New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-24

received 10 cooperate with the bat
TALON of the rife brigade in an attack
on the ST. Eloi mound. which had been
lost early in the day"
The account then describes in detail
the plans for the attack. The ad-
vance" il continues, was made with
coolness and resolution. but the at
tackers were met with heavy machine
gunfre from the mound. No soldiers
in the world could have forced their
way through, for the fire swept every
thing before it,"
Sir Max Aiken then says that il was
clear that no hope of surprise existed
and that after three platoons were de-
tailed to hold the right of the breast
works in immediate proximity Of the
mound the rest Of the battalion was
withdrawn to Voormezele.
The account then refers 20 the death
on March 20 of Colonel Francis Douglas
Farquhar, commanding officer of the
Princess Patricia's, after which it says
the battalion retired and has not since
returned to the scene of its earliest
experiences in French warfare.
"The battalion presently moved into
billets in the neighborhood of Ypres,
and on April 20, during the heavy
bombardment of that unhappy town,
which preceded the immortal stand of
the Canadian division. it moved again
into the trenches"
635 Left on May 7.
The account then says that, from
April 81 and through the following
days Of the second battle of Ypres,
the regiment remained in trenches
icto of
trenches occupied by the Canadian
division, where they were constantly
shelled. On May Lieutenant Colo
mel Butler, who succeeded Colonel
Farquhar in command of the regiment,
lost an eye by the splinter of she'll
which exploded 100 yards away. Major
Gault then took command.
THE roll call on the night of May
~ the account continues, Showed the
strength of the battalion as 635. The
day that followed was at once the
most critical and the most costly in
the history of the battalion. Early in
the morning particularly heavy she'll
ing began on the right flank, room en-
filading the trenches. Gas shells be-
gan to fall and Germans were seen
coming at the double from the hill IN
front Of the trench. A short and
fierce struggle decided the issue for
the time being, the advance Of the
Germans was checked and those of
the enemy who were not either shell
tered by buildings, dead or wounded,
crawled back over the crest OF the
ridge to their own trenches"
Major Gault was severely wounded
by a shell, Lieutenant Niven taking
command of the battalion. For several
hours the enemy's fire continued, but
the attack was received with undimin-
ished resolution.
"Thc battalion accounted for large
numbers of the enemy, but il suffered
seriously itself"
Mention is made of the large number
Of officers among the Canadians who
we're either killed or wounded in this
action. Trench after trench, the &C
count says, was completely destroyed
by the accurate machine gunfire of the
enemy. Captain Hill and Lieutenants
Martin, Triggs and Delay were Sc
verely wounded as the day wore on.
Only Four Officers Left.
Toward noon Lieutenant Niven sue
cccded in establishing contact with the
Kings own Yorkshire light infantry
and the rife brigade, Doth OF Whlch
were suffering heavy casualties from
enflade fire and neither Of which was
able to offer any assistance.
The account tells of the killing of
Lieutenant Edwards and the wounding
Of Lieutenant Crawford and Captain
Adamson. Only four officers were left.
Lack Of ammunition necessitated
further Withdrawals. "The afternoon
dragged on" the account continues,
"the tale of casualties constantly grow
ing. and at 10 o'clock at night the COM
pany commanders being all dead or
wounded, Lieutenants Niven and Pap
ineau took roll call, which disclosed
-trength of $50 rifles and some stretch
or bearers. At 80 o'clock at night the
battalion was relieved by the Kings
Eoval Rife Corps"
The account concluded with a de
scr.ption of the work of bUrying the
dead behind the damaged trenches by
The light of the German flares and
amid the unccasing rattle OF musket-
ry. Then came the order from the
colonel of the Third Kings Royal
Rife Corps with positive orders to re-
tire, and the survivors. led by Lieu