TERRITORIALS WIN GLORY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 16704, 24 July 1916, Page 5

TERRITORIALS WIN GLORY.

A GREAT STAND

™ «,.„. ~fON»ON, July 21. Mr. Phillip Gibbs says that in the offensive the Territorials proved themselves great soldiers-, both in attack and resistance. The Queen's Westminsters. Queen Victoria's Bines, the London Rifle Brigade, the Rangers, and the London Scottish, advancing on Gommecourt, reached tne German lines and captured a network of trenches with amazing speed. The enemy put up a barrage of high explosix^s through which no living thing could pass. The Londoners were caught in a death trap and their escape cut off in the barrage, which smashed our communication trenches, preventing supports reaching the men in the captured salient. Their comrades desperately attempted to send ammunition. One party of 00 with hand grenades set out, but only three returned. The enemy organised a series of counter-attacks, and some of the enemy parties approached the Londoners from the northern positions, from which the enemy enfiladed the London Scottish on the right, who were holding a redoubt and building barricades. Their ammunition grew scarce, and their bombs were almost exhausted. • The Londoners gathered German bombs, but the position became uglier. The men never lost heart. An officer rallied six good men and ordered me others to retreat with the wounded and take thecr chance across "No Man's La-nd," while he put up the last light. He stuck to the barricade until all but two were killed. He was the last to leave. Gradually the Londoners withdrew under great shell-fire, hut many wounded remained on the nold, suffering great anguish for days! One officer, who was wounded 'n th,e log. crawled about the field for 12 days before being rescued-