FRENCH-CANADIANS

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 5 January 1917, Page 3

FRENCH-CANADIANS

TALES OF HEROISM.

MANY GALLANT OFFICERS

Thrilling .stories of the bravery or. the French Canadians who took Courcclettc on September 15 have been issued by the Canadian War Records Office. A lieutenant was struck by a shell near the sugar factory as the battalion was advancing to the attack. He lay unconscious for about two hours. When he regained consciousness he refused to remain at the dressing station, but followed the battalion into Coureelettc and reported to the colonel. The colonel placed him in charge of a party with which he planned an attack upon a battery position some distance beyond the village. While in the forward trench he was shot through the shoulder. His wound jtvas dressed by the battalion doctor, and he then returned to his command Here he was once more wounded, and obliged, veyr reluctantly, to leave the fight.

Lieutenaut R. Lcfebre was shot through the chest during the attack. As he lay on the ground he raised himself up and waved his men forward, although the blood was flowing from his? ;mouth. He had behaved with great gallantry, and was afterwards actually recommended for the D.iS.O. before It was heard that he had died from his wound.

Major M. Bauscd had gone forward with his men and established a line along the eastern edge of the village There for several hours he was tireless in his duties, encouraging his men, as suring them a supply of bombs, ammunition, and drinking water, and personally active in repellign repeated bombing attacks. Unfortunately in one of the numerous determined counterattacks, which the enemy afterwards made, he was shot in the breast and instantly killed One man pressed on beyond tiie others, and entered a German trench east of Courcelette. There he discovered two machine-guns, one of which he shouldered and brought back to his own trench.

Not satisfied with this he called out "Y a-t-il quelqu'un avec le 'pluck' de venir avec moil H y a une autre bien plus bau par la," and without waiting for a reply back he went to fetch the other, but this time he was shot and killed.

Of the 22 gallant officers who went into action, six were killed and eleven wounded, so that only five came through unscathed. Of the wounded two remained on duty during the two doys and nights that followed—days of canstant shelling and frequent counterattacks.

Altogether, while they held tbe lino, the French Canadians repelled 13 determined attacks, each time inflicting heavy losses on the enemy.