The Story of Kemmel

Taihape Daily Times, 15 June 1918, Page 6

The Story of Kemmel

MOST STIRRING EPISODE. % . HEROISM OF DEFENDERS. An outstanding feature of the Gerans’ second, or Lys, offensive, which »ened on April 9 and reached stabiles on April 29, was the heroic defence '■‘the French garrison of Mont Kernel, on the 25th. A graphic story of is phase of the battle is told by the ecial correspondent of the “Times.”

says:—• ~ ‘The French were exposed, with w : trenches and little shelter, and

I the roads, scattered buildings, and aitions of every hind for a wide ea in the rear of the front were rept by a hail of projectiles all rough the night of April 24-25. At If-past three in the morning of the th a gas bombardment began, which 3ted for 2 hours, hundreds of thousds of gas shells being thrown over, xed with high explosives of all calies. The French had. to wear gas isks all night. They kne-w an atek was coming, and when it came at e o’clock they met it still wearing etr masks. Kemmel was surroundand lost by nine o’clock in the irning. : ■% f “An intense bombardment began be. een midnight and one o’clock, and ntinued till between three and four, len the attack was delivered oil a de front from near Wytschaete lere British troops were, along the ant Kemmel to west of Dranoutre, rich line w r as held by the French, snetration seems to have been made two points, approximately simulaeously—namely, at the jr

e French and the British to the eass Kemmel and through the French on e west —and, .pouring through on )th sides, the enemy had Kemmel irrounded and the garrison cut off, as said above, by nine o’clock. THE HEROIC GARRISON. “Some day we shall, perhaps, have detailed account of the heroic restance of the garrison after that, ertainly fighting went on on the hill >r seven or eight hours, or till midfternoon. I understand that the 'rench troops had sworn before that ley would never leave Kemmel to he Germans while they lived, and hey did not, but we can only roughly icture the scene of which the airmen aught a glimpse as the Germans from ill sides swarmed .up the hill, and the ihenchmen, taken on both flanks and n the rear, fought on in lessening lumbers and in a gradually reducing irea until at last only the hilltop was irowned with blue as the defenders, acing all w.ays, made their last stand. When all is known I believe that last ight of the French troops on Kemmel lill will stand as one of the most stirring episodes of the war. "Around Kemmel itself the~German osses were undoubtedly very heavy, the French on the hill were well supdied with machine-guns, and, as the Germans came on in great numbers, the price exacted by the garrison for the possession of the hill must have been very high in the course of the seven or eight hours during which the Germans were forcing their way up the slopes. Scottish troops, some

Black Watch among them, also inflcted extremely heavy casualties, especially at one point, where the Germans were for a long time exposed to machine gun fire while struggling to find a way through the wire. BRAVE RUNNERS AND BEARERS.

“If, in the later stages we had intelligence of the surrounded garrison only from'aeroplanes, it was because the French runners were nearly all killed, and, with the enemy all round. It was impossible to send messages. ! French officers speak l.a the highest possible terms of praise for Jhgjy runners, gome of whom got through with messages after hiding up To their' necks in water while the German infantry went by, and all behaved very 3Bnely, eager to take messages at whatever risk, and refusing rest. “Equally heroic were the stretcher-* 5 bearers, who had to bring the wounded over two kilometres of exposed road. Many were killed, and it is recorded of one French ambulance crew that they worked for six days and mights without rest, only finally to be killed.

“The Germans, attacking behind a barrage, got through on both sides of Kenamel, and fighting of the fiercest description went on between Dranoutre and Locre. The French, after the enemy once got round them into Dranoutre, reformed in a wood just behind and northwest -of the village, and held it through the day. One battalion along the railway line charged with the bayonet five successive times, each time- getting into the enemy and throwing them back until the Germans got a machine gun found the flank to sweep the railway with enfilade fire. For two days it was a con. |«tant struggle against the rising tide; French units or small parties were again and again surrounded, and fighting breathlessly, facing in all directions, then somehow filled up the gar s held on again.”

A CONTRAST. “From what we hear from home as to the way New Zealanders are taking their pleasures,” writes an Auckland soldier from an English hospital, “I take it that the Dominion has not felt the war even as England felt it at first. This, no doubt, is accounted for by the distance which separates our little country from- the war zone, and to the fact that New Zealand is not made the field of warfare, by being subjected to submarine blockades and bombing raids. Another reason, perhaps is that New Zealanders do not see the pathetic Sights that are seen in England during a ‘stunt’ the constant arrival of hospital trains i and the quick despatch of hundreds of I wounded, many of them permanently disabled, to the various hospitals. Jollification Of the pre-war order Jhas long has ' Jong been banished rflrom England and there is only a very forced attempt at merry-making/ ’

COUGHS AND COLDS. GOOD HOME-MADE REMEDY. (By a Qualified Chemist.) Never neglect a cold. Tackle it right at the start. Colds neglected leave the lungs weak; then serious chest trouble, such as bronchitis, asthma or dread consumption makes its appearance and the trouble becomes much more difficult to cure. Here is a recipe easily prepared at home that gives relief and comfort from the first dose. It cuts phlegm, soothes inflamed throats, and stops a cough or cold in a way that surprises folk. You can feei it doing good all the way down. Obtain from your chemist or store a bottle of HEENZO (Hcan’s Essence) take home and mix with water and sugar as per easv directions. This will give you a pint of the finest cough cold, and sore throat remedy you can obtain. Even whooping cough Is promptly relieved by it. It will also save 10s for your pocket.

Economical mothers use HEENZO (Hean’s Essence) because of two reasons: Ist, quality; and 2nd, economy. Try HEENZO (Hean’s Essence) at once. Take a bottle home and mix according to the easy directions on label. Sold by most chemists and stores or post free promptly on receipt of price, 2s, from Hean’s Pharmacy, Wanganui. Wherever you buy be sure you get HEENZO, the original and genuine cough mixture essence.

I SHOCKING ACCIDENT. 3 NEW PLYMOUTH EXPRESS COL LIDES WITH MOTOR LORRY, , A RETURNED SOLDIER KILLED. ANOTHER SERIOUSLY INJURED FEILDING, June 13. A shocking accident occurred at 3 o’clock to-day at the Kimbolton Road railway crossing, by which George Hirst lost BTs life. Hirst and Ross (both returned soldiers), own a big motor lorry, and were on board "at the crossing. A goods train was J shunting on one of the double lines. ■ The motorists waited till the train j passed, and then drove up to the crossing. The New Plymouth express was coming in at the time and struck the forepart of the lorry and hooded-in seat. Ross was driving, and jumped out just In time, but was struck and seriously injured. The hooded-in part was caught by the engine with Hirst in the wreckage. The latter was carried about three chains on the cow-catcher. He was fearfully injured and died within a few minutes. This railway crossing has been tbe subject of correspondence between tbe local authorities for years. It has always been considered a dangerous crossing. This Is the second man killed there. Feilding is suffering from S "distressing list of motor accidents. Including Ross, there are now four residents under medical care as the result of motor accidents during the past week.