Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-07-15
CANADIAN TROOPS
ARE C0NSPICU0US
FOR CALAMITY
HeroiSm Of First Ontario Bat
talon in Fighting in North
em France Is Described by
Eyewitness,
d, MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED ~rs,i

ottawa, ont. July 14-lndividual
EXHIBITS Of heroism and gallantry
among members Of the first Ontario
battalion which as previously reported
was am but wiped out in the action
an June Is last near La Bassee, IN
northen France, are related in an Of
fetal eve witness account by Sir Max
Anken. the Canadian record officer at
the front. cabled from London and
given out here tonight. The battalion
lost in killed and wounded nearly SOC
men. including 20 officers.
The battalion suffered it's greatest
losses in its attempt to take a forth
fled German trench known as stony
mountain" says the account This
fight followed the battle Of the Or
ehard. up to which time the losses
we're very heavy. "Out of twenty
three officers who went into the ac-
ton nj stony mountain, Sir Max
saws. only three missed death or
wounds and they are Colonel Hill,
Lieutenants S. A. Creighton and II. c.
Sims
In their attempt to take stony
mountain" the account continues, the
Canadians met a whitening fire from
this strongly fortified German line.
While attempting to hold a line before
stony mountain" the Canadians ran
cut of bombs and volunteers We're
sent 10 the reaf to bring up more
bombs and reinforcements from the
third battalion.
Nearly All Officers Lost
THE loss of virtually all our Off
GERS hampered the fighting says the
account THE volunteers who were
bringing forward the supplies of
bombs were nearly all Killed and the
supply died out with them. The
British division had been unable to
advance on the left, owing to the
strength of the fortified positions at
stony mountain and the German
lines Of that fort. The enemy mean
while had been accommodating strong
forces and finally the remnant of the
battalion was forced to evacuate all
the ground that had been gained. The
withdrawal was conducted through a
hail of bullets and cost us heavily.
AT the outset of this fighting, the
record officer says, the First Canadian
Ontario regiment or battalion com
handed by Lieutenant Colonel Hill
was detailed to secure the right flank
of the British division by Selling two
lines of German trenches between
stony mountain and another fortl-
fled place known as Dorchester,
about $50 yards to the south. 'fhe
defensive flank the record officer
continues, TO be thrown back TO the
right. if our men got through, would
depend on the advance made by the
British division
After preliminary attacks by two
eighteen Founders for the purpose of
cleaning the foreground Of wire en-
tanglements and machine guns, and
the exploding of a few mines the or
der came to the First Ontario bat
talon to charge.
Stopped by whitening FIRE.
Sir Max says the Canadians secur-
ed the first German trench, but those
who stormed stony mountain UNI
der command Of Lieut.. c. A. James
We're stopped by a whitening fire
Lieutenant James was killed. Lieut.
c. II. Gordon who led a bomb party
towards stony mountain was killed
with most Of his men Captain g.
I. Wlknsons company took their
places and succeeded ii reaching the
second line trench where most OF
them were killed by the fire from
"Stouy mountain itself The third
company under Lieut. T. c. Sims fol-
lowed but suffered such terrible losses
that a company under Captain Della
mere, the fourth sent out, now went
forward
THE machine crew which reached
the trench" the account adds, were
reduced to Lieutenant Campbell ana
Private Vincent. lumber Jack from
Bracebridge Ont. the machine gun
and the tripod In default Of base,
Lieutenant Campbell set up the ma
chine gun on the broad back of Pri-
Waite Vincent and fired continuously
Afterwards, during the German re-
treat bombers entered the trench ana
Lieutenant Campbell fell wounded.
Private Vincent then cut away the
cartridge belt and abandoning the tri-
pod, dragged the gun away to safety
because it was too hot to handle
Sir Max here relates other Instances
OF gallantry, records the killing by a
shell Of Lieut. p. w Pick and Capt |
F. W. Robinson as they were leading
individual companies Of men Having
moved north Of Dorchester and the
second line trench of the enemy be-
fore Stony mountain, Sir Max says
that the efforts Of the battalion were
now confined to erecting barbados
and to holding the ground gained. But |
he says. the attempt proved futile be- |
cause "the supply of bombs ran out
and The casualties resulting from
heavy machine gun and rifle fire from
stony mountain increased the diff |
cultes of holding the line Sir Max
then relates as mentioned above the
unsuccessful attempt to secure bombs
and reinforcements, and the ultimate
retreat