From the News

Dated: May 17, 1916

OFFICER'S THRILLING ACCOUNT OF ST. ELOI

Montreal, May 15.--A thrilling account of what the Canadian boys have been doing in the mine craters of St. Eloi, in which one-third of their effectives were laid low, was given by Lieut. A. W. Northover, 28th battalion, who has returned to help perfect bomb throwing methods in Canada.

"There are 42 craters all told in the St. Eloi district," he said, "The mines were sprung by the British, and we blew up whole companies of Germans. Desperate fighting followed for the possession of these craters, and when I left it was about even, but since then we have gained the advantage."

"The worst of the fighting is when you are on the slopes inside and fighting toward the rim. If you cannot get the rim and hold it you must give up the whole crater. To stay inside a crater is certain death."

"The side which can build parapets quickest in the night time is the side that wins."

"You may guess how close the fighting was when I tell you that my own dugout at St. Eloi was only fifteen feet away from a German officer's. We bombed each other repeatedly, but could not get results. At last I got a strong piece of twine and carefully measured it, so that it would just reach the German dugout. Then I got a 4.7 and tied it to the string and threw it, keeping hold of the string meantime. The bomb dangled right over the German's door, and then exploded. He was 'not at home,' but when he came back there was no dug-out, and that was the last I saw of him. He had to flit elsewhere."

The stirring time in the St. Eloi battle, according to Lieut. Northover, was when the crater was first rushed by the Canadian brigade, and were then cut off from their lines by the fire of the German artillery behind the craters, which shut them off for three days. During this time the Canadians, who had thoughtfully brought plenty of bombs with them, captured seven more craters. Being cut off so long from assistance had not effected their morals¹ in the least.