World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Western Front; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
The attack against Terrier Farm was done by other Warwickshire lads, who
were very game after a long day under fire, but for all their spirit
tired and cold. They stood almost knee-deep in mud, and they were wet
to the skin, as it was now raining steadily, so a Tank came up to help
them, and drew close enough to Terrier Farm to fire broadsides at its
concrete and machine-gun its loophole. A white rag thrust through a hole
in the wall was the sign of the enemy's surrender. But the conditions
were too bad for any greater progress, and the men dug in for the night,
while brother Tank crawled back.
All the Tanks used in the battle did well, in spite of the bad going,
and helped to reduce several of the blockhouses. They had only two
casualties among their crews, and most of them got back to their
hiding-places without damage from German shells.
It is astounding that the German counter-attacks were so quickly
signalled to the guns, for the light all day was bad, and the weather
was dead against the work of the flying men. They did their best by
flying low and risking the enemy's fire. There was one pilot who is the
talk of the Australians to-day. They watched that English child doing
the most amazing "stunts" over the fighting-lines. He was out all day,
swooping low, so that his plane seemed just to skim over the craters.
The Germans tried to get him by any manner of means. They turned their
"Archies" on to him and their machine-guns, and then tried to bring him
down with rifle-fire, and that failing, though they pierced his wings
many times, they called up the heavies and tried to snipe him with
5·9's, which are mighty big and beastly things. But he went on flying
till many of his wires were cut and his struts splintered, and his
aeroplane was a rag round an engine. He was bruised and dazed when he
came to earth, making a bad landing in our own lines, but not killing
either himself or the observer, who shares the honour and the marvel of
this exploit.
It was a great day for the Australians and the New-Zealanders, their
greatest and most glorious day. I saw them going up--these lithe,
loose-limbed, hatchet-faced fellows, who look so free and fine in their
slouch hats and so hard and grim in their steel helmets. There were many
thousands of them on the roads or camped beside the roads, and Flanders
for a time seemed to have become a little province of Australia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account