In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 60, 9 November 1915, Page 5

In the West

CAPTURE OF "THE CHALKPIT." Dnithjd Pbbsi Association. j London, November 8. i Correspondents at British beadquarters give vivid accounts in their despatches of the baptism of fire of the Guards Division,including the now-' ly-formed Welsh Guards. The Guards had hitherto been brigaded to the Second Division, since August, 1914, but were recently billeted and form-' 'ed a new Division. They were aware that they were being reserved for a big part in the great push, and their chance came on Monday, when they were ordered to capture Hill 70, where the Highlanders had earlier gain- 1 ed a temporary footing. I The Guardsmen marched into Loos at three o'clock in the afternoon, and smoke helmets were served out. Their objective was the "Chalkpit,"} which stood out brilliantly, while' south-west from the pit was a small wood covering the ground to Puits- 1 fourteen, which is a collection of mining buildings. On the right, beyond Puitsfourteen. was a keep of square houses which the Germans had turned into a fort, bristling with machineguns.

Further on the right was the famous tower bridge of Loos, with a gentle slope towards Hill 70. which is beyond it. The Second Brigade leapt out of the trenches at four o'clock. The Irish easily reached the wood and turned south-east to assist the.Coldstream Guards, who were attacking Puits. The Coldstreams. in extended order, pushed on at the double, despito the most terrific machine-gun fire. When Puits was won, an officer of the Scots Guards Jed on the party to keep a fierce hand to hand fight with the enemy, who were concealed in emplacements in the ruined buildings. This gallant effort enabled a platoon of the Grenadiers, under Lieutenant Riley Ritchie, to storm the way into the keep and knock out a machinegun on the second floor with a bomb. The Grenadiers and Scots Guards held 'the : keep until almos't biwdry tin an was killed or wounded.

Headquarters !finally realised that. Puitsfourteen and the keep were un-i tenable, and ordered la |re&r>me;rit to the "Chalkpit.'-' which proved a sj*n<ituary, j b\Hng r 'to \ . the i splenchd work done'in the night with sa-tfdliagsj and barbed wiW T-Hey held out there] until relieved*'on'the '29th by French troops.- * '•!!':! 1 M Meanwhile the Third Brigade had been''bnlored-tot'Assault Hill "70 directly the Second Brigade captured the "Chalkpit." When they reached the top the Welsh Guards found the centre position was a redoubt, which ethe enemy had cunningly built, not exaotly oj| the cuesfc,tjjttit oiutbe.,reverse -slfipe:'- '<• The- 1 Welshmen* gained the top after small opposition, but they wore -fbilly exposed to ;the fire of the machine-guns in the redoubt! The men were accordingly ordered todig "in, one hundred yards below the crest, and wire, entanglements were erected. ';;;-'• GENERAL BOMBARDMENT. The Itigh<Commissioner reports:— November 8 (1.50 a.m.) On the Western front, the bombardment is still general. In the Argonne we destroyed a German sap at Hill 2.'?-j. Trench mortar combat is proceeding in Belgium, in the regions of Hetsas and Bossinghe.