Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times WEDNESDAY, AUG. 28th, 1918. THE SOMME FIGHTING.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 August 1918, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times WEDNESDAY, AUG. 28th, 1918. THE SOMME FIGHTING.

A new volume of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's deals with the British campaign in France during the 191 G period, when the war was being fought in territory which is again occupying public interest to-day. In 1910 the initiative on the Western Front, definitely passed to the Allies; the promise was maintained in the earlier part of 1917, hut the defection of Russia upset all calculations and “the years of attack and advance,” which experts so confidently predicted, have been interrupted bv another period of recoil and equilibrium. The history of 191 G is largely the history of the first battle of the Somme • indeed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle devotes practically the whole of his hook to this disposing of events prior and subsequent, to it in two chapters. His perspective is just, for the Battle of the Somme dwarfed all others in this <n any other war. The attack on Verdun had shown the world what a “bailie” fought under modern conditions might mean, but even Verdun was eclipsed by the Somme. “Nothing approaching the latter,” observes the author. “ has ever been known in military history, and it is exceedingly improbable that it will ever he equalled in its length and in its severity. It ra'ged from July Ist. to November 14th., and during this prolonged period the picked forces of three great nations were locked in close battle. The number ot combatants from first to last was between two and three and their united casualties came to the appalling total . of at least three-quarters of a million. These aro minimum figures.” Naturally in opera tions of such a scale the individual drops completely out of sight; battalions, n,nd even brigades are lost in the multitude, and divisions are but pawns in the game. Any description of the battle, if it is to be compressed into reasonable compass must be general and episodic, and Sir -Arthur Conan Doyle anticipated criticism by admitting the inevitable disabilities of the book, which were accentuated for a further reason. It had to pass through three lines of censors, and suffered heavily in the process. •Some passages were excised and the residue emerged with loss of nil personal names except those of casualties and high generals. On the other hand it is the first account of the battle of the Somme, which has been permitted to reveal the exact identity of the units engaged. Besides its magnitude, its bitterness, and its length, the Battle of the Somme is notable for yet another thing. It was the first occasion in which all the Dominion troops fought side by side. Already the Canadians had distinguished themselves in Flanders, and the Australasians and South Africans had shown the stuff they were made of in Gallipoli and German Africa. But never before had they appeared all together on a European battlefield, and* this fact lends the Somme a significance of its own. The British Army in France was now all British. Sir Conan Doyle pays a most generous tribute to the lighting qualities of the various oversea forces, each of whose names are now for ever associated with somo village, the scene of some gallant enterprise. For tho Australians he has particular admiration; they had come from Gallipoli with a reputation for dash and doggednoss, which was maintained in the new conditions of war in France. “From General Ilirdwood, their admirable leader, down through every unit of thendivisions, ran an indomitable spirit united to an individuality and resource which made them soldiers of the highest type. Their physique, too, was extraordinarily fine, ancj even the stay at home Londouer, who lias seen the lithe figures and the eager, clean-cut, aquiline faces.. Hinder the broad-brimmed hats, bringing a touch of romance to our drab streets, could need no assurance that the men were splendid. A nation of sportsmen had changed themselves very easily into a nation of soldiers.” He describes the operations at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm, and fills in the details of both. The men who made so gallant- a stand at the latter place were Tasmanians, who “stuck it out,” for two days and nights and whose constants reports of their parlous state to Headquarters always ended with the words, “But we will hold on.” If Tasmania, needs a motto,” observes Sir Conan Doyle, “she could find no better one, for her sons lived and died up to it during these terrible hours.” Alouquet Farm was the scene of another significant- episode. An officer appeared in the Australian communication trenches asking to sop tho officer in charge. “Tie spoke the same tongue with a different intonation, as lie explained his mission. He was tho forerunner of the relieving force, and the First Division of Canada was taking over the line from Australia—a line which was to bring glory to each of them. Surely a groat hiotorical picture might he made in more peaceful times of this contact of tho two great nations of the future, separated by half the world from each other, yet coming together amid blood and fire at the call of the race.” Sir Conan Doyle tolls the tale of the lighting nil along the thundering line. Tn summing up the results of the battle it may he said broadly that the British gained their objectives in the south, but were held up in the north; in both areas the losses were great. We all remember the extravagant expectations that we formed on the first receipt of

bo»3 ar*d the. feeiing cr dte&ppciAtmfttt that followed when we realised t-lie price of the gains. Em making every allowance for the heavy casualties, and the local failures, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, declares that the battle was a success of immense value. It was a signal testimony to the excellence of the British command and improved staff work, although ns the author admits, British leadership “knd not yet attained that skill in the avoidance of losses which was gradually taught by our terrible experiences and made - possible by our growing strength of artillery.” Tactically the battle gained for the Allies extensive territory, with strong positions, from which they were not driven out. Strategically the effect of the battle was that the mere threat of renewed operations next spring caused the Germans to abandon positions which the Soiume advance had made untenable, and to fall back to a new line many miles in the rear. “The Battle of the Marne was the turning-point of the first groat German levy; the Battle of the Somme that of the second. In each case the retirement was only partial but each clearly marked a fresh step in the struggle, upward for the Allies, downward for the Central Powers.”

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