The Washington times., 1917-02-26
BRITISH COLONIALS
MAKING HISTORY
Every Contingent Has Its Own
Point of Glory to Go Down
in Annals.

in Annals.
LONDON Feb. 2s.-E Everlasting.
pages have been added to British
colonial history in the battle OF the
Somme.
Available records of his great
struggle show that every one of Brit
sib's overseas contingents has chosen
some particular elevation. valley. VIII
lage, or wood whose name will live
like Americas Bunker Hill.
The Canadians carved their niche of
fame at Courcelette. 1t was the
French Canadians here who brilliant
ly carried out their part of the gen.
eraI stafrs set program and then
pressed on, storming the fortress VII
lage, filled to the brim with Germans.
Competent military authorities say IL
was simply Canadian -valor and i'm
petuosity that put Courcelette behind
the allied lines within an hour. where
as II had been expected to hold out
week.
Canadians Feats.
Historical versions OF the battle OF
the Somme can never be written with
through and over the complicated de-
fenses the Germans had built at
Courcelette.
The taking of Regina trench. named
in honor OF Regina, Saskatchewan, is
another feat that will find print In
every record of Canadian lighting.
The Canadians at Ypres form an
other chapter which has nothing to
DO with the Somme.
The troops of diminutive New
foundland have selected a November
day for annual national observance.
The scene of Newfoundland's tri-
umph in the Somme struggle will
probably be named before many
months Hieroglyphical military maps
describe the scene as "F3sc2.5 to
4oA132" That's all the location 1t has
so far. but what happened in that
trench filIed with Newfoundland's
enemies is what Newfoundland has
TO be thankful for.
Beat Counter-Attacks..
The thinned Newfoundland bay
onets that reduced II TO a ditch of
| dead fought countsr-attack to a
standstill while a German artillery
barrage smothered life on the ground
between them and their original line.
Troops working on the right in con-
| junction with the men from New
foundland were unable to carry their
part of the trench. The victorious
North American islanders therefore
fought their way into every corner
of the stronghold and cleared II. They
held the trench and have got il yet.
Pozleres is a word that means a lot
| to the burly Australians The An
tipodal whirlwind which came slowly
up the rising ground from Ovillers-
la -Boisselle and gained its highest
velocity in the shell-scarred ruins of
Pozieres will long be remembered by
the forces who tried to keep the viii
lage.
strength Won Victory.
Even Australians give the Germans
credit for the most extreme OF ex-
| treme efforts to hold this keypoint
OF the ridge that overlooks the Bau-
paume plateau. But extreme efforts
didn't stop the Australian giants who
fought with bombs. bayonets. fists.
and teeth In and out OF every house
in the village.
Magnificent physique Is what won
Pozieres, said an authority from the
front-that, added to perfect courage
and a whole lot of determination.
| Delville Wood Is already a histori-
cal South African name. History at
Delville Wood runs back to July Is.
when the South African fighters fell
back out OF the wood on the decimat
ed ranks of Scottish Highlanders who
| had held their wrecked trenches there
for four days Outnumbered six to
one the Africans and their killed COM
| patriots rallied. stopped the enemy's
rush. broke him and drove him back
| to a line which the enemy has tried
but has never taken. Delville Wood
| is so firmly driven into South African
history that II will never come out.
New ZeaIand's Conquest.
The little village OF Flers figures
most prominently in New Zealand's
history OF the Somme. Sweeping
through this village. in conjunction
with supporting troops they bombed
| and bayOneted their way into and up
and down the German main third line
and held their gains.
| What was once a few square miles
| Of peaceful undulating countryside,
| miniature hills and wooded valleys
with miniature red topped. church
spired, villages breaking the passage
OF chalk white roads is today a few
/ square miles of blackened shell scar
red desolation. But this small por-
tion OF northern France. which rep
resents a pinhead on an ordinary
map. has made more British colonial
history than all the former wars. 1t
will make more history in the spring
| for the whole world. II is believed to-
day. but what colonial history 1t has
so far made will probably never be