Gunnison news-champion., 1917-12-28
CHAPTER XII.
'lsst Day st the erent.

CHAPTER XIII
Last Day q the Peent.
THE last engagement Of any I'M
portance that was In was the
big attack at Loos In September.
In . big attack like this NO one knowA
but the commanders Just where the
real thrust IL coming Several attacks
are made, and for al We knew ours
might be the real one, or the real one
might be twenty miles away from us.
Il happened that At the time Of the
last attack We were almost sure that
the big drive was coming through u.
We were ordered to be ready to move
at Q moments notice, and all prep
srations were made for Q big shift.
When the attack came We thought that
We were on our way at last. and every.
body was counting thickens."
There certainly was some terrible
lighting. and II all we were SUPPOSED
to do was to keep the Germans inter
ested on our front we were very sue
cessfui. Several things in this engage
ment deserve mention. and among the
drst IL the famous charge OF the Lon
don Irish.
They had not been heard Of very
much up to this time. but don't think
there are many Who don't know Of
them now. They received orders to
take certain trenches at certain time.
and on the face Of II the thing looked
impossible. The odds were all against
them. and they knew II, but there was
nothing for II but to obey their orders
Nearly all the regiments have foot.
balls with which they amuse them
selves while In rest camp. and when
they 60 into action these footballs are
taken right along with them. When
the whistle blew for the London Irish
to charge they threw their footballs
over the parapet and made their charge
dribbling the footballs In front Of them
II was the most reckless. daredevil
thing I ever saW, and e accomplished
the Impossible for them. A. l said.
BY al rights the eatire regiment should
have besn wiped out. - the odds were
against them and they were running
right Into Q death trap. The fact that
they went at II IN Such Q devil may
care way - % joke and play with
footballs b ths vsry face of certain
death broke ths Germans nerve. and
they eAvs Wav With practically NO re-
distance ~ IN lpstssd oe the regi-
nsnt being vtpsd ont - Il should have
been- the neu took the treuches with
lossas ef undas 100 Il Wss wonderful
haye sefezeA y ~ WORK Of our
aeroplanAp n various parts Of this sto.
~. but ! think that ncocombatants
sometimes fail to realize what an I'M
portant end Affective part the Royal
Flying corps b playing in this war.
Aefuplanss Themselves are still pretty
dangerous modes of Docomotico. and
when Il cemss 70 running otAsr risks
Tor ti,e Doke of G1htpe tetprsnation or
doing material damage IL needs Q man
Who does not hnor Nhat The slightest
eualm of feaf b and Who = cool and
ready IT. acftpe b ~ case of emer-
eency to maize good military aviator.
We have seyeral aviators IN our
-'l"adrona who hare made big names
%, shemselvea Among them are Cap
y strange D. =. o.: Lieutenant
k-' Y C.. d, 8 O.. N. c.. and
'e-f lorraine. tile popular ac-
eof. We = commonly Known - the
-actor-airman."
These three 10 particular have dis
tinguisbed themselves On our little
front. Captain Strange has q lame
foot. but be has done apme Of the finest
work Of the war In three days he de-
stroyed three stations Or big rail CEN
tiers which were Of great importance
to the Germans In each case be em-
ployed the same methods. He dew
over the point be was aiming for.
stopped bis engine DID nose dive to
within . few hundred feet Of the
place. drOrped his boinb aud got away
safely Each time lie came back with
the planes OF bis machine rddIed With
buiicts Il takes IN AWFUL lot Of
nerve to do . thile isr that
Lieutenant Huwaet Was The terror of
the AvAtiks- aDu i.5il.. , and be has
hren known 10 II, ~ " these hix
s.n.lItIies single destroying
,svo sud puttin.s 0i,~ To- fiisIt
fr iIgwkes Il. = s.linn = fo
s..s tnsxsI up ..elin. sihi os
fs;.s rvrrion h -ssii3ss hi.
- an s&G
wss hrt !, nigf,t IA
M Ter a'hen ~ ~ ,ius
- ~ ss~fml ~ !, II -. ~ :
a ~ ~ tsgiss- nr t.'art
the : .sit:t
s:.ss.s c ~