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Show oo POWERFUL ARE THE CANADIANS London, April 27. Tho following thrilling account of the British success suc-cess at Ypres telling for the first thne the effect of the German asphyxiating gas, Is given by a Canadian who took part in the fighting- "It was during Thursday afternoon that our picketing perceived a sudden retiring movement on the part of our French allies, who were on tho left of the Canadian division on the Ypres Lanqcmarlek road "The strong northwest wind which was blowing from the enemy's lines .arrriRR the tri'nohPK hecame ehareed with a sickening suffocating odor which we recognized as proceeding from some form of poisonous gas The smoke moved like a vivid green wall some four feet in height for several hundred yards and extending to with, in 200 yards of our extreme left Gradually it rose higher and obscured the view 'The rifle fire, which hitherto had been desultory, now Increased in volume, vol-ume, but tended to become more erratic er-ratic as always is the case when men fire at random. Soon strange cries were heard, and through the green mist now crowing thinner, there burst a mass of dazed, reeling men who fell as they passed through our ranks The greater number were unwounded, but they bore upon their faces marks of agony The retiring men were I among the finest soldiers in the world whose sangfroid and courage had been proverbial throughout the war All were now reelinc through us and around us like drunken men "Meanwhile the enemy advanced and we retreated t., Che base, where1 mv battalion had been enjoying two of the usual four davs of relief In billets 4 It was now a little after o'clock ar.d the Germans, continuing unop posed, their advance, were seen feverishly fever-ishly intrenching themselves at a distance dis-tance of half a mile on a line parallel to the road leading to Poelcapele At 9 o'clock they had constructed tern porary trenches while we were preparing pre-paring for a counter attack. "Ai 7 1 "i the order was given to march Crossing over the canal by a bridge we took the road toward St. Julien branching off to the right at the crossroads to a village a little to the northeast of that place. On our way we passed the Middlesex boys. "We were ordered to change our front to the left in the direction of St lulien. The night had become very dark, the moon having disappear, ed behind dense hlack clouds But farm buildings were ablaze all around lis At a distance of about two miles In a nearly straight line from our new-front new-front there wa9 a large wood. The sound of firing now entirely ceased and was succeeded by a silence wrhich to those of us who had been months at the front was uncanny After a further halt which seemed interminable intermin-able hut really was only one of mln utes, we were ordered to move in the direction of the wood Scarcely had we done so when the intervening plain again was treated to shrapnel, but at intervals only We arrived within three-quarters of a mile of the forest without anv casualties. Here a further fur-ther halt was called and the officers were told that German forces were occupying the wood, that they had been in possession since 7 o'clock, , and in all probability were Intrenched there. It was iointed out that the en emv was occupying a strong position in the rear of the British line and that they must be driven out of It at all costs It was also whispered that some British guns had been taken during the day aDd that it would he our bit to retake them. "It was thus well undcrdstood by all that we were In for Uavonet work and that we would not be supported by artillery "We ngaln moved our column of companies, forming fours to pass throuch a narrow gateway When this was passod we deployed in lone lines of half companies the second half Of each company keeping about thlrt; yards In the rear of the firet. All the battalions marched In this formation and each first company knew that the others would not fail to support It when the charge came. "The Tenth battalion had the post of honor In the van. Its gallant com- j mander. Colonel Russell Boyle, fell , while reading it. A few minutes before i midnight we got to a hollow which, at most was ?,n0 yards from the woods. I The moon now reappeared at intervals inter-vals and we could have done without i her with more comfort "The shrapnel fire had completely ceased and we had a second spell of silence that could be felt Whispered ' orders were given to fix bayonets which were obeyed in a flash Over i coats, packs and eveiry officer s equip ment was dropped and we Immediate- ; ly advanced. Scarcely had we reached j a low ridge In full view of the wood when a perfect hell of fire was let loose on us, from rifle and machine guns placed in position behind under growth which skirted the wood. "Instantly the word was given t. charge and we rushed forward cheei Ing, yelling, shouting and swearing, straight for the foe. At first the Ger- HJ ., 1141- l,lV, . . n . I 1 maun wi-u i unit' wu Ulfiu( mi" iiiii.ii : we came w ithin fifty yards our losses were comparatively small. Then some of our chaps began to drop Then the ' whole front line seemed to melt away, only to be Instantly closed up again. Cheering and yelling all the time, we jumped the bodies of the wounded and j tore on Of the Germans with the machine guns not one escaped, but i those inside the wood stood up to us in a most dogged style We were so quickly at work that those at the edge of the wood could not have gotten away in any case Many threw up their hands and we did not refuse quarter. |