MIDNIGHT CHARGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15951, 23 June 1915, Page 8

MIDNIGHT CHARGE.

CANADIANS RECOVER GUNS,

MAGNIFICENT COURAGE.

"I THINK WE MADE GOOD."

"Those 4.7 guns were too valuable to the Canadians to be sacrificed without a struecle," remarked a Canadian gunner. "Before they inspired the infantry to regain them from the Germans they had already contributed to the history of the war. They swept away a German observation tower at Neuve Chapelle, and when our gunners were complimented they naturally felt a little proud of their achievement. But I don't want to 'boost' our artillery; let us rather think of the weapons. They are 'some* guns' which the infantry captured."

The gunner, who spoke ' eloquently of the value of the Canadian guns, was present at Neuve Chapelle, and at the fight for Hill 60, where he received an injury, and was conveyed to an English hospital. But the story of the Canadian charge by which the guns were recovered was told by a company sergeant-major of. the IGth . Battalian, Canadian Force, which was in the thick of the fight. Wounded in the head and arms,-and other parts of the body, his appearance gave an indication of tho severity of the fighting through which he had passed. _ A For weeks we had been eagerly awaiting an opportunity .to charge, said the wounded soldier, "but we did not' expect an offensive movement quite like' this. For 48 hours we awaited patiently at Neuve Chapelle the order to "advance. There we were in the reserve division, and we understood.that it was intended for us to take, part in the battle. But the order for us .to move forward on that occasion never came, and we were disappointed; Sudden Summons. ~ "Last Thursday, when many m us were in our billets, we were suddenly ailed out. .W$ did not know exactly what had occurred. Only a short time before we had been relieved of our position in the trenches by another portion of the Canadian force, and we had gone back for rest. When Jack Johnson began falling, about, Ypres we knew something was doing. Wo were told that the French had fallen back, that the Canadians had found it necessary to do the sam,?, and that our duty that night was to regain our position, and at any cost take a particular wood, which was somewhere in front of US.

" It was in the. twilight of the evening that we marched away from Ypres. My battalion, the 10th, was associated with the 16th These two formed the charge line where I was situated. How keen and excited we were. Yet we maintained good order. The opportunity for a charts had come when it was least expected. The idea of having fallen back before the Germans was irritating. At Armentieres they had done their best to shift us from our Wnches, but without success. We did not feel like being beaten now. Then again there were the lost guns to be recovered. "A Tough Job." "Evening was succeeded by night, but there were only brief periods of darkness. Star shells of the Germans illuminated the sky, and at frequent intervals the night was turned into day. On we marched, grim and orderly", led by our officers. We knew that we had a tough job, and we were prepared for the toughest. Behind us boomed the guns of our artillery as they paved the way for the onslaught which was to follow. It 6eemed some time before we reached the spot from which our charge was to commence, but a flare revealed to us the situation of the w. od which was the chief object of our attack. "I think it must have been midnight before we were arranged in order for the charge. About 600 yards in front of us wag the bush concealing the German position that had to be taken. We moved quietly and in excellent order, and everything went well until wc got within about 200 yards of the wood. Braved a Withering Fire. "Then what is impressed upon my memory as a. mass of machine guns began to fire upon us. Immediatelv we made a rush; the cheers and shouts of our men mixed with the noise of the puns. When we were told to advance we had been cautioned to so quietly and not to cheer. But who could be nuiet now ? 'This way the 10th,' exclaimed an officer, as 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 men could face such a fire puzzles me now when I think of it. But they did.

"We must, have lost a lot. I was struck rather wdly. being hit in the head, arm, shoulder, and thieh; hut we went through the wood, took the German position, a"d recovered the guns—three, I think, the . fourth, '.I believe, being "smashed. .After ' that the position was held; Yes, I think we made tjood," added the wounded soldier, with a smile, as he lay in bed in hospital.