INDIAN BRAVERY AT YPRES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 104, 5 November 1915, Page 3 (Supplement)

INDIAN BRAVERY AT YPRES.

THRILLING DEEDS IX THE PUISON GAS.

THE UNDYING RECORD OF THE LAHORE DIVISION.

(London "Express.')

Stirring stories of bravery are told in a long account by an officer in touch with thi; Lahore Division of the Indian Army Corps during the operations round Ypres at end of last April, when the Germans first used asphyxiating gases. This was the first experience of the division of anything of the nature of asphyxiating gas. At a distance of 50 yards the gas affected the eyes to such an extent as to incapacitate a man from usinc his rifle for some time. Within 300 yards of the start of the assault on April 28 Lieut.-Col. Rennick, commanding the 40th Pathans, fell mortally mounded. He was dragged into a ditch by the adjutant Lieut. Campbell, and lay there till dusk H'S last thoughts were for Ins, regiment, and as he was put on a stretcher he said : "Please send two of my Pathans with me. If I die on the way to hos. pital I should like them with me." A machine-gun officers says that the line was advancing steadily when suddenly whole bunches of men fell as if a scythe had been drawn across their legs. Nevertheless the line pressed on. officers and men falling everywhere. The majority of the machine-gun detachment of "the 40th Pathans were hit and the guns were held up. Sepoy Mukhtiara who had reached the shelter of a small ditch in advance immediately volunteered to go back and try to brfng up a gun. He succeeded in his attempt and returned under a hail of bullets carrying the gun. Sepoy Naji Khan, 129 th Baluchis, volunteered to carry an important message mder the heaviest shell and rifle file. Although badly wounded and almost knocked out by the concussion he mmaged to crawl on and deliver his a.wsage. For this he has received the Indian Order ci Merit, Second Class.

Sadly reduced in numbers, our men attained to within a few yards of their goal, a goal which they would undoubtedly have won. Here they were met with the final resort of a fiendish enemy. Half-suffocated by the poisonous fumes of the gas, they yet succeeded in holding their ground through a terrible twelve hours. Truly one would have to look far to find a more striking instance of self-forgetting devotion to duty and British bulldog tenacity. The position at 2.30 p.m. was roughly, that the French attack and that of the Jullundur Brigade had failed, and the Ferozepore Brigade attack was neld up althougn the centre of the brigade was well advanced.

DARING NIGHT RECONNAISSANCE. General Keary decided to make a further attempt to push the attack home in co-operation wath the Franch on the left of the Ferozepore Brigade. About 7.45 p.m. the 15th Sikhs and l/4th Gurkhas advanced from La Lrique, with the 9th Bhopal Infantry in support, the whole being under tin command of Lieutcnant-Colon»l J. Hill loth Sikhs, with orders to attack on the original front. The advance was carried out with great resolution snd rapid''//, not wit), out heavy casualties, to a distance of some 300 yards beyond the old British trenches. Connection was established with the French on the left and Major Deacon's party on the right. Owing to the»"unavoidably unfavourable conditions of the attack, this very partial success had cost us dear. During the night a very daring and useful reconnaissance was carried out which resulted in determining the lie of the German position, and rendered it possible to make more exact plans for the infantry attack and artillery support than was feasible on the previous day. On April 27 the Sirhind Brigade was met by a heavy enfilading fire on its progress towards some enclosed ground sloping towards the valley. The Ist Gurkhas had to swing round towards the N.N.W. in order to face the fire, the 4th Gurkhas being at the same time checked by this enfilade. One company of the Ist Gurkhas managed in spite of heavy losses, to push on, under the command of 2nd Lieut. Fry, 1.A.R., to a ruined farm in the valley, which was only some 250 yards from the German position, where they succeeded in holding on until they were withdrawn at night, being exposed to heavy shell and rifle fire all the time. Tho Ist Gurkhas were reinforced by the 4th King's Liverpools, under the comman of Liedut.-Col. S. L. Allen. This fine Territorial Battalion advanced by rushes in the face of a heavy fire, and carried the line forward to a distance of some 300 yards from the Germans, under the leadership of Major E. Si. Heall, who has received the D.S.O. for hi 6 gallantry on this occasion.

A " REMARKABLE SCENE." Under cover of a bombardment the Ist Battalion Highland Light Infantry and the 15th Sikhs pushed forward, biit were met with such a terrible fire that a check ensued. Just then a remarkable scene took place. An unarmed German got out of the enemy's trenches and walked 6lowly over towards the French lino. Just as he ar. rived there, and was about to get into the trench, he was shot by tne Germans.

At this juncture the loth Sikhs sustained a very severe loss by the death of Brevet Lieut.-Colonel Vivian and Major Carden. Fear appeared to be unknown to Colonel Vivian, and it is related that on one occasion, being anxious to ascertain whether a trench was occupied by the enemy, he crawled up a. ditch to the enemy's parapet and, being unable to see sufficiently well from there, proceeded to climb a tree which overlooked the trench. The trench was omipied as he soon ascertained when the enemy commenced firing at him from a few yards dLstaut. Hearing a bullet strike the tree immediately behind him, he dropped out of the tree and managed to crawl back to our trench. There it was found that the bullet had gone through the manv clothes which he was wearing, as it was then winter, and had struck the tree without causing him any more harm than a mark on the skin. The gallantry of the stretcher bearers not only in this but in every action cannot be too highlv praised. W nether it be the Sepoy stretcher bearer or the more humble Kahar, the unvarying renort is that they are never known to shirk any danger in the execution of their very perilous duties.