FIRST BRITISH RUSH.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 25 July 1916, Page 3

FIRST BRITISH RUSH.

NEARLY GOT THROUGH. The Times correspondent at the Press Camp on the Western front writes: — Attention lias heretofore been concentrated on the southern attack, in the area where the greatest gains have taken place. When the whole story is told Great Britain will be perhaps, more proud of the deeds of some of the regiments in the northern section. The

story is magnificent, but terrible, for the losses were inevitably heavy, Serre, Beaumont-Hamel and Thiepval had been rendered almost impregnable, and though it seems incredible, the fact remains from what we now know, that the first rush of troops on a Saturday morning actually penetrated beyond Thiepval to the enemy’s final stronghold, a place called The Crucifix. Some of the territorial sodiers actually reached Serre.

The southern regiments fought through successive tranches and reached the highest point of the plateau within an hour. When our attack approached the Germans put a tremendous barrage of fire on our front line, and for 50 yards before and 50 yards behind it, and simultaneously drenched No Man’s Land with a storm of shrapnel, machine gun and rifle fire.

The German machine gunners and infantry undoubtedly behaved ( with the greatest gallantry. Observers, describing the enemy’s fire trenches, say that they were so battered that momentarily they seemed to change shape Under the hurricane of German fire our front lino trench, too practically disappeared No Man’s Land was a sea of flying projectiles of every kind, into which the East Lancashire

and the Yorkshire and Lancashire Regiments went unfalteringly. Not one man hesitated or turned back. Some not. only reached the German first line, | but fought their way over four successive tiers of trenches. No men could have borne themselves more splendidly. I Below Beaumont-Hamel the Ulstermen behaved themselves in a way that will be remembered as long as history is written and read. It is said that the Royal Irish Fusiliers were the first out of the trenches and the Royal Irish Rifles with them, went through absolute hell, and on over the parapets into

the enemy’s trenches, bayoneting the machine gunners. The ’lnniskillings from Omagh and Strabane were subjected to a murderous cross-fire from machine guns on three sid’Ss, yet they drove on and across the first and second lines.

I believe I am not exaggerating when I say that if the British Army had not had any traditions before July, 191(5, this one day’s achievements was enough to have established it on an equality of gallantry with any army in the world.