Semi-weekly herald., 1917-05-03
BATTLE OF THE SOMME
BRINGS OUT TRUE SPIRIT
OF THE AMERICAN SOLDIER
(By f. A. McKenzie)

| WITH HE bKl ION AhNiEo
IN THE FIELD, March 30. = By
Mail The Battle of the Somme
brought several Americans to the
fore. A lad from Dennysville, Maine
Corporal w. H. Metcalf, who had
been thru much fighting and was sew
eral times recommended for gallant
ry, won his military medal for a
deed of quiet courage.
Metcalf's Colonel told me the story.
One afternoon during the heaviest
fighting on the Somme, the Germans
were making a barrage on our front.
A man hurried into the battalion
dug-out to say that one Of the bat
talon was lying outside the trenches
in very exposed position, with his
leg shattered He was bleeding
heavily and if anything was to be
done, it must be done quickly.
"Can anyone but on a bandage," :"
the Colonel demanded.
81 can, in a way, Sir" Metcalf re-
piled, and, grabbing the roll, he rush
ed out
The whole place was humming and
roaring with the noise of shells. The
machine guns were beating their
devils tattoo. The Colonel showed
him the way thru. "Go and do your
best" Metcalf found his man. bound
up his wounds, and, since it was inn
possible to move him. sat by him until
he died
A young Lieutenant, D. A. keeble,
from North Dakota attached to a
section of the Canadian field artil-
ery, has done some very gallant
work At Courcelette, one of our
planes was shot down little way
from him. Now as a rule Immediately
Il plane falls, the enemy artillery
concentrates on that point and pru-
dent men stay away. keeble ran up
o it, cut away the fusilade to en-
able the airman to escape, and then
calmly took out the two wicker seats
and carried them away as trophies.
lie had barely got off before enemy
shells rained down all around the
plane.
Major John Lewis, Editor of the
Montreal Star, was an American who
becaMe British subject before the
var. Professional soldiers, who take
mere deeds of courage for granted
.,re loud in praise of his conduct in
The attack on Regina Trench, on Oc
tober 2l, 1916. His party of three
officers and 26 men over ran Desire
trench and reached Grandcourt trench
here they maintained themselves all
day, against attack after attack by
strong bombing parties. Major Lew
is sent back telling his exact posi-
ton, and saying that they could stay
there. A box was put around them,
and then while defending themselves
against companies of Germans in the
'front.', they passed back 200 German
prisoners they had captured. Unfor-
tunately Lewis himself was killed,
Just as he started to come back. But
he had earned permanent place
among Canada's heroes.
In the costly fight of May Sth,
1915, regiment which has from the
first had number of Americans in
its ranks occupied long line of shall.
low trenches, was exposed to hours
of merciless fire, and was repeatedly
charged by the finest troops in the
German army. Sergeant Pemberton
of Philadelphia did well. The bat
talon was losing very heavily. Every
officer save two or three was killed
or wounded. Supplies of ammunition
were almost exhausted there was no
artillery behind and reserves had not
yet arrived. Pemberton helped sew
eral wounded officers out of the fir
ing line, including the founder of
the corps. Then he took command
of his own section in the trench, and
in the hours When heroes mgnt nave
faltered, stood fast until the German
fury of attack had exhausted itself
and the baffled enemy retired. j. G.
Richardson of Des Moines was wound
ed in the same attack. When he re
covered, he was given a commission
and afterwards transferred to the
Flying corps. Lieutenant Birseye, of
Orange, n. j. an American college
boy who quilted classes for soldier
ing when the war broke out, early
earned the coveted distinguished con-
duct medal He entered the army as
private, but won his decoration and
officership by going over the para.
pet during heavy fighting and bring
ing in wounded men.