THE CANADIANS' BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2451, 3 May 1915, Page 6

THE CANADIANS' BATTLE

THEY WERE BEATEN BUT DID NOT KNOW IT London, April 30. i The conduct of the Caridians is almost the sole topic in the Canadian Press. Many stories are told of individual heroism. Colonel M'Larg fell dead at the mouth of a machine-gun, while attempting to rescue a private. Colonel Birchall was wounded twice before being mortally hit. • The ioth and 16th battalions made a wonderful charge, and Colonel Boyle fell while leading his men, who were cheering and yelling, into a perfect hell of fire from the enemy hidden in a. wood 300 yards away from the medley. Accounts received, by the Vancouver "Daily Province" surmises that tho Germans ■ despised amateur soldiers. They know .exactly where the Canadians were, and knew that they lacked experience.. Tho Germans, accustomed to long attacks, knew that by imparting a novelty of frightfulness in the shape of chlorine gas their chance of breaking the line would be greatly enhanced. At first the results were just as they calculated. It appears that there was some confusion into which the Germans drove full tilt, apparently surrounding some Canadians. The announcement that the Germans had taken p, thousand prisoners was probably, made when things looked like it. By all the rules of warfare the_ Canadians were beaten, but they did not know it. They, suffered terrible casualties, but gave as good as they got, and eventually turned the tables on their foes. . A sorgeant-major says: "From Thursday evening to Friday morning the Canadians held on to a position which was really untenable. If the Canadians had not held on the Germans might have been masters-of Ypres." AN OFFICER'S RECORD. A THRILLING ACCOUNT. (Rec. May 2, 4.30 p.m.) London, May 1. The Press Bureau has published the record of an officer with the Canadians. He states' that four divisions of Germans, supported by immensely superior heavy artillery, attacked the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Brigades, holding, five thousand yards on- the front from the Ypres-Roulors- railway to the YprosPoelcapelle Road. When the Zouaves retreated, the Canadians at a moment's notice had to extent their line to nine thousand yards. Later on Thursday the Ist Canadian Brigade, which was in reserve, was hurried up. The Canadian Scottish Battalion and the 10th Battalion led tho assault on the wood west of Saint Julien. They found that tho Germans had blown up four guns which wore captured on the evening of April 22. During the assault the (ire of ma-chine-guns played upon the Canadians like, a' watering-pot. , The situation was so critical at dawn that (lie commander decided it traa en.wntial to counter-attack rfrh.o German.

trenches 2} miles ahead. General Mercer led the Ist and 4th Battalions, who were assisted by a British brigade. Colonel Burchill, carrying a cane, coolly rallied the men, who were wavering under the withering , fire. A moment later be fell dead while heading the 4th Battalion. The. Canadians sprang forward to avenge his death, and an astonishing charge followed, which was pushed home in the face of a direct frontal fire in broad daylight. After a hand-to-hand struggle the last German was bayoneted and the trenches won. Meanwhile the Germans made several emissions of poisonous gas, forcing the Montreal Highlanders to abandon the trenches, but they rallied and reoccupied them. The German onslaughts finally forced the 3rd Brigade to retire on the loft flank upon the Saint Julien wood. Captain M'Craig, of the Montreal Highlanders, whowas seriously .wounded i in the trench, might have been carried to safety, but he refused and continued to command. "When orders were received to withdraw, the men wished to take him with them, but Captain M'Craig resolutely refused to 'burden them. • He was left in the abandoned trench with three loaded Colt revolvers, waiting, raoked with pain, to sell his life as dearly as possible. Seven British battalions reinforced the Canadians on Friday afternoon, but the Germans increased their artillery fire with overwhelming superiority of numbers. Stubbornly contesting every yard, the 3rd Brigade abandoned Saint Julien. .It was impossible without hazarding a large force .to disentangle two or three' hundred of the Montreal Highlanders arid Royal Montrealers in Saint Julien.' Their rifle fire cculd be heard hours after tho rest of the Canadians had left. If the Montrealers died, they died worthy of Canada. , , ■ ' . Meaiiwhile the retirement of the 3rd Brigade left, Brigadier-General Curry's 2nd' Brigade in the air. General Curry flung his left flank southwards as the 3rd Brigade had done when expelled from the trenches by the emission of gas.\ General Ourrv counter-attacked and retook the trenches at the bayonet point from the Germans. General Curry did not leavo the trenches until the German artillery obliterated them. General Alderson, on Sunday, commanding British reinforcements, took up the attack. As the Britishers passed the Canadians' lines they paused and gave deep-throated cheers for Canada. The German attacks were pressed so fiercely on Monday that General Alderson asked General ■ Curry if ■ his shrunken brigade was 1 able to return to the firing line. He replied: "My men are tired, but they are ready and will be glad to return." . General Curry's Brigade though reduced to a quarter of its ■ original strength, returned,to the hottest section of the fight, and held their position throughout Monday, and only retired after the fight on Wednesday.