The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-05-17

/ COMMANDING pOSlJIOl VI Tie OeT'
mans. In the early part OF
March we commenced planning
for the great offensive which
shall very soon tell you, In the
course of three weeks the British
had massed a tremendous reserve
of guns and ammunition on oul
frontage. About the first OF
April our guns commenced to
speak, so numerically, that the
Hun was pulverized and over
whelmed in his own lines. 1t
would do your heart good to see
the British heavies bursting in
their lines, and especially in the
villages opposite us. Even our
own trenches and dug outs shake
as in an earthquake and where
the shell strikes you can see q
great mass of mud, wire and
timbers spring up in the air.
And when a howitzer shell lands
in the town you see, before the
sound of the explosion can reach
you, great column of brown
dust mounts up, perhaps a hum
dred feet, high above the tallest
trees, buildings or crumbling
overs; then it spreads out and
settles slowly down until the
whole place is blotted out for a
time, not single house being
visible. [ think it is a case of
where we out-Herod Herod.
They set the pace in destruction
and we have learned their meth
ods and now far surpass them in
the number and effectiveness
of our instruments of destruction.
Men may break through, but
guns will do so in every case.
| have attempted to describe
to you in my humble wav the
great work of our artillery, pre-
vious to the attack, or the COM
mencement of the 1917 push,
and I tell you it forms a never-to
be-forgotten scene. But now, |
shall tell you of the greatest day
in my life, and of an engagement
which up to the present mc'sat - -.
! has been the greatest battle in
worlds history.
1t is now two forty-fve A. M.
of the ninth day of April. The
severe rains of the past few
days has-left the trenches in a
most uninhabitable condition,
and our company is now wading
through the mud, in battle re-
gala, laden with btmbs, ammu-
milton, rifle and bayonet. and all
such instruments as man can
carry that are necessary for bat
tie. 1t is three A. M. and the
first signs of dawn have COM
menced to appear finding us in
the "jumping-of trench, where
we must remain, until a moment
which stands out amongst all
others, and which shall never
fade from my memory. That
moment is five thirty $50. Ma
chine guns galore are splitting
fire; our artillery has opened up
as never before, and a hell on
earth is now set loose. This
great task, which is considered
an honor, has been given to the
Canadians. Our corp is occupy
ing an eight mile frontage, and
along this entire front we clam
Der to the top as one man. Many
of my comrades fall. Some are
wounded, while others have
made the great sacrifice. The
barrage has lifted, we advance
in a cloud of smoke. The battle
is now on-this is grim war at
last. / am in command of a fine
lot of boys-we advance up the
slope of Vimy Ridge behind our
great curtain of fire. We were
now facing the cream of the
German army-the Kaiser's
brave Bavarians, Hamburgers,
and Wurtemburgers, They at
tempted a little opposition, but
our cold steel was far too much
for them. By six-thirty we had
gained our objective on our
point seventeen hundred yards.
Our ranks were thinned out a
little, but not near the sacrifice
we had expected. Our total of