Evening star., 1915-05-02
CANADIANS HALT
GERMAN ADVANCE
Sir Max Aitken Describes by
Cable "Great and Glorious
Feat of Arms"
TELLS HOW RAW RECRUITS
MET FURIOUS ASSAULTS
Story of Battle Near Ypres Told by
Record Officer With Do
minion Troops.

OTTAWA Ontario. May THE story
of what he describes as great and
glorious feat of arms the desperate
battle fought by the Canadian division
TO check the recent German advance
near Ypres. was told IN q cable com
munication from Sir Max Aitken. the
Canadian record officer. given out by
the militia department today. The &C
count describes how tho Canadians. the
majority of them raw recruits, met the
German rush after the latter had re-
leased the asphyxtating gases. and
low, although greatly outnumbered.
they succeeded. with heavy losses. in
recovering four British guns, and much
ground by brilliant dash.
April g." the account continues,
the Canadian division held a line of
roughly 5000 yards. extending in
northwesterly direction from the YpreS-
Roulers railway to the Ipres-Poel-
'apelle road and connecting at its
division consisted of three infantry bril-
Sadss in addition to the artillery bri-
gades.''
After telling of the release of the
gas. forcing the French backward, Sir
Max reported that this put the Cana
dian division with its left in the air.
an extremely grave condition. 1t be-
came imperatively necessary greatly to
extend the Canadian lines to the left
rear.
Enemy Captures Four Guns.
In the course of the confusion which
followed upon the readjustment of posi-
ion" the account says. the enemy.
which had advanced rapidly after his in
itial successes. took four British ~
guns in a small wood to the west of the
,-iI1a o$ T,,lia
rear of the original French trenches.
The enemy's attack developed with
particular intensity upon the apex of the
newly formed line running In the direc-
lion Of ST. Julien.
In the course of the night of the 22d
and under the heaviest machine gun fire.
this wood, where the four guns had
earlier been captured by the enemy, was
assaulted by the Canadian-Scottish lSOth
Battalion of the Sd Brigade and the
10th Battalion of the I'd Brigade The
battalions, afttr very fierce struggle,
took the position at the point of the
bayonet- At midnight the I'd Battalion,
under Col. Watson, and the Toronto regi-
ment. Queens Own ed Battalion), un-
der Lieut.. Col Bennie. both of the 1st
forcements.
An through the following day and
night these battalions shared the for
tunes and misfortunes of the Sd Brigade
An oficer who took part in the attack
describes how the men about him fell
under the fire of the machine guns,
which, he said. played upon them like
4 watering pot"
Line Holds Position.
But the line never wayered. When
one man fell another took his place and
with final shout the survivors of the
two battalions flung themselves into the
wood. The German garrison was COM
pleteIy demoralized and the impetuous
advance Of the Canadians did not cease
until they reached the far side of the
wood and entrenched themselves In posi-
tions so dearly gained. They had. how
ever. the disappointment Of finding that
the guns had been blown up by the enemy
and. later in the same night, a most
formidable concentration of artillery fire
sweeping the wood made 1t impossible
for them to hold the position for which
they had sacrificed SO much.
The fighting continued without in
'ermission all through the night. AT
= . m Friday, the I'D, 1t became an
parent that the left was becoming more
and more involved and a powerful Ger
man attempt to outfank it developed
rapidly.
1t was, therefore, decided to try to
he first line of German trenches. now
far advanced from those originally oc-
cupied by the French. This was car
ried out by the Ontario 1st and 4th
Battalions of the LIST Brigade unde!
Brig. Gen. Horser, acting IN combin
non with a British brigade.
Suffer Terrible Casualties.
1t did not seem that any human be
ing could live in the shower of sho,
and shell which began to play on the
advancing troops. They suffered ter
rible casualties. For a short time every
other man seemed to fall, but the at
tack was pressed even closer ant
closer The 4th Canadian Battalion a,
on" moment came under a particularly
w.'hering fire. For a moment II wa.
ed. Its most gallant commanding
of GER, Lieut.. Col. BirchaN, carrying
# r an Old fashion. light cane. coI.y
Il :! cheerfUlly rallied his men, and, a.
II very moment when his example
hal infected them, fell dead at tht
D.. d OF the battalion.
With . cry OF anger they sprant
r. ward. as II to avenge his death. Tn.
a. onishiug attack which followed
pU he'd home in the face OF direc
frontal fire. made In broad daylight by
~ talions whose names should liv.
:" ever IN the memories OF soldiers