The Children's Story of the War Volume 4 (of 10): The Story of the Year 1915Parrott, Edward
History
The Children's Story of the War Volume 4 (of 10): The Story of the Year 1915
Parrott, Edward
World War, 1914-1918 -- Juvenile literature
Great was the price of victory. Three battalion officers died--Colonel
Birchall of the 4th, Colonel M'Harg of the 7th, and Colonel Boyle of the
10th. Only ten officers of the 5th Battalion survived; only five were
left alive in the 7th, only seven in the 8th, and eight in the 10th.
When the long fight was over the machine gunners of the 13th Battalion
only mustered thirteen out of fifty-eight, and there was but a single
survivor of those attached to the 7th Battalion. Up to 2nd May the
Canadian Division had lost in killed, wounded, and missing 252 officers
and 6,332 men. When the tale of losses was unfolded there were many
bleeding hearts in Canada; but mingled with the grief there was a
sorrowful pride, and even those who had lost their dearest and best were
as resolute as ever to continue the struggle to a triumphant end.
"The graveyard of Canada in Flanders is large. It is very large. Those
who lie there have left their mortal remains on alien soil. To Canada
they have bequeathed their memories and their glory."
"On Fame's eternal camping-ground
Their silent tents are spread,
And glory guards with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead."
[Illustration: The Charge of the 4th Canadian Battalion.
(_From the picture by Christopher Clark. By permission of The Sphere._)
"The 4th Canadian Battalion at one time came under a particularly
withering fire. For a moment--not more--it wavered. Its most gallant
commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Birchall, carrying, after an old
fashion, a light cane, coolly and cheerfully rallied his men, and at the
very moment when his example had infected them, fell dead at the head of
his battalion. With a hoarse cry of anger they sprang forward as if to
avenge his death. . . . After a hand-to-hand struggle the last German
who resisted was bayoneted, and the trench was won."]
CHAPTER XXVI.
DAYS OF STRUGGLE AND ANXIETY.--I.
I have told you in the form of a continuous story how the Canadians
saved the day. In doing so I have had to keep your attention fixed on
that part of the British line extending from Grafenstafel to the little
wood where the Canadians made their midnight charge in order to recover
the lost guns. We have now to learn what took place on the left and
right of the Canadian position, and to follow the fortunes of the
long-drawn-out battle to its close.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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