MIDNIGHT CHARGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1915, Page 12 (Supplement)

MIDNIGHT CHARGE.

( AVADIANS UKlilVIOi (II'NS. MACMFU'KXT ( (HUACK.

-Tliu-e 1.,' -mi-, were too valuable lu] the. Canadians to be saerifiee>l without ;i •■-'i.rujjule." remarked a Canadian .liininer. •■ IJi'i'iin- they inspired the infantry in regain them from the (icrmans they had alr.-a.ly contributed.to the history "f Ih.' war. Thin swept away a Herman oilmenatimi tower at Nome Chapclle, ami when our jrimiier-. were ''inn-; [iliinenteil the) naturally fell, a little' proud of their aeliievement. Hut 1 don't! want to -boost' our artillery; let us rath.-r think of the weapon*. They are .mill-; whieii the infantry eap-

Tin; gunner, v.-'.n. spoke <jlt».|ni-.i11,1.. of tin' vii'lin' of t!ii> I'iiiiii'.liiiii guns, wa, prc-oiil at Nome t luiprlk', and at tilltight for Hill (in, whore In: received 3111 injury iiiul ivih conveyed to an Liiglish lint, tin' slor.v of the Canadian-' charge ii\ which til!' gun- were recovered was toM li\ a company sergeant-major of 1!..' Huh Battalion. Canadian Force, which wa, in tho thick of tlii' lightWounded 111 I In- lira;l ami arm-, and other part.- of (lie body, his appearance gave an indication of the severity of tin- n-litin- through which he. ' had

: awaiting an oppo:'! uiiit.v t-o charge," . ; -aid Hie wounded soldier, -hut we did ' not e\pr I an offensive mm einefit quite like llii-. I'i.r IS ; r.- we awaited ' patiently at Ncuve Chapcllr an order to advance. There «e Here in Hie re *fne division, ami we understood that, I it wa- intended for us to take part in the battle. I'.itl Uie order for 11- to move forward mi this invasion never ' vaiuo. and we wore disappointed. ! SI DDF.N SCMMOXS. ' V ere ill oil!' hilli't-. He IV,'IV 'sllihlclll.V . allc.l out. We did not, know exactly what had occurred. Only a .-iiort lime before v.e had been relieved of 0111' pilsi- ; i .11 ill till' (louche,- li\ another pollioll . 1 tie Canadian force,'and wo had -one I ■,:■!, lor a i> I. When Marl, John-..us' , ..cgan nil,in- about, Ypres we knew 1 ;.:.•: :.-„m. ~',.■'. .I,,'iin-. \\V were loli! -.1.a the !■ t.->:.-:■ had f.'i -n bark, that ! t'.e ( auadinn, had found it ncecs-ary to .... i..e .-ai.ie, and that our duty tint. I night wa- to regain our position, and ia I auv i-o-t to take a |iartivular w 1, ... .; -. - .'iie-v: r:,' in front of u-. It wa- in the twilight "f till' evening that v.e uii:iv ! :ed awav ir.-ni Vpre-. .\l> , battalion, tin- lotli, was associated with j the Httii. These two fonneil the charge j line v.lii'iv I was situated. How keen and cxcind we w.rr. Vet we maintain. lel good order. The opporlunitv for a '■ charge had rome when it was least expected. The idea of having falli'ii bark before the doinuui- was irritating. At Ariiientiere- they bad done their best to shift us from our trenches, but without success. We did not feel like being beaten now. Then, again, there were tiie 1...-1 gun- to be recovered. •A Tdl'dll dill:." j ! "l-Nciiing wa- siirveeded bv night, but i ; ere wen- only brie) periods of darkj ne-s. Star dolls of the Herman- ili liiuiinated tiie sky. and at frequent in- ' tennis the night was turned into day. (In we inaivh"tl. grim and orderly, led

by our officer-. We knew that we had a. tough job. and we were prepared for i Hie loi-giie.-t. Behind us boomed I lie gun- of our artillery a.- (hey paved the way for Ihe onslaught which was t< follow-, it seemed some time before we reached the spot from vviiir'.i our charge was to commence, but a flare revealed to us the -'dilation of the wood which was the chief „hj,„.t „f our attack. -1 think it inu-t have been midnight before we were arranged in order for the charge. About 000 yard- in front of ' lis wa, the bush concealing the dernian po-itioii that had to be taken. i\\'o moved quietly, ami in excellent order. and everything went well until we got within 2110 yards of the wood. | JiItAVKD A WITIIK.III-Xd FIIIK. "Then what i- iniprc-scd upon inv | ineinoiv a- a ma-s of inat-hine-guns be- '' gnu to lire upon us. Immediately we made a ru,h: the cheer, and shout- of ■u;r nun mixed will, the uoi,e of the gun-. When v.e were 1,,|,| !,, advance '■■<• had i Ii caulii d lo gd ipiietlv and not to ,-hecr. But. who could be oiiiet now '.' -This wav the loth." exclaimed an officer a- be led hi- men. :■■«{ indicated the w, ( , (~ the wood. We -hreivd and shouted as we rii-hcl forth. M-N fell aiouud me. How we lived iu iron! of tho,,. uuo'liinc-guus will ever be a niy-ien. to me. 11,,w - men ■ oiil-i face .-'eh a lire .puzzle-, me now when 1 think of it. But Ihn did. "We inu-t have 10-t a lot'. I was -tiuek rather budlv. being hit in the h I. arm. -boulder, and thigh: -but v.e went through [he wood, took the (■eiman eo-itioii. ami recovered Hie guns I'll'ie. I (|,i„|.. || M . f,„||.|], bring -ma-he.l. Altc- 1!,,,! the po,i(i..n whs In Id. Ye-. I Il,,„!, v we made g I." add-