In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 43, 22 February 1915, Page 5

In the West

SIR THOMAS LIPTON.

ONE TAKEN-THE OTHER LEFT.

Times and Sydney Sun Service. (Received 8 a.m.) London, February 20. Sir Thomas Lipton, the well-known yachtsman and owner of the Shamrocks in connection with the America Cup, while driving in a street in the war zone, narrowly escaped being killed by a shell, which killed his host.

FIGHTING CAPTAIN-PRIEST.

Times and Sydney Sun Service London, February 21

Paris reports that French colonial troops when attacking an important position suffered severely from a battery of 75-centimetre guns. They were commanded by an enormous captain, clean-shaven. The captain climbed a tree and made observations, when the Germans were speedily annihilated. The captain was a priest. After the battle he celebrated mass in a ruined barn, preached a stirring sermon and exhorting the men pray for those German gunners whom they had just exterminated. BELGIAN COMMISSION’S REPORT Times and Sydney Sun Service. London, February 21. The Belgian Commission’s further report on the violation of the rules of war says the Germans have so often repeated that the civil population was intending to rise and assassinate them that they ended by believing it. They lived in such a state of nervous apprehension away from the fighting line that the least noise made them jump. A bursting bicycle tyre or fog-signal provoked the inevitable cry that; ‘‘The Belgians are firing upon us,” with sinister consequences of pillage, murder, rapine, and incendiarism.

ACTIVITY OF THE ENEMY AT YPRES.

United Press Association. London, February 20.

Sir John French’s bulletin states that the enemy, has been very active in the past few days south-west of Ypres, the fighting being sometimes severe. Our troops displayed great gallantry in counter-attacking despite the water-logged ground and trenches, and easily repelled German night attacks.

Our aircraft engaged and destroyed a German aeroplane.

BRITISH IN THE TRENCHES.

London, February 20.

The Chronicle’s Dunkirk correspondent states that the Middlesex Regiment on Monday evacuated their unsuitable trenches after mining them, but the fuse failed to explode. The Germans then occupied the trenches, and enfiladed the other British trenches. The British attacked, and had to cover '4OO metres. They routed the enemy, inflicting great losses.

O’LEARY, A CRACK SHOT.

SPLENDID RECORD AT THE BRICKFIELD AT LA BASSEE.

London, February 20.

O’Leary, a shot, formerly in the mounted police of Canada, led the assault of the Irish Guards at the brickfield of La Bassee. When 150 yards away he easily outstripped his companions, and on nearing the German trench dropped to the ground and picked off the whole of the five men forming a machine-gun crew'before they could slew the gun. He then rushed to the second, barricade and shot three more, and his comrades • completed the rout, the brickfield being captured in half an hour. Had the Germans been able to use the machine-guns the whole of the company might have been wiped out. O’Leary brought in three prisoners. Paris, February 20.

Official: Important forces of Germans are attacking the Allied trenches east of Ypres. After an intense bombardment they charged with the bayonet, but were repulsed, our artillery shelling the reserves. There were very high German losses. Prisoners state that an 'entire battalion was annihilated in the Champagne district this week.