Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 126, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 May 1919 — Page 3

Sixty-five Canadians Win Victoria Gross

<~\F thesixtu-f ive twentufive are dead. Their oloru cannot fade—- —»

By EARLE HOOKER EATON.

URING the great world war sixty-five Canadia*n fighting men won the Victoria Cross. Of the sixty-five, sixtyfour were soldiers; the sixty-fifth was a sailor. The Victoria Cross, the most ————- coveted decoration awarded by Great milll) Britain to her heroes, is not easily won. the -sisty-five, twenty-five are dead. K One was awarded the V. C. two years HU after he disappeared during a battle and was officially described as “presumed dead.” Others were killed in the very act of heroism that won for them the cross and the bit of dark red ribbon; yet others died of wounds. Of the sixty-five, two at least were boys from the United States—Sergt.George Mullin, V. C., M. M., Princess Pat’s, New York; Lance Corporal William H. Metcalf, V. C., M. M., Manitoba regiment, Waite, Me. “The cross,” said Queen Victoria, when she instituted the new decoration in 1853, “shall only be awarded to those officers and men w’ho have us in the presence of the enemy and shall have performed some signal act of valor or devotion to their country.” Sixty-five Canadians, unused to war, taken from the farms and offices and factories, and trained for a few weeks or months, more than held their own against the greatest fighting machine the world ever saw, and won the Victoria Cross! An

additional 15,000 Canadians were awarded other British decorations and honors, and 619 won foreign decorations from France, Belgium, Serbia, Italy, Montenegro and Russia. Some 2,400 Canadian women went overseas as nurses with the Canadian expeditionary forces, and hundreds of others served in Canada. Of those in France, four were killed in bombing raids by Hun airmen. Hun submarines killed fourteen others at sea, and nineteen died of disease. Four nurses were awarded the Military

Medal, forty-three the Royal Red Cross, first class, and one hundred and forty-nine the Royal Red Cross, second class. Canada built 2,500 airplanes for the royal air force and was building bombing planes for the United States when the armistice .was signed. About 13,000 men were enlisted in rhe royal air force from Canada, and three Canadian air fighters won the Victoria Cross. The best known of the trio is Lieut. Col. William A. Bishop of Toronto, w'ho was a cavalryman in the Mississauga Horse and went overseas with the horses, but got transferred to the flying corps. Bishop is offi daily credited with seventy-two and unofficially credited with one hundred and ten enemy airplanes, and is called the world’s greatest living ace. King George sent for him and awarded him the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross. Next in reputation is Maj. W. G. Barker, V. C., D. S. 0., M. C., a royal air force fighter from Manitoba. Hp was given the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Service Order, with bar, and the Military Cross, with two bars. His grand total is fifty enemy machines. According to Colonel Bishop, the pluckiest air fight of the war was that of Lieut. Alan Arnett McLeod, V. C., a royal air force pilot from Stonewall, Manitoba. This eighteen-year-old boy, attacked by eight enemy airplanes, shot down three of them. He was wounded five times, and then his machine caught fire. Climbing out on the left bottom plane he controlled his falling airplane from the side of the fuselage, landed in No Man’s Land, rescued his wounded observer from the blazing aircraft and was again wounded by an enemy bomb. Shortly after his return to Canada McLeod died of pneumonia in Winnipeg. The first Canadian to win the V. C. was a heroic surgeon. Capt. Francis A. C. Scrimger, of the Canadian army medical service. Color Sergeant Frederick W. Hall, Eighth battalion. heard a call for help in No Man’s Land. In the face ! of a very heavy enfilade fire Hall made two attempts at rescue. As he was lifting the wounded man Hall was wounded mortally by a bullet through the head. He paid for the coveted V. C. with fils life. So did Lance Corporal Frederick Fisher, Thirteenth battalion. At Givenchy, June 15, 1915, Lieut. Frederick W. Campbell, First Canadian battalion, went over the top with two machine guns, arrived at the German first line with one gum and maintained his position there under very heavy fire, though every man in his detachment had been killed or wounded. Later he stopped an enemy attack by advancing his gun still farther and firing 1,000 rounds from an exposed position. He was wounded subsequently and died; the V. C. was posthumously awarded him. > Private Leo Clarke, V. C-, Twenty-seventh battalion ; Private John Chipman Kerr, V- C., Sixty- - fifth battalion; Capt. Thaln W. MacDowell, V. C. and D. S. C., Thirty-eighth battalion; Lieut. Frederick M. W. Harvey, V. C., Thirteenth battalionall these men performed prodigies of valor in killing foes, capturing prisoners, enemy trenches and positiohs and machine guns. They earned their Victoria Crosses. Sergt. Ellis W. Sifton, V. C., charged a machine gun alone, killing all the crew and stopped a coun-ter-attack until re-enforced; be was killed.. So was Private William J. Milne, V. C., Forty-sixth

battalion, who stalked two German machine guns, killed or wounded the crews and captured the guns. Lieut. Robert G. Combe, V. C., Fifty-third battalion, led nis company through a deadly barrage, captured the objective with only five men left, and took eighty prisoners. Then a German sniper got him. Death was the price paid, also, by Capt. Oklll M. Learmouth, V. C., M. C„ Canadian Infantry, whb, although mortally wounded, stood on the top of the parapet of his trench and actually caught and hurled back bombs. His example repulsed a determined attack. After the Germans had repulsed three attacks, killing or wounding all his officers, Company Sergeant Major Robert Hanna, V. C., Twenty-ninth battalion, rushed the strong point through wire, personally bayonetted three Germans, brained a fourth and captured a-machine gun. Private Michael J. O’Rourke, V. C., Fdrty-sev-enth battalion, a stretcher bearer, worked unceasingly for three days and nights and personally rescued three men under heavy fire from German snipers. ‘ . Of Corp. Philip Konowal, V. C., Seventy-seventh battalion, who personally killed sixteen Germans and captured two machine guns; of Lieut. Robert Shankland, V. C., Forty-third battalion, who captured and held a position, displaying “most conspicuous bravery and resource;” of Private John G. Pattison, V. C., One Hundred and Thirtyseventh battalion, who jumped from shell hole to shell hole until within thirty yards of a machine gun, bombed the gunners and then bayonetted five survivors; of Sergt. Frederick Hobson, V. C., Twentieth battalion, who got a burled machine gun into action and was killed while attacking the advancing enemy with a rifle to hold them until the was repaired, and of Private Harry Brown, V. C., C. M. R., regimental depot, who saved a captured position by carrying a message through a heavy barrage, < although mortally wounded, but little can be said owing to space limitations. Although the sword is supposed to be obsolete as a fighting weapon, Lieut. Henry Strachan, V. C., M. C., Fort Garry Horse, killed seven German gunners with his saber, silenced a battery, cut telephone wires two miles behind the enemy’s lines and brought back fifteen prisoners. Capt. George R. Pearkes, V. CL, M. C„ Fifth C. M R., although badly wounded in the thigh, captured and held a position against repeated enemy attacks; Lieut. Christopher P. J. O’Kelly, V. C., M. C., One Hundred and Forty-fourth battalion, led his men in two attacks which netted 111 prisoners, eleven machine guns and six “pill boxes;” Corp. Colin Barron, V. C„ Third battalion, singlehanded charged three machine guns, killed four of the crew, captured the remainder and turned one gun on the enemy; Private Thomas W. Holmes, V. C., One Hundred and Forty-seventh battalion, acting alone, killed or wounded the crews of two machine guns, then bombed a “pill box” and captured prisoners; Private Cecil J. Kinross, V. C., Fifty-first battalion, advanced alone In broad daylight over open ground against an enemy machine gun, killing six of the crew and destroying the gun; Private James P, Robinson, V. C., Thirteenth C. M. R., rushed a machine gun, killed four of the crew, turned It on the enemy and later was himself killed while rescuing a wounded man under fire, and Lieut. Hugh

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

Mackenzie, V. C., D. C. M., Canadian machine gun corps, was killed while leading a frontal attack upon a “pill box” after he had displayed conspicuous bravery and leadership. Among the other Victoria Cross winners whose valorous deeds cannot be described in detail here were Lieut. Gordon M. Flowerdew, Lord Strathcona’s Horse; Lieut. George B. McKean, Canadian infantry; Corp. Joseph Kaeble, V. C., M. M„ Quebec regiment (killed) ; Lieut. James E. Tait, V. C.. M. C., Manitoba regiment (killed); Lieut. John Brilliant, V. C., M. C„ Quebec regiment; Sergt. Raphael L. Zengel, V. C., M. M., Saskatchewan regiment; Corp. James G. Herman, Quebec regiment; Corp. Frederick G. Coppius, Manitoba regiment; Corp. Alexander Brereton. Manitoba regiment; Private John B. Croak, Quebec regiment (killed); Sergt.• Robert Spall, “Princess Pat’s” (killed); Corp. Harry G. B. Miner, Central Ontario regiment (killed) ; Sergt. Arthur G. Knight, Alberta regiment, (killed); Lieut. Col. William H. Clark-Kennedy, V. C., C. M. G., D. S. 0., Twentyfourth battalion, Q. R.; Capt. Bellenden S. Hutcheson, Seventy-fifth battalion; Private John Francis Young, Eighty-seventh battalion, Q. R.; Private Walter L. Rayfleld, Seventh battalion, B. C. R.: Private J. P. Nunney, V. C., D. C. M., M. M., Eastern Ontario regiment; Capt. John MacGregor, V. C., D. C. M„ M. C., Second C. M. R., First C. O. R.; Lieut. George F. Kerr, V. C., M. C., M. M., First C. O. R.; Lieut. Samuel L. Honey, V. C., D. C. M., M. M.. Seventy-eighth battalion, Manitoba regiment; Sergt. William Merrifield, Fourth battalion, C. O. R.; Private Thomas Ricketts, First battalion, Royal Newfoundland regiment; Capt. Coulson N. Mitchell, V. C., M. C., Fourth battalion, Canadian engineers; Lieut. Wallace L. Algle. Twentieth battalion, First C. O. R'., (killed) ; Sergt. Hugh Cairns, V. C., D. C. M„ Forty-sixth battalion, Saskatchewan regiment, and Private Thomas Dinesen, Quebec regiment, who not only won the V. C. by charging single-handed five machine guns, one after another, putting them out of action and accounting for twelve of the enemy with bomb and bayonet, but won a lieutenancy on the field. The only Canadian member of parliament who won the V. C. was Lieut. Col. Cyrus Wesley Peck, V. C„ D. S. |O., for most conspicuous bravery under fire and skilful leadership. He represents Skeena, British Columbia. Lieut. Charles S. Rutherford, V. C., M. C., M. M.. Quebec regiment, found himself alone facing a German “pill box” containing two officers, fortyfive men and three machine guns. He “bluffed” the Germans into thinking they were surrounded ‘and they surrendered to a man. Lieut. Graham T,* Lyall, One Hundred and Second battalion, Second C. O. R„ during two days of operations not only Inflicted very heavy casualties on the enemy, but captured three officers, one hundred and eighty-two men, twenty-six machine guns and one field gun. Lieut. Milton F. Gregg, Canadian Mounted Rifles, although thrice wounded, personally killed or wounded eleven of the enemy, captured twenty-five and took twelve machine guns. The only mercantile marine officer to be the Victoria Cross during the great world war was Lieut. Ronald N. Stuart, V. C., D. S. O n the royal naval reserve. > A Canadian piper, Private James Richardson, Manitoba regiment, also won the Victoria Cross. He played his company “over the top” and went back with wounded and prisoners. He returned to get his beloved pipes. After his name on the official roster are the Initials V. C. and the words “presumed dead.”

BLOUSE IS LIKED

Chemise Model Promises to Be in the Front Rank. Many Smocks of Fine Crepe Shantung or the More Clinging Silk or Wool Tricolette. While the “shirtwaist” is undeniably the most American of all feminine garments we must acknowledge that It has undergone so many transformations since it was first so universally accepted that few of us can reconcile the elaborate and ornate creations of today with that first simple and rather severe garment as we knew It originally, observes a fashion writer. It is said the shirtwaist is of Italian origin, as it was that spirited Italian, Garibaldi, whose red blouse Decame the ’advance model for the shirtwaist avalanche to follow. Nowadays we seldom see that type of

Blouse with epauletted shoulders produced by insertions of crocheted lace. A novel creation of crepe de chine.

waist, but in its place the "blouse” of finest workmanship and most radiant materials. For ipstance, this summer the chemise blouse with its overhanging skirt is' such a thing of beauty as few can resist. It looks, too, as if the chemise blouse is to be the favored model for all occasions—simple or “grand,” as the case may be. The chemise blouse has won its name from the fact that it slips over the head just as the chemise does and is only just a little shorter and has a belt at the waistline, which the chemise, of course, has not. The smock, first cousin to the chemise blouse, goes it one better, for it really is patterned exactly like the chemise and has only sleeves, long or short, to differentiate. Some of the new serge suits show the smock underneath, hanging in unbroken lines from neck to hips and showing at the sides through slits in the coat, placed for this purpose. The effect is good, as the color contrasts are usually striking. A good example of this sort is seen In a fine Poiret twill suit of dark blue with the straight box coat and threequarter sleeves opening over a smock of horizon blue. There is no belt or trimming to break the perfect plainness of the blue smock; it hangs like a Chinaman’s shirt and buttons down the back. The advantage in this sort a blouse with this sort of coat in place of the more usual vestee lies in the fact that the coat can be removed. There are many of these smocks of fine crepe Shantung or the more clinging silk or wool tricolette to be seen. They are slightly reminiscent of the clinging “jerseys” of other days—so much so, in fact, that only the slender can really wear them, and the full figure had best beware. One observes a tendency toward much elaborate braiding of soutache or finely wrought embroidery in heavy silk or wool threads. As the blouse buttons up to the neck —and that is as high as one comfortably can wear a collar —the buttons are placed at the back.

GINGHAM IS IN HIGH FAVOR

Lavender and White, Rose and White and Blue and White Among the Favorites. Dame Fashion may be a fickle Jade In some respects, but sometimes she has the good sense to be true to something well worth wliile rather longer than we expected her to. Take gingham for instance. She first fancied It as a material for smart summer frocks late in the summer of 1917. As we all expectedjit it lasted over—this whijn—till the summer of' 1918, and, though it became immensely popular, it was not run to the ground as fashions that become immensely popular so often are. To be sure, good quality ginghams were so high in j>rice that it was saved from looking cheap, but still gingham ’dresses were so generally worn by women of all classes z who wished to be smartly attired in warm weather that one could-hardly call the idea exclusive as it was whqn it was first launched. And the amazing thing is that as plans for thin frocks are laid gingham

is In high honor. The only trouble I» that ginghams are not ohiy dear, but) scarce. Perhaps that will help to make it fashionable—just as furs have never* been so indispensable to the woman of fashion as when the war sent their price soaring. There will be dresses made entirely) of gingham and dresses made of thia white fabrics trimmed with gingham. Then there will he considerable use of, gingham in blouses, some of the smartest of these being made of some sheer white fabric with plaid or checked gingham for collars and cuffs and’ pipings. Lavender and white. rose and white and blue ami white will be favorite combinations, and these will be es-‘ pecially attractive worn with the new so-called sport skirts made of silk.

TUB SKIRTS ARE NECESSARY

Assortment of the Separate Apparel Important to All Who Wish to Be Daintily Dressed. A good assortmeht of separate skirts for summer wear is very important if a woman wishes to be daintily dressed at all times at the least possible expense. As every woman knows, the waist of a dress needs laundering and freshening up much more frequently than the skirt; but; if the frock is a one-piece affair obviously the entire garment must go tot the tub every time any section of it requires washing. The separate skirt of white washable material will usually stand two days’ wear. With a fresh blouse each day a woman may have the immaculate daintiness that is the first rule of good dressing. Separate skirts - have not shared with frocks and suit skirts the rule concerning w’id’th and length. The separate skirt is comfortably wide and rarely less than five or six inches from the ground.

SOME OF HER FADS

Whatever else she wears, she finishes her costume with a string of beads, in quaint necklace or a silver sautolr. This last is the newest"fashion, and it is a silver chain, set with rhinestones or pearls, on the end of which she fastens a tiny watch or a locket. And the lockets are quite the, fad again, also. Modest pieces are the newest bits of neckwear. There are those straight topped pieces which madam slips inside her blouse or bodice to give the new line. They are of sheer and snowy w’hite stuffs, like mull or organdie, modest pieces, and are finely tucked or lace trimmed. Though she may choose the quietest color for her new spring tallleur, she brightens that same suit by a very gay lining of soft flowered silk or crepe, and then adds a piquant touch by slipping in a gay vest of gorgeous brocade or gleaming satin in a bright colpr.

TYPIFIES YOUTH AND SPRING

An attractive neckpiece of ostrich and marlbou, quite a favored outfit worn by many young women who ar* regarded ae careful and stylish dressers.

Hats for Sports.

Nenette and Rin tintin have life vaded the golf llpks and joyously shout color, red and white from soft little hats made of white silk with funny little designs in all-over effect. A red and white knitted wool cord with Nenette and Rintintin dangling thereon, encircle the crown. These are sport hats, with sectional crown and soft stitched brim which can be rolled up or turned down. The hat can easily be folded audtucked away in one** pocket •' A

A Novelty Waistcoat

A novelty embroidered waistcoat la of tricolette with a necklace simulated in the embroidery. This is accomplished in alternating dbts of color with tiny gold threads to show the link* in between and finished half way down the vest by a tassel effect of the gold, stitch embroidery. This Is most es. fective and different from anything seen so far. ’ . ’ - *■ a