THE GLORY OF THE CANADIANS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3201, 21 July 1915, Page 11

THE GLORY OF THE CANADIANS.

FOUR DAYS’ IMMORTAL STRUGGLE. THEIR EYE-WITNESS’S STORY. Tho following is an account by the Canadian Eye-Witness of the glorious feats of the Canadian Division who “ saved the situation ” in tho new German attempt to break through the Yprcs lines to Calais from April 22 to the 26th The battle in the neighbourhood of Yprcs was bloody, >e ven as men appraise battles in this callous and life-engulfing war. But as long as brave dpeds retain the power to fire the blood of Anglo-Saxons, the stand made by the Canadians in those desperate days will be told by fathers to their sons. The Canadian Division consisted in the main of men who were admirable raw material, but who at the outbreak of war were neither disciplined nor trained, as men count discipline and training in these days of scientific warfare. On April 22 the Canadian Division held a line of, roughly, 5000 yards, extending in a north-westerly direction from too Ypres-Roulcrs railway to the capello road, and connecting at its_ terminus with the French troops. Tire division consisted of throe infantry brigades, in addition to tho artillery brigades. The day was a peaceful one, warm and sunny. At 5 o’clock in the afternoon _ a plan, carefully prepared, was put into execution against our French Allies on the left. Asphyxiating gas of great intensity was projected into the trenches. The result was that tho French wore compelled to give ground for a considerable distance. The immediate consequences of this enforced withdrawal wore extremely grave. The 3rd Brigade of the Canadian Division was without any left. It became necessary for Brigadier-general Turner, commanding tho 3rd Brigade, to throw _ back his loft flank southward to protect his rear. The attack developed with particular intensity upon the apex of the newly-formed line, running in the direction of St. Julien. It has already been stated that four British guns wore taken in a wood comparatively early in tho evening of the 22nd. In the course of the night, and under tho heaviest machine gun five, this wood was assaulted by the Canadian Scottish, 16th Battalion of the 3rd Brigade, and the 10th Battalion of the 2nd Brigade. The battalions were 4 respectively commanded by Lieutenantcolonel Leckie and Licutenant-co|om ! Boyle, and after a most fierce struggle in the light of a misty moon they took the position at the point of tho bayonet. An officer who took part in the attack describes how the men about him fell under the fire of the machine guns, which, in his phrase, played

upon them like a “watering-pot.” He added quite simply, “I " wrote my own life off.” But the line never wavered. The German garrison was completely demoralised, and the impetuous advance of the Canadians <1 id not cease until they reached the far aide of fha wood and entrenched themselves there ha the position so dearlv gained. TERRIBLE CASUALTIES. _ The fighting continued without intermission all through tho night. At 6 a.ra. on Friday it became apparent that the left was becoming more and more involved. It waa decided, formidable as tho attempt undoubtedly was, to try to give relief by a counterattack upon the first lino of German trenches, now far, far advanced from those originally occupied by tho French. This was carried out by the Ontario Ist and 4th Battalions of the Ist Brigade, under Briga-dier-general Mercer, acting in combination with a British brigade. It did not scorq that any human being could live in tho show'er of shot and shell which began to play upon the advancing troops. They suffered terrible casualties. For a short time every other man seemed to fall. Tho 4th Canadian Battalion at one moment came under a particularly withering fire. For a moment —not more—it wavered. Its most gallant commanding officer, Lkrut.colonol Burchill, carrying, after an old fashion, a light cane, coolly and cheerfully rallied his men, and at the very moment when his example had infected them fell dead at the head of Ilia battalion. With a hoarse cry of anger they sprang forward (for, indeed, they loved him) as if to avenge his death. Tho astonishing attack which followed, pushed home in the face of direct frontal fire made in broad laylight, by battalions whoso names should live for ever in the memories of soldiers, was carried lot the first lino of German trenches. After a hand-to-hand si i-uggle the last German who resisted was bay » Ud. and the trench waa won. This charge, made by men who looked death indifferently in the face, saved, and that was much, tho Canadian left. But it did more. Up to the point where the assailants conquered or died, it secured and maintained during tho most critical moment of all tho integrity of tho Allied line. For the trenoh Wars not only taken, but hold until tho night of Sunday, the 25th, when it waa relieved. OFFICERS’ VALOUR, At 4 a.m. on Friday, the 25rd, a freed emission of gas was made upon the 2nd and 3rd Brigades. Two privates of the 48th Highlanders who found the i way into the trenches commanded b- lone! Lipsett, 90th Winnipeg Rifles, o*;.; Battalion, perished in the fumes, and it was noticed that their faces became blue immediately after dissolution. The Royal Highlander* of Montreal, 13th Battalion, and the 48th Highlanders, 15th Battalion, were morn especially affected by the discharge, Th« Royal Highlanders, though considerably shaken, remained immovable upon tiioir ground. Gci'man troops in considerable, though not in overwhelming numbers, swung past tho unsupported left of the 3rd Brigade and slipped in between tho wood and St. Julicn. In the exertions made by tho 3rd Brigade the fate of some of the officers of the Royal Highlanders of Montreal attracted special attention. Major Norsworth. already almost disabled by a bullet wound, was bayoneted and killed while he waa rallying his men, with easy cheerfulness. Tho case of Captain M'Ouaig, of the same battalion, was not less gloriona, although his, death Can claim no witness. This most gallant officer was seriously wounded in a hur-riedly-constructed trench. Peremptory orders were received for an immediate withdrawal. Unwilling to inflict upon the men, tho disabilities of a maimed man, he very resolutely refused to be moved, and asked one thing only, that there should be given to him as ho lay alone in l the trench two loaded Colt revolvers to add to his own, which lay in his right hand as he made bis last request. And so, with three revolvers ready to his hand for use, a very brave officer waited to sell his life, wounded and racked with pain, in an abandoned trench. On Friday afternoon tho 3rd Brigade was ordered to retreat further south, soiling every yard of ground dearly. NOT A GUN LOST. The enforced retirement of the 3rd Brigade reproduced for the 2nd Brigade, commanded by Brigadior-goneral Curry, in a singularly exact fashion the position of the 3rd brigade itself at the moment of the withdrawal of the French [its loft was in the air]. It now devolved upon General Curry to reproduce the tactical manoeuvres with which, earlier in the fight, the 3rd. Brigade had adapted itself to tho flank movement of overwhelming numerical superiority. Ho held Ids line of trenches from Thursday at 5 o’clock till Sunday afternoon. And on Sunday afternoon ho had not abandoned bis trenches. Thero were none left. They had been obliterated by artillery. He withdrew his undefeated troops from the fragments of 1 1 is field fortifications, and tho hearts of his men v.ero as completely unbroken as the parapets of his trenches wore completely broken. Lieu< tenant-colonel Lipsctt, commanding th< 90th Winnipeg Rifles, Bth Battalion of th< 2nd Brigade, hold the extreme left of fha brigade position at tho most critical moment. Tho battalion was expelled from the trenches early on Friday morning by poisonous gas, but, recovering in threequaiters of an hour, it counter-attacked, retook the trenches it had abandoned, and bayoneted the enemy. And after the 3rd Brigade had been forced' to retire, Lieu-tenant-colonel Lipsott held his position, though his left was in the air, until two British regiments filled up tho gap on Saturday night. Tho artillery never flagged in the slcrpless struggle. Not a Canadian gun was lost in tho long battle of retreat.