Places > Loyal Lewis roll of honour, 1914 and after

TONG SCHOOL DISTRICT.
■Ill
every minute the ranks getting thinner as the Germans got
our range, but the boys never faltered until they had carried
the village and consolidated on a ridge beyond it. The
Germans could not stand the dash of our men, nor the
intensity of our artillery barrage — they huddled in cellars or
whatever shelter they could get- In one case a small party
of our men captured 100 prisoners, including two officers. The
enemy machine gunners were, however, very brave, and stuck
to their guns to the very last? even after the situation for
them was perfectly hopeless.
The Gordons on our left and the Black Watch on our right
had. if anything, a more difficult job to do, for they had to
advance through standing corn which gave no cover, but these
gallant fellows went forward dauntlessly, suffering a
murderous fire but never flinching until they conformed to us
and we held an unbroken front to the enemy. Buzancy, the
key to the whole situation, was ours; the Highland Brigade
had enhanced the reputation it won under Hector Macdonald
on the veldts of Africa, the kilts fluttered in the breeze
beyond the small French village we had stormed and won, and
another glorious page was added to the history of the brave
Highlanders.
Our General told us it was an attack which in the earlier
days of the war would have become historic, but now would
just mean one part of the stupendous counter-stroke on the
Marne. Two days later the enemy were in full retreat, but
we were too tired to chase him further than nine kilometres,
and we were relieved.
This village is miles away from the whirlpool of war. The
old peasants come ambling home from their field, the cows
walk lazily from pasture, and the peasant girls go peacefully
to the milking. The sun is setting and I sit and smoke on the
garden seat in the shade. Home seems very, very near — I
can almost fancy I hear the waves thundering against the
rocks. And — who knows ? Perhaps nearer than we expect
the dove of peace is on the wing, the laurel wreath of victory
is coming to us and to our brave Allies- Who knows ? Who
knows ' .