THE CAPTURE OF BELLEVUE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17127, 31 October 1917, Page 5

THE CAPTURE OF BELLEVUE

CANDADIANS' SPLENDID WORK

J ™m. LQ NDON J October 29. Mr .Philip Gibbs states that the Canadians never did better than durin° the attack on Belleyue." They were beaten back but re-formed and scaled, the slopes, and carried the blockhouses held by Bavarians. The position was extremely strong. Bcilevue ip on one S 4.1? Cr vest Farm ' and Pasachendaele on" the other, and support each other sweeping any attsck on the slopes. Many were obliged to struggle through bogs and seas of mud, but the rightflank attacked the Crest Farm, along the mam ridge, where the ground j« much better. L'he slope below Bellevue was reached, at a point near Duck Wood. Their position was good, but the Canadians on the left were caught by the mud under a heavy machine-gun barrage from a row of blockhouses on the crest oi the ridge. The Canadians Strove desperately to reach them. Some gamed a footing on the higher slopes, but were forced to withdraw from liellevue almost to the original line 1 here strengthened by a small body of comrades they re-formed, advanced again, and worked forward in smail packs. More fell, but enough remained to invest the forts and silence them. Vhe i garrison was given the choice of death or surrender, and chose the latter.