Early in the spring the British forces gained a notable victory at Neuve Chapelle in the western theater of war.  Then the German forces in Flanders were heavily reinforced until it was estimated that they numbered not less than half a million men, gathered for the purpose of smashing the line of the Allies at the strategic point where the British and the Belgian troops were in touch with one another.  Here, for three days, the Germans succeeded in pushing forward, driving a wedge for several miles into the line of the allied armies of England, France and Belgium.  And here, too, the Canadian division of the British army covered itself with glory and once more demonstrated the value to the British empire of the “lion’s whelps.”  On one notable occasion, destined to be recorded in history as a red-letter day for Canadian arms, the gallant fellows from the great Dominion “saved the situation,” to quote from the report of Field Marshal French, by a splendid charge, during which they recaptured from the Germans four of their field guns that had been lost the day before.

HOW CANADIAN COMMANDER DIED LEADING YPRES CHARGE

From Sir Max Aitken’s official account of the battle of Ypres.

“It did not seem that any human being could live in the shower of shot and shell which began to play on the advancing troops.  They suffered terrible casualties.  For a short time every other man seemed to fall, but the attack was pressed even closer and closer.  The 4th Canadian battalion at one moment came under a particularly withering fire.  For a moment it wavered.

“Its most gallant commanding officer, Lieut.-Col.  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 cry of anger they sprang forward as if to avenge his death.  The astonishing attack which followed, pushed home in the face of direct frontal fire made in broad daylight by battalions whose names should live forever in the memories of soldiers, was carried to the first line of German trenches.  After a hand-to-hand struggle the last German who resisted was bayoneted and the trench was won.

“It was clear that several German divisions were attempting to crush or drive back the Third Brigade and to sweep around and overwhelm our left wing.  The last attempt partially succeeded.  German troops swung past the unsupported left of the brigade and, slipping in between the wood and St. Julien, added to our torturing anxieties by apparently isolating us from the brigade base.

“In the exertions made by the Third Brigade during this supreme crisis, Major Norsworthy, already almost disabled by a bullet wound, was bayoneted and killed.  Captain McQuaig of the same battalion was seriously wounded.

“General Curry flung his left flank around and in the crisis of this immense struggle held his trenches from Thursday afternoon until Sunday afternoon.  He did not abandon them then.  There were none left.  They had been obliterated by artillery.