A GREAT CONTEST.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 August 1917, Page 2

A GREAT CONTEST.

HEROIC STRUGGLES.

7AUSTRALIAN <fc N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION]

BONBON August 19. Mr. Philip Gibbs continues: “The battle of Langemark on Thursday, and all the struggles to the vicinity of Glencoe Wood and Inverness Copse constitutes one of the most heroic and bloodiest days’ fighting of the war' The enemy put up a fierce resistance exoept where puny underfed hoys were thrust out in shell holes as at Lange mark. Behind them, prepared for an ultimate counter-attack were some of the finest troops including the Fifty Fourth Division which had already been severely mauled by our gun fire and was utterly, exhausted but others like the Thirty Fourth Division facing the Londoners were fresh and strong, having only just been placed in the battle line. Behind the immediate supporting troops we(re massed reserves held ready to hurry to any part most threatened, or where coun/er attacks might inflict the greatest damage.

“Th gun power of the enemy ' wm strong. He had prepared a great concentration of guns south-east of our right flank andwhatever his reserves planned, but it was different on our right where the enemy fought his hardest and , counter-attacked most fiercely and often concentrated his heaviest artillery. Here were the Irish and English Country troops and the London Battalions all involved in desperate fighting. When withdrawing under pressure they made, tho enemy pay a big price in blood for the portion of the old ground. The Londoners fought their way with great dash to the Glencoe Wood and Nuns' Wood and parties of Middlesex men were entering , Polygon Wood and bringing out prisoners. But the enmy was very strong in the Zonneheke position to the north-west and counterattacks were developed southwards and northwards and tho Londoners were shut in by a terrible gun fire. Many of their groups in exposed positions fought separate battles against odds, trying to* hold the rearguard positions while their comrades retreated in good order. This continued until they died or a remnant reluctantly surrendered. \

“He occupied the high ground on our right and he held,the crest of the Polygon Wood the slopes of the Abraham heights, and Gravenestafel Ridge. This-is the big door which he must slam in our face at all costs, because it opens out on to the plains. “Our men had no walk-over, as the ground was hideous being worse than tho Somme in winter. We are fighting amidst hundreds of thousands of shell holes up to ten feet deep and half full of water. Many are connected forming lakes deep enough to drown men and horess. Such is the position around Tangemark, Glencoe Wood, Inverness Copse, Shrewsbury Forest and the Polygon Wood and the courage of the men attacking over such-ground must needs he great. “With grim stubborness our soldiers advanced through these bogs. They would not be beaten, though they slipped, fell and stuck deep, while machine-gun bullets were played on their lines and high explosives burst along the bogland through which they were compelld to pass.”