The Ypres Times. 31 R.E. on the left. Led by Captain Dillon, they charged the Germans, and took one line of trenches, with some prisoners. They would have taken the second line, too, but for the fire of the French guns, which kept shelling the trenches until dark, in ignorance of our progress. The regiment was now collected and entrenched for the night, to the west of the Polygon Wood. The casualties for the day were extraordinarily slight 2nd-Lieut. Jones and four, men were killed, and Lieutenant Baines and seventeen men wounded. With this counter-attack of the 52nd the crisis of the first battle of Ypres had passed the Kaiser's final attempt of November 17th never came sp near to success. The fight of the 11th assured us of victory, and the victory was in the main our own. It was made possible by the co-operation of the French and Belgians, and no allies," says Mr. Buchan, ever fought in more splendid accord. But the most critical task fell to the British troops, and not the least of the gain was the assurance it gave of their quality. They opposed the blood and iron of the Germans with a stronger blood and a finer iron. The steady old regiments of the line revealed their ancient endurance." That is well said it is enough. A regiment like the 52nd cannot surpass their ancient record but they can add to it, and keep it fresh in the memory and admiration of their countrymen. When the first lists of honours appeared in 1914, those who know the history of the Light Division noted with a familiar pride that of the eight company officers who led the 52nd at Ypres five received the Distinguished Service Order and another the Military Cross - No other single battalion in the army equalled or nearly equalled this achievement yet even these are but the honours of the living, and they are no brighter than the unclaimed honours of the dead. Nor, perhaps, is it any honours that the officers of such a regiment most desire. It is easy to believe that they would value most the acknowledgment, in a few plain words from a tried commander, that their great tradition had been kept. If so, the 52nd have already had their wish. When Major-General Haking, C.B., relinquished the command of the 5th Brigade, he wrote a letter of thanks to the regiment in these words The rapid and skilful manoeuvring of the battalion during the retirement from Mons and the subsequent advance to the Aisne, their defence during the long occupation of the latter, and, above all, their splendid attacks and defence round Ypres are well known throughout the whole army, and will later on become a matter of history. The battalion has always been celebrated for its attack at Waterloo, but in my opinion it will in future be distinguished above others for its magnificent attack near Ypres. I cannot tell you what satisfaction it gives me to be able to record in this brief manner the heroic doings of the battalion during the present campaign, the value of which cannot be exaggerated." A 7th DIVISION INCIDENT." T. S. J. HARRIS, 3rd F.A. It happened about October 20th, 1914. B Section Stretcher Bearers (23rd Field Ambulance) were at a farm at Krusick, and while scrounging around for grub several chaps borrowed a fowl or two. Someone killed a pigor was it hit by shrapnel (as suggested by Major Brown). Every one had his own cooking pot and the cooks dropped a dumpling in each when a staff officer sharply demanded to know who we were. 23rd F.A., sir." Then get to hell out of it. You are half a mile in front of the firing line." We retired and fell in with the Grenadiers. However, the enemy were once more driven back and we returned to the farm under cover of dark, do find all the grub gone except the gippo. [Hundreds of Members must have had experiences equally amusing. Let's have them. We want all we can to cheer us up these days, and B.E.F. humour did its bit in the immortal defence of Ypres. We shall welcome short paragraphs from Members, describing humorous incidents. To everyone whose contribution we print, we will present one of the Ypres League Calendars. Now then, what about it Ed. Y. T."]

HISTORISCHE KRANTEN

The Ypres Times (1921-1936) | 1922 | | pagina 11