ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 10 August 1917, Page 2

ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

THRILLING TALES OF VIMY RIDGE GERMAN PRISONERS IN TERROR OF TANKS How thoroughly we took the Germans by surprise at Yimy Ridge is evident from the stories oi the Canadian wounded who have reached London. “For fully a quarter of an hour after we had leaped over the top,” remarked a bright-eyed smiling French Canadian, “the German guns* were silent. Then when they began they were turned on the trenches we had left.”

“The first two German trenches obliterated. It was imposible to distinguish them from No Man’s Land. In the enemy’s third line we made a fair haul of prisoners. There were no attempts at resistance. Up went their arms—you know the formula. “What particularly surprised me was to find that our bombardment had smashed up the B'oches’ rifles. They lay in so mahy pieced at the bottom of the trench. In the officers’ dugouts we came across a fine larder consisting of white bread, corned beef and cheese. The latter, however, did not look very inviting, and a German officer whom we took prisoner, advised us to throw it awsy. In the men’s dug-outs, all the food visible was some m-serable cla ’k bread. While searching for telephone wires we uprooted two lovely boxes of cigars, and you would have laughed !to see me puffing away at the best smoke I have ever had in my life Our orders were to remain in this third line, and here we had a glorious view of the progress of the battle. We could see the. other battalions disappearing through a wood on their way round the ridge—no cheering, no flag waving, just a businesslike charge. ENTER THE TANKS. “After the battle had been in progress about six hours the Tanks made their appearance, solemnly waddling along to the German machine-gun positions. They were in extended order and suggested a charge of prehistoric monsters.

“Our boys were bringing back prisoners by tbe hundred, and one procession, when they saw the Tanks, began to display pitiable signs of terror. The ugly gleam of gun-barrels seemed to frighten the lives out of them, and they started the ‘Merci, kamerad!’ recitation all over again. The tanks drove slowly passed them, and it was a revelation to see the expression of relief on the faces of those affrighted Huns when the imaginary danger was over. “During the day I saw between eight and nine 'thousand prisoners— Saxons and Bavarians —generally men of good physique, and apparently delighted to be in the cages. The prisoners to whom I spoke were very reserved. They explained that they had been warned to say nothing and we did’nt press them.

“A Saxon who spoke English quite well remarked that the German Army was no good against the English; but. perhaps that was his clever way of recommending himself to us.

I “We witnessed many examples of the bestiality ,of some of the Huns. We saw one big chap deliberately attempt to kill a wounded chap of ours as he lay helpless in a shell hole. When challenged, by another of our fellows who saw him, he put up his hands and halloed, ‘Mercy; me married man, two children.’

“A number of the prisoners volunteered to bring in our wounded, and went about their work with cheerful alacrity. They felt that so employed they were safer, though there was never was any reason for alarm. “During the morning I was hit by shrapnel, and a German medical officer who spoke English perfectly attended to me. He first gave me a nip of rum from his flash, then a fat cigar and as he bandaged me made some humourous remarks. I could tell that he was an experienced doctor by -his manner and his deft" Touch. He seemed to be much more interested in his work than in the baffle. “The prisoners freely offered us their valuables, such as revolvers and watches, but our fellows were too preoccupied by the great victory to have much heart for souvenir collecting. “Our extraordinary incident that impressed me was the annihilation of a German machine-gun team by an accurately planted shell. Our boys were rapidly approaching, (and this lucky shell must have saved us numerous casualties. "WH? WE WON'.” “We won at Vimy Eidge largely because our bombardment was perfect and the barrage aruirately timed. The Germans were lomived by the fret that our guns ceased at midnight before the attack and only recommence 1 when we got the c-dcr ‘Over the top.’

‘ ‘ Again when ws restarted our bombardment the enemy could hardly see what was happening because we used smoke bombs lavishly and we escaped any counter attack for fifteen'minutes during which time the first attacking battalions had made good their objective. “Our equipment was a most brainy arrangement. The bombs we used for clearing out the dugouts were real surprise packets. They burnt and chattered everything within the zone of of the explosion, “The most dramatic episode I witnessed was the passage of a German aeroplane over our lines. It flew on until it cae directly over a convoy of German prisoners. Then we saw a piece of paper flutter down from the machine and fall to the ground. But before any of the Huns could seize it one of our fellows had picked it up. Ever since I have been in hospital I have wondered what that message was.