FAILURE, BUT GLORIOUS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4003, 9 August 1915, Page 5

FAILURE, BUT GLORIOUS.

THE STORY OF HILL 60. FIRST COMPLETE NARRATiVE. A RECORD RF DEATHLESS HEROISM. SPLENDID BRITISH FEAT OF ARMS. FOUL GERMAN GAS TACTICS. (Received Aug. H, 3 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 8. Mr Valentine Williams publishes in the “Standard”, tin: first, complete account of the 13th Brigade at J till 60. He says:This is the .story of innumerable feats of deathless heroism and jH<-n----did tenacity, beginning with a fine teat of arms and eniling with the asphyxiation of gallant men-—a. crime so foul that .none who saw its result and gasped : “The Duke's were gassed again. The Germans held the upper sloped of the summit and the British trenches ran along the lower slopes. They decided to mine the summit and send infantry to occupy the craters caused by the explosion, and .so capture the hill. The Ist West Kents and the 2nd Scottish Borderers manned the trenches awaiting the explosion of the mines, which was timed for 7 o'clock in the evening of April 17. Five mines exploded punctually, while the French and Belgian mid our gum, opened a road to all . tho German positions in tile vicinity. When the last mini- went up. Major JosJii) led the West Kents over the parapet and the Gi minus. completely surprint d, liestiiv quitted their ruined trenches, raked by our machine guns. Those who stood their ground were bayoneted or driven into the communicating trenches. By 7.20 p.m. the hill was ours, with few casualties. The Germans, early in the morning, opened a bombardment, during which the Borderers relieved the West Kents. .Major Joslin was killed. A terrific bombardment lasted all night long, but these astounding men sang choruses while hi gh exp losivc-s were bursting. The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment relieved tiieir comrades in the morning, but the Gc-r----niaits, under cover of merciless shells, crept closer and closer and, bv noon of the 18th. recaptured the hill, save a section of a trench.

A British counter-attack was decided on and tho Wellingtons, full or fight as ever, led the way. The Yorkshire Light Infantry followed. B Company on the Wellington’s right reached' the trenches with slightcasualties, but C Company, in the centre, charged over open ground, and only Captain Barton and 11 men icached the trenches, but. with their bayonets, routed the enemy. I) Company. on the leit. lost all their officers, but guinea their goal, and Hill 60 was again ours. Many "fine deeds were done and many distinctions gained, but the 13th Brigade was exhaust,.<:i and sent to billets at last. The Surreys. Devon* and. DoiyOt-3 were next sent to hold the hid. _ 'Lhey held on till the early hours of tile Ist of May. when a low greenish cloud came rolling over tho lull top. The Dorsets were witoiiv unprepared and. in a minute or two. the gas had the men in its grip, slowly choking them to death.. As the German-- .-.vanned on to the trenches, the Dyr.cots. hall aspnyxiated, scrambled to the parapet and iiow-L them at bay. As night fell, the Devons relieved the Dorsets, stumbling over many gallant men lying in the fields and ditches. There was a second gas attack on the morning of May 5. ft was a warm spring day with a gentle breeze. The Wellingtons were holding the hill. When the ga- ; had done its work, Captain Robins staggered to the rear an dgasped : “The l)uke s were gassed and the men are all dead. I believe I was the last to leave the hill. Thoj were splendid.' Captain Robins died that night. The Germans did not- advance, remembering their lesson of the lstMay, but? the situation seemed so critical that the Devons beat up etci\ reserve and even the cooks lined the “trenches.” as the men described the railway cutting in the side of the lull The dead and wounded lay so thick that they hud to pick their way, and the scene made witnesses sick wu.t horror and filled them with fierce anger against the fiends who had perpetrated the crime. A counter-attack, ordered at _U o’clock the same night, was entrusted to the West Kents and Borderers. butfailed. Against a tremendous bombardment and shell holes and nai.ments of barbed wire, the leading files were mown down instantly. Another counter-attack the next morning with the \orkshire Light Infantry and Irish Rifles fought fiercely against the same oostaeles and failed. We finally retired to the lower slopes of the hill. It was failin'-, but glorious.

ROUMANIANS FIRM ATTI-

TUDE.

INCREASING IRRITATION IN

BERLIN

ENGLAND’S INFLUENCE IS BEARING FRUIT. ”

(Received Aug. 8. 3 p.m.) AMSTERDAM, Aug. 8. Though attempting to belittle the importance of Roumania attitude m view of recent events, the Cionuau newspapers show, a greater irritation, declaring that England’s influence m beginning to bear the desired inuL 'Count Reventlow, writing in tne ‘•Tages Zeitung.” says Roumaiua s embargo on the transport ot munitions towards Turkey is of less signuicance now as r l\i rkey is a bio to incite what is necessary.