AT LA BOISELLE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 158, 8 July 1916, Page 5

AT LA BOISELLE.

ONE OF GREATEST BATTLES IN ffISIORY. GRAPHIC SiORY OF THE ATfjICK.

LONDON, July 7

Mr Philip Gibbs, who has been visiting the battlefield north of La Boiselle, says: Over this stretch, a few miles wide, was fought one of the greatest battles in history. Many thousands •{' our men advanced, with marvellous selfsacrifice. Beyond ordinary courage, tile men faced the hellish fire unfalteringly, when the bravest might have quailed. Something supernatural animated them. Their losses were heavy because they counted not the cost uf assaulting terribly strong positions. The enemy's losses were frightful, too. His courage was great, because there were brave .men on both sides. His machine gunners displayed . amazing eourr.~e and audacity. Tney climbed on tile parapets of "No Man's Land," and swept our ranks with a scythe of bullets. We went on charging the machine guns with the bayonet. Wave after wave swept over the enemy's first, second and third hues, even to the fourth. Some men went as far as Serre. They never came back. Human courage could not react] greater heights than these North Countrymen showed. There were Midlanders West of Englanders, and Eastern Counties men, and battalions of Irish and Scots. They approached the trendies with a parade step througn a storm of shell, and then engaged in fierce trench fighting until most of the enemy were kil'ed.

I From the men who had gone to Serre came an urgent message tor help —"For God's sake send us bombs"— but the enem3 r 's barrage was so violent and deep that it was impossible to s~"d relief. Even the terrific sound of the bombardment was obliterated bJ the more terrible sound of myriad enemy machine-guns sweeping "No Man's Land" witn a blast of flame. The men marched unfalteringly and calmly into the very heart of this storm. As gaps were made in the 'lariks, they were filled. They .elearo dug-outs as they passed. The enemy came out and bombed them in the rear, but they could not resist the. attack. Our men collected in strength at Tniepyal Wood among,trees slashed to,pieces by. .the. German shrapnel.. They., withstood German, counter-attacks. The .lightly-:., wounded, had, two miles tp walk; \to the. dressing stations—a ; fl long,- two,,miles for men weak and dizzy through loss of blood, yet they called out "We have got tnem on the run!"