WHAT YORKSHIRE BOYS DID.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 10 July 1916, Page 5

WHAT YORKSHIRE BOYS DID.

A SOUL-THRILIIHG STORY. Received 5-5 p.m., July 9. LONDON, July S. Mr. Gibbs, in the “Daily Chronicle, ’ says: I watched the Britishers going to the assault at Pncourt. They picked poppies and cornflowers to put in their belts and caps, and went into battle witn selling faces under sweat and dust. I saw the same men returning. The officers had a lonely look. Not a large number were left of the men who went into the first assault. They were simple Yorkshire fellows, ordinary lads not croated to face a hell of fire. When they spoke soma were still shaken. Their words' faltered. Many could remember nothing of the first rush into no mar's laud. They suddenly found themselves with bombs in their hands scrambling on the German parapets. The dead were everywhere. When the Germans in the dug-outs saw our waves coming, the gunners rushed upstairs to the wrecked trenches and manned the machine-guns. Each t,unn6i was accompanied by a sniper to pick off the British officers. So many subalterns were killed that pveiy Bi itisher had to carry on by himself. Tt was bloody work for boys who vere not butchers by instinct, but the passion caught them and they saw red.