ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK!.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2358, 14 January 1915, Page 6

ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK!.

_ON THE

LESSON S~OF THE WAh

Colonel Uniacke, of the Gordon Highlanders, who "bad recently returned from front, paid a visit to the 2nd King Jikiward s Horse at Hounslow Barracks on December 2, when he gave an interesting lecture on his experiences.' The A B C of war, he said, was discipline, and it should be. drilled into the blood and bones of the men. In his regiment they always made the men shave. How they did it he did not Jcnow, but they were always trim and clean.

This point should he ingrained into every soldier—"Attack, attack, attack." ' ,®^ 6v6r an attack seemed to promise well it should always be "attack," although m this war there had been bo many deplorable mistakes. An attack must be driven home.

On one occasion after the Highlanders 'had been driven by a terrifio shell fire from a ridge he saw portions 'of regiments on his left and right moving forward to the attack. Feeling they could not see other regiments charging without taking a hand the Gordons went in only t-o come under a terrible shrapnel and shell fire. They had the greatest difficulty 'in getting back. They lost heavily— it was never ascertained wlio gave the order to attack —and it only wont to, show how important it was" never to commit a regiment to attack without deliberation and a thorough knowledge of all contingent circumstances.

. No order should be taken unless properly authenticated, and frequently great mischief had resulted'from the neglect of this precaution. Turning to the lighter side of the war Colonel Uniacke Baid he once saw five Uhlans riding calmly through 'one of the English batteries. He rode up and demanded of the only officer remaining—a young subaltern—why he' allowed such a state .of things. The youngster,. dripping with sweat and working furiously at his 'guns, answered snappishly that he had fa.r too much to do to look after Germans about his battery, Colonel Uniacke concluded by urging his listeners always to keep smiling. He had an enormously, fat pipe-major, who was very funny. His legs were like barrels, and when he was at last badly ahot in the legs he said happily, Weel, I wonder they didna do that [before." '