The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-09
PRINCESS PATRICIA'S FAMOUS REGIMENT
ALMOST COMPLETELY WIPED OUT IN FLANDERS
$50 Left at Last Roll Call OF
Canada's Crack Eypedi-
tiOnary Force.
SURVIVORS
RETURN TO TRENCHES
Speciai Correspondence to TIE suS.

Specidi Coyrespondsncs TO TIE SuS.
LONDON, June 26.-The glorious
story of The Patricias"-Princess
Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
since they arrived on the British front
in Flanders is told below in a mes
sage from the Canadian record officer.
The regiment, comprising LOIS men.
with the colors which Princess Pa
tricla herself worked and presented
t. the regiment. sailed from England
to join the eX~peditionary force at the
close of last year. On the night Of
May 7-some five months after they
first tool their place in the trenches
$50 answ. red to the roll call. When,
shortly before midnight on May s.
they were relieved from the position
which they had held all through that
day against repeated artillery and in
fantry attacks 4 the enemy they
mustered only $50.
L!eut.-Col. F'arquhar, the command
ing officer, was killed on March 20.
Lieut.-Col. Butler, who succeeded him.
was wounded on May 5. and two days
later his successor, Major Gault. was
also wounded. The command hen
fell on Lieut.. Niven, the mex senior
officer, who received his promotion
from the ranks. All these officers, to-
gether with Lieut.. ~Colquhoun NOW a
prisoner in Germany. Lieut.. G. L.
Crabbe and Lieut.. +. NJ. Papineau.
as well as Sergeant II. Laing. were
mentioned in Dispatches" Their
names are included in the latest Ga
zette" list.
ON sunday. August %, 1914 on a
gray ara gloomy day. an immense
crowd WAS in Lansdowne
: Park. Ottawa, to attend divine service
with the regiment and TO witness the
presentation Of the colors. The regl-
mcIt. composed very largely OF South
African veterans and reserv!sts. paraded
With b1fUs and pipers and then formed
three sides of n qudre In front OF the
grand stand Between the regiment and
the stand were the Duchess OF Con-
naught ana Princess Patricia and their
iadies ir waiting.
rhe Princess Patricia on presenting
the colCrs To Lleut.-Col. F%arquhar. the
commanding officer OF the regiment.
said:
Il have great pleasure in presenting
you with these colors. which | have
worked myself. | nope they will lie as
sociated with what ! believe will be IA
distinguished corps. | shall follow the
fortunes OF YOU all with the dcepes, in
;erest ana ] heartily wish every man
good lucl; and a safe return"
on to the Front.
The "patriclas.' containing a far
larger prnpsition OF experienced soldiers
than a.. other unit in the Canadian
division. was not called upor 10 endure
go long II period OF preparation as the
rest Of the Canadian evolutionary
force - the close o. the year they
sailed frui.. England at a time when re-
enforcer,,nts were greatly needed in
France to take their part In a line thinly
held and very fierceiy assailed. For
the months OF January and February
the regiment took its turn in the
trenches. learning the hard lessons OF
the wintrr war. \ considerable length
Of trencney in front OF the village OF
81. Eloi was committed To it, charge,
Its machine, guns were planted upon a
mound which rose abruptly from the
centre uf the trenches.
'On February ~" says the record
officer. the Germans completed "A sap
from which the Canadians became con-
stantly subject TO annoyance, danger
and loss. II was therefore determined
by the battalion commander to dispose
OF the menace Major Hamilton Gault
and Lieut.. Colquhuun carried out by
night "A dangerous reconnaissance OF the
lehman position and returned with much
information. Lieut.. ColQuhuun went out
a second time alone to supplement 1t.
but never returned. He is a prisoner o:
war In Germsny.
"Th attack was organized under
Lieut.. Crabbe. The bomb thloweys were
commanded by Lieut. papineau. The
snipers were under Corporal Ross.
Troops were organized in support with
shovels ready to iemolish the parapet Of
the enemy trench. The ground to be
traverSed was short enough, for the
sappers' nearest point was only fifteen
yards from the Canadian trench. The
attacking party rushed his space and
threw themselves into the sap Corporal
Ross. h was first in the race, was
killed Immediately. Lieut. Crabhe then
led the detachment down the trench,
while Lieut.. Iapineau ran down the out
side OF the parapct, throwing bombs into
the trench. Lieut.. Crabhe made his way
through the trench. followed by his men.
uutil his progress was arrested by a bar
llicr which the Germans had con-
structed,
In the meantime troops had occupied
the rear face OF the sap Ia guard aga,nsi
a counter attack. A platoon under Ser
geant-Major Lloyd. who was killed. at,
tackled and demolished the enemy para.
Pct for u considerable distance. The
trench was occupied long enough tc
complete the work ~ Genollsh!ng IN,
parapet. At dawn orders We're given foi
the attackers to withdraw. and as tn,
gray morning light began 10 break they
made their way 10 their own trenche.
with II difficult task well and success
fully performed.
Major GnuIt wounded.
Major Gault was wounded In tn,
course Of the engagement, In which al
ranks behaved with dash and gallantrv
-. Between March is II fierce contes