IN THE WEST

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1915, Page 5

IN THE WEST

FIGHT FOR HILL 60. ' AN HEROIC STRUGGLE. tHE MURDEROUS GAS. HOW HEROES DIED. Received August 8, 3 p.m. London, August 7. ilr. Valintine Williams, in the Standard, gives the first complete account of the .doings of the Thirteenth Brigade at HiU CO. He says it is a story yf innumerable feats' of deathless heroism, the splendid tenacity at the beginumg of this fine feat of arms ending with the asphyxiating of gallant men, a crime so foal that none who saw the result will ever shake the hand of a German again.

The Germans held the upper slopes of the summit, and the British trenches ran in the lower slopes. It was decided to mine the summit and send infantry to occupy the craters and cap'r.re the hill. The First West lients and Second Scottish Borderers manned the trenches, awaiting the explosion of the mines, which was timed for seven o'clock in the evening of April 17th. Fire mines exploded punctually, while the French, Belgian, and our own guns opened the road to all the German positions in the vicinity.

When the last mine went up Major .Toslin led the West Ivents over the parapet. The Germans were completely surprised, and hastily quitted the ruined (renche*. They were raked by machineguns, and those who stood their ground were bayonetted or driven to the communicating trenches. By 7 .20 the hill was ours, with few casualties. The Germans in the early morning opened a bombardment, whereon the Borderers relieved the West Rents. Major .Toslin was killed. There was a terrible bombardment all night long, but these astounding men ?.<ng choruses while the high explosives were bursting. The Duke of Wellington'Regiment relieved their comrades in the morning, but the Germans, under cover of merciless shells, crept closer and closer, and by noon on the ISth had recaptured the hill, save one trench.

A British counter-attack was decided on. and the Duke of Wellington's, full r.f fight as ever, led the way, and th.> Yorkshire Light Infantry followed. The B. Company of Wellingtons, on the right, reached the trenches with slight casualties. The C Company, in the ccnti e. charged over open gTound. Of them only Captain Barton and eleven men reacV.ed the trenches, but with their bayonets Ihev routed thp enemy. 11 Company, on the left, lost all their officers, but gained their goal, and Hill (iO was again ours

Many fine deeds were done, and many distinctions gained, but the Thirteenth Brigade was exhausted, and the men were sent to their billets. Th" Surreys. Devons, and Dorset 3 were next sent to hold the hill, and they held on till the early hours of May I, when a low greenish cloud tinis rolling over the hill top. Tlte Dorsets were whollv unprepared, and in a minute or two the gas had the men in its °:' ip, slowly choking to death. As the Germans swarmed out of the trenches the Dorset", half asphvxiatcd, scrambled to the parapet and hold them at bay. Night fell, and the Devuns relieved the Dorsets, stumbliriL' over inanv gallant men lying in the fields >md ditches.

The second gas attack look plane in the morning of May a warm spring day with a neiitle breeze, with the Wellington's holding the hill. When the gas had done its work Captain Robins staggered to the lvar. and gasped, "The Duke's are passed, and the men are all dead. I believe I am the last to leave tht hill. They are splendid.'' Captain Rnbins died that night. The Germans had not advanced, remembering the lesson of May 1. but the situation seeini d so critical that the Devons beat up every reserve, even the cooks, ai'.d lined tin: trcnehs. The men declared that in the railway cutting on the aide of the hill the dead and wounded were so thick that they had to pick their way. The seen:' made wilm -is?3 sick with horror, and fierce anger was raised against 11n: fiends who iiad perpetrated the crime. A counter-attack was ordered for ten o'clock the same night, and entrusted to the West Jient-s and Borderc-is, but ;t failed against a tremendous bombardment of shells which holed into fragments the barbed wire, and the leading files were mown down instantly. Another counter-attack was made ne<t morning with iho orkshire Light Infantry and Iri;h Rifles. They fought fiercely against the same obstacles, but failed," and we finally retired to the lower slopes of the hill. The attack Yras a failure, but a glorious one.

A GEE JUN REPORT. Received August 0, 12 5 a.m. Berlin, August 7. Official: Our artillery forced the_B-.il-gkna to evacuate their fast position across the Yser, near Hearmisse, south of Dixmud^

ENEMY ATTACKS.

REPULSED BY THE FRENCH. Received August i), ]..■> p.m. Paris, August S. Official: The Germans twice renewed their attacks on Hill 213, but were repulsed. Tlie explosion, of two mines enabled them to gain a footing in one o£ our trenches, but they were immediately expelled. The enemy maintains an intense bombardment in the Forest of Apremont. The Germans attempted to attack Schratzmanelle Pass, but shrapnel cheeked them, and a second attack was repulsed by the bayonets and grenades. BRILLIANT FRENCH GENERAL. BURIED TREASURE.

Reseived August 8, 3 p.m. Paris, August 7.

General Sarrail, aged fifty-eight, who commanded the Eighth French Army Corps at the outbreak of the war, replaced General RuiTey, commander of the third army, after the Crown Prince had defeated Ruffey near Redan. Sarrail's brilliant defence of Fort Tryon against the Crown Prince's furious attacks with Buperior forces was one of the decisive contributions to the Marne victory. He has since operated in the Verdun sector with great skill. He is reputed to be a keen, cool, and tenacious fighter, and a master of modern warfare.

A large amount of treasure was hastily buried during the German invasion, and fugitives are now informing tha military of its location. Orders are being issued to search. Treasure is sornstimes discovered accidentally, as in tin case of a French soldier, who, enlarging a dug-out, in a flowerbed on a farm recently discovered a box controlling i 3000 in gold and notes. CONSTRUCTION OF HUTS. Received August 8, 3 p.m. Amsterdam, August 7. The Germans in Flanders are constructing hundreds of huts to accommodate the troops for the winter.