Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express, etc. — 1915-05-01 (Penistone, South Yorkshire, England)

TERRIERS' GLORIOUS FIGHTING.  Although the major part of the glory of the Langemarek battle. as it seems to be called, properly belongs to the Canadians. it must not be overlooked (says the writho that English Territorials were in it too, and bore themselves with the utmost gallantry. For many of them it was their baptism of fire, but on all hands I hear warm eulogies of their steadiness and courage. They behaved like seasoned troops. It is admitted that the Germans are brave, steady soldiers in the kind of fighting to which they have been drilled, but when the tables are turned upon them, and their mechanical methods are upset they break up very quickly. Early on Friday morning. the Ist and 2nd Canadian Brigades advanced to attack the little wood between Pu kern and St.. Julien. of which much has been heard, to which the Germana had retired. They were preceded by bomb- I throwers, a section which is particularly well organised in the Canadian ' Army. The men move rapidly forward scattered in open formation. They are armed with rifles, and have percussion hand grenades in belts about their • waists, which they throw as they go. This fight lasted almost the whole day, ' and the Germans had been driven from : the wood when orders were received for the line to retire, SO as to maintain intact the contact with the French. .  During this time, the Germans had taken possession of the ruins of St. Julien. With large numbers of .machine guns they promptly proceeded to turn the little village into H fortress. On Friday afternoon reinforcements, consisting of British Territorials, were brought round from behind Ypres. and moved to the assault of St. Julien. Detachments of the Buffs were already with the Canadians. but these fresh Territorials included the sth Yorks., the West Kent, and the Gloucesters.  The taking of St. Julien was one of those brilliant minor affairs of which the war has been full, but which. in ' any former campaign, would have been writ large upon the page of history. It was a little epic in itself. l'p to the open road and along the banks of the little river Hannebeek they poured.' mowed down by the murderous machine guns in the ruined houses, and fair mark for the artillery further on. With dauntless courage they bore it for hours, until, at last, in one final :rush, they gained the place. Then, among the ruins, they got A little of their own back with the bayonet, for the Germans had held their ground. It was here that the greatest number of machine guns were captured, and the deadliest slaughter effected. The pity of it is that the Territorials could not enjoy the full fruits of their gallant conduct, for with the remodelling of our line St. Julien was too tar advanced and had to be abandoned again. Other Yorkshire Territorials appear to have taken part in the fighting as well as. Sir Mark Sykes battalion. One man in the -ith York and Lancasters the Hallamshire Rifles, a Sheffield Territorial Regiment) has died of wounds received, and Major bgguan has been slightly wounded by shrapnel. The sth Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment, whose headquarters are at Rotherham, has also been in action. One Rotherham man says in a letter home that he has undergone his baptism of fire.