on our line north of Ypres Canal. On the following night a similar attack was made near Neuve Chapelle. Both were easily driven off with loss to the enemy: ' * All the ground recently gained bv the Allies has been strengthened and held without difficulty. . South of the Lys our guns dealt effectively with the enemy's artillery, whose . fire has increased somewhat lately. ! Our aircraft carried out valuable reconnaissances, and has also successfully enerasred the enemy's aeroplanes. One of our aviators recently attacked two Herman machines in succession. He drove off the first and left the ser.onc j +o be dealt with by ouf artillery, v-liicr. ' brought it to the ground.