The Washington herald., 1919-04-13
coNr1NuEp rnoa PAGE rouR.

though thousand volcanoes
were in eruption. the Canadians
with the Highlanders OF the 51st
Division on their right captured
the whole length Of the great
Ntmy Ridge, so that a few hours
after the battle had begun the
entire German population of the
Ridge, except those who were
dead. were down on our side of
the lines as prisoners. And on
the right. out from Arras, the
18th Division of Scots. and the
56th Londoners, with other Eng
lish troops, smashed their way
through a maze OF trenches,
through many ruined villages.
like Neuyile Vitasse and Henin
and Heninel, and pushed for
ward on each side of the valley
Of the Scarpe. thousands of pris-
oners falling into their hands.
So far, in spite of our heavy
losses. we might claim success.
But after that there were many
dreadful little battles fought.
fought as team work" for the
French, which cost US very dear
and led to no great issue.
On April IL the
A gallant. village of Monchy.
but a,Rash on. the hills beyond
Adventure Arras. was attack
ed and captured by
our cavalry. That was a gal
liant but a rash adventure, and
looking back upon ii 1 am GER
tain that II was no job for cav,
airy to do. The village of Mon
chy, on the hill top, was still
standing when saw 1t that
morning with roofs still on its
! houses and unbroken walls and
a white chateau only a little
SCARED by shell fire. A few
hours later IL was wiped OF
the map. and that was when the
cavalry were in. They were
men OF the Tenth Husssrs. the
Essex Yeomanry and the Blues
servation Ridge on the way to
Menehy; the rush of splendid
bodies of men riding at the gal
lOp in a snow storm which COW
cred them with white mantles
and crowned their steel hats. In
the valleys below the hill was a
mass OF cavalry men standing
b by their horses, and stamping to
keep themselves warm. While
was there a German aeroplane
flew low above them and then
whisked back to the enemy's
lines. l guessed what would
happen. and I guessed right. A
few minutes later German guns
were ranged upon the ground in
which all these men and horses
were assembled and shells burst
among them and the ground
was strewn with dead boys and
msngled beasts. But the as
saulting squsdrOns OF cavalry
rode on until they topped the
ridge and swept round the viii
laEe of Monchy. while immedi-
stely intense shrapnel Are burst
over them so that they were
slsshed by bullets and many
men and horses fell. Among
them was the cavalry general.
BuIkely johnson, and I saw his
dead body on a stretcher car
ried back through the ruined
village OF Tilloy by a small
party Of troopers. But the cav
airy made a dash to the north
ern side OF the village and the
enemy fed from them. It is an
: astonishing thing that two
withered old French women
stayed IN the village all through
the ffghting. When our troop
ers rode in these women came
running forward. frightened.
and crying "Camsrades"! as
though in fear OF the enemy.
When our men surrounded them
they were full Of joy. and held
up their scraggy old faces to be
kissed by the troopers, who
leaned over their saddles to give
their greeting. Afterwards
Monchy was filed with a fury
of shell fire so that hardly a
horse remained alive. and the
cavalry suffered heavy losses,
and had to come back on foot.
leaving the village on the hill
to be attacked again by our in
fantry of the Fifteenth and
Thirty-seventh divisions. who
were also moved down by fire
In the country around there
were many other battles in
which our men were slashed
with machine gun fire from
both sides Of the Scarpe. and
day after day I saw our walk
ing wounded COM
How Our ing back over those
Tired. fields, streams OF
Brave Men those tired, brave
Bore Pain. men who bore their
pain with most sto-
ic endurance. so that there was
hardly a grosn to be heard any
where. They formed up in a
long queue outside the dressing
2 station beneath the citadel OF
Arras. covered in mud. and too
weary and spent to talk. out
side in the sunlight. waiting
4 their turn to enter. Some OF
/. the men lay down on the bank
K in queer distorted attitudes very
T, like death. and slept there. 9th
eTs came hobbling with each
+ arm around the neck of the
y stretcher-bearers or stumbled
I, forward. gropingly. 1t was the
4 whimper of those blind boys
and the agony on their faces.
\ which was most pitiful: those
4 and the men smashed about the
Y face and head so that only their
\ eyes stared through the white
Y masks OF bandages. A tragic
Y picture. which lives in my MEM
7 ory.
n, On Nav , there was an attack
I in the dark. before dawn, and
\ that was a fatal mistake for
7 which our poor men paid a high
Il price. When dawn came many
4 Of them found that they had
.Ipassed through the enemy's line
hand that they were cut of.
\ Their only hope was to smash
ttheir way through and back.
I, This they tried to do. The East
'gKents. or Bluffs" young SOL
Z oilers from the Garden of Eng
lNland." were among those. who
Wtried. IT'S up to the BurTsw
Tx bOmtpd a 1itfle liautanar. -