The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25
IN PRINCESS PATS
EVERY MAN WAS a HERO
Canadians Wrote Glorious Page in Annals of British
Army by Desperate Defence at
Ypres Last May.

seemed far away. That salient must be
held against the Germans. whose
trenches were anywhere from thirty to
sixty yards distant. Frostbite was a
worse enemy even than the German bull
let's. A Canadian knows % to battle
with frostbite too.
II was not in The nature OF the Ger
mans to 81, quiet after the British took
Neuye Chapelie. II they are hit a
furnishing blow they always try to come
back with one. Following the usual
method they made the British trenches
in front Of st. Eloi %untenable with ar
tillery fire and their infantry swept for
ward under its cover and took that
precious hill. No sleep, no drying their
clothes in their quarters that night for
the Princess Pats. whose turn IL was TO
res, and sleep. They were needed {.
every British soldier in that vicinity
was needed.
II was In a big chateau that | first
heard the story Of May S and felt the
thrill OF II as told by Its participants.
There were twenty bedrooms in that
chateau. II l wished TO stay all night
] might occupy three or four, and as
for. that bathroom. paradise to men who
have been buried in filthy mud by high
explosives. the Frenchman who planned
IL had the most spacious ideas In I'M
merSlOnt. ~ tuD OF u SnOWtr Oh u muse,
a. you pleased.
The 4th OF May was bad enough. a
Stlastly forerunner for the Sth. On the
4th the Princess Pats. after having been
under shell Are throughout the C
battle of Ypress. the gas battle" were
ordered forward TO n new line TO the
southeast of Ypres. To the north of
Ypres the British line had been driver
back by the concentration Of shell IRE
and the rolling deadly march of the
clouds OF asphyxiating gas.
The Germans we're still de ;ermined to
take the tow which they had showered
with $+.000.0o worth OF shells. !,
would be big news. the fall of Ypres az
n prelude to the fall OF Peremysl and
Of Lemberg. a wicked salient was pro-
duced in the British line to the south.
east by the cavein to the north. l,
seems TO be the lot OF the Princess Pats
to get into salients. ON the 4th they
lost twenty-ei ght men killed and ninety.
eight wounded from a gruelling all day
shell fire and stone walling. That nigh
they got relief. ard were out for two
days. when they were back In the front
trenches again. The 9TH and the 6tf
were fairly quiet. Only three mer
killed n seventeen wounded.
~ ""' ~" """ "e"'
On the night OF May I the princes.
Pats had a muster OF 635 men. Thii
was a good deal less than half OF IN,
original total In the battalion, includins
recruits who had come out 10 M IN,
gaps caused by death. wounds and sick
ness. Bear in mind that lo.ore mi,
war a force was supposed 70 . ma re 10
retreat with a loss Of 10 per cent. ant
ge, under way To the rear with the los
OF Is per cent, and that with the los
OF 80 per cent. Il was opposed TO hav,
borne all that IAN be expec;ed OF tn,
best trained soldiers.
The Germans were quiet that night
suggestively quiet. Al GAO the preiud
began by Z :3O the German gunners ha,
fairly warmed TO their work They wer,
using every kind OF shell they had II
the locker. Every signal wire the Prin
cess Pats possessed had be,n cut. TIL
brigade commander could no, know
what was happenine IN them. ard the,