A FAMOUS BRITISH DIVISION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 310, 19 September 1918, Page 5

A FAMOUS BRITISH DIVISION

PRAISE FOB, THE 51st. Mr. Beach Thomas ("Daily Mail"), in a graphic dispatch describing -the methods and incidents of the latest British advance, says: "There is much talk on om - side and on the enemy's regarding the so-called fresh or tired divisions, but tho distinction entirely fails respecting that British division f.'hch is progressing along the north of our line with its right resting on the Scarpe. It is the famous 51st. consisting of Scotsmen. Wherever tho bnttlo rages hottest there is the 51st. Tho French have boon discussing it with almost religious fervour since July, when tho Scots struggled in to the undergrowth of tho woods west of Hoims and crossed the valley swept by a. thousand machine-guns, stormed Jlarfaux, and clinched the German retreat. An American officer told mo that be had never dreamt of troops facing such fire and obstacles together, and not once- or twice in this war 1 havo hoard officers say, 'Thank goodness, tho 51st are next to us. , "During tho Flanders fighting, when the Guards, the Welsh, and the Scotsmen deeply advanced towards Langemarclc, they captured a German document giving a list of tho British regiments in their order of terribleness, and the 51st wore at tho top. _ To-day, near the spot where the Scottish took 6000 prisoners in April, 19.17, the 51st are still buoyant. After their desperate ordeal- at Reims they have suddenly reappeared, and taken in their stride tough redoubts of such grim memory as the Rooux chemical works. They repel counter-attacks one evening mid quietly progress next morning. It comes to this: No battle is complete without tho 51at."