Hammond Times, Volume 12, Number 296, Hammond, Lake County, 13 June 1918 — Page 10

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In a series of these tents Canadians told of tha valor i of their kilted comrade and of the ruthlessness of the Hun.

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It's the Ladies of Hell!" Yells the Hun as Scotch Troops advance with bayonet Their valor noted on many fields Kilties from Haig's land figure in notable conflicts Big aid to America in Liberty Loan Drive.

If German invention has coined anything beyond Kultur or as Tve best know it frightfulness it is the one phrase, "The Ladies of Hell." In polite society, busy -with its knitting needles," this awesome and rather shocking sobriquet invites a suggestion of Furies; and that is just what the Hun sought to convey. "The Ladies of Hell," as Fritz calls them, are the gallant Scotch. Kitchener referred to them as the grandest soldiers in all the -world the backbone of the British army. And Kitchener -was an Irishman. Exploits of the "Ladies of Hell" have been given little public notice in this war because the British government is not given to open praise of individual regiments or troops and the pens of the poets are still too busy with other things to draft oiks and epics to the lads of the heather. Given 600,000 to The Cause. But German respect for these traditionally noted fighters, conveyed through the expression, "The Ladie3 of Hell," and tales brought back by returned Canadians disclose with shining vividness the incomparable valor of these kilted laddies from the United Kingdom.

The bonny land of Harry Lauder and Gen. Haig has contributed to the cause since the outbreak of war 600,000 hardy Soots and Canada has given up some 100,000 who once sauntered through Highland vales and dells. It can be said with safety that there isn't an able bodied Scot of fighting age left in the cities and villages of their native land. And it can also be said that there are thousands of little white crosses in France that mark the graves of departed "Jocks." Even greater have been the deeds of the Black Watch, the Seaforth Highlanders, the King's Own Scottish and the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders in this war than in the days when Napoleon saw their unbroken fronts at "Waterloo and the Russians their flapping kilts on the Crimea. Time and again these regiments have been reformed; and never once have they emerged from conflict with anything but victory and laurels. Arraricans Now Witi Scotcli. American soldiers are fighting shoulder to shoulder with these lads now and it is only well that American fathers and mothers whose boys are brigaded with these valiant warriors should have a glimpse of the chaps whom Fritz has so respectfully dubbed, "The Ladies of Hell." From no better source could this in

formation come than from the lips of Sergt. Harry Boyle, Corporal "Jock" Smith and Corporal Leo Pierron, late members of Canadian Scottish regiments. All three were returned to Canada recently minus legs.

The Canadian government sent them to Akron, Ohio, to help The B. F. Goodrich Rubber

Company raise $1,000,000 among its 22,000 workers for the third liberty loan. These crippled fighters lent such stimulus by their simple talks that the quota set by the Goodrich officials was raised in three days and N$250,000 more. Secretary McAdoo was eo elated with the Goodrich efforts that he sent a letter of congratulation to officials. Moreover, he indicated that the next liberty loan would probably embrace features of the Goodrich plan of financing the loan. An element that pleased Mr. McAdoo was the arrangement whereby every employe was given an opportunity to say "yes" or "no" to a request for a subscription. The enthusiasm was such that no one could actually refuse to turn down a solicitor. Stubbornness A Winning Trait. Somehow or other when one talked or looked at these veterans of many battles Smith fell at Vimy Ridge, Pierron lost his leg at Lens after twenty-nine months of fighting and Boyle was wounded in the great Somme offensive one thought of Scott and of cairns and of Marmion. They personified grit, stubbornness something that could not be broken. They were typical cots. They went methodically about their business as they went about their fighting, quite certain they would succeed with never a thought of failure. An incident reflected this spirit. Someone asked Smith, a veteran of the Boer war also, about the great German offensive in progress. "Vhat if they break through?" asked the questioner. "But what if they don't?" was the rejoinder of the little Scotchman. Why The Germans Can't Break Through. "But what if they dot" persisted the other. "But what if they don't?" repeated the corporal, a grimness showing through the fine scarlet of his cheeks. But what if they don't! The little Scotchman knew. No avalanche of steel, no mass of human bodies, no wicked contrivance of war could wilt and crush the courageous will of the Scot! He had seen it express itself too often. "TVhen this war is all over," remarked the little corporal, "just ask Fritz what he thinks of the Scotch." Reference to the laddies of his native heath stirred memories. "One day, I remember it was at Hill 60 yes, Hill 60," he said. ""We had been fighting night and day. Our rifles would get so hot we would have to stop firing them. On our right Fritz was putting in an enfilading fire that was bowling over our boys faster than the stretcher bearers could get them away. "We simply had to dislodge the Germans.

Bayonets Win Where Gunfire Fails. "A fresh brigade -was brought up to take the position. It failed. Tretty soon the Seaforth Highlanders appeared with fixed bayonets. They were ordered to take the position w-ith 'cold steel.' They weren't to hold itothers could do that; they were just to take it. "They took it and just with their bayonets. "And I think of our own. battalion,' ' ho continued. "It was the 53rd, the Canadian Scottish. Major Gordon commanded it. You must know him in this country Ralph Connor? The man who wrote Black .Rock and those other stories? As brave a man as ever lived. One night five hundred of us were sent over to take a strip of

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Corporal "Jock" Smith, of the Canadian Highlanders; his leg was blown of! by a shell at Vimy Ridge Corporal Leo Pierron, one of the first " 33,000," lost his leg at Lens after twenty-nine months of continuous fighting.

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Sergt. Harry Eoyie of the Canadian Highlanders; his leg was blown off by a xc-hiz-bang during' the Somme offensive.

trench. The artillery had laid down a strong barrage but by some terrible freak it had failed to cut the barbed wire. And They Took tho Trench. "The boys reached the wire with the "Fritzies" returned soldiers never speak of the Germans save as Fritz "ripping out an awful machine gun fire. Men were falling right and left. But do you think any of those boys would go back? Not for a moment. They sat right down in the wire and very deliberately cut their way through. "And they took the trench." There was a moment's silence. "How many survived?" someone asked at lepgth. "Forty-five," replied the corporal. Now there are big Scots and little Scots. They both have the indominatable will even though there be a difference in stature. Also a dry wit that never loses its mellowness in the most trying situations. One day when fighting was fiercest around Fresnoy a battalion of these little Scotchmen were advancing to the attack. For reasons best known to the soldiers the little Scotchmen were more or lessin disfavor.

Tho Tale of The Wee Scots. Every time they entered a trench the fire step had to. be built up also the parapet. Likewise the relieving battalion had to reconstruct the whole works to suit their height. As fortune would have it the wen lads were going into a position jnet vacated by the Grenadier Guards. All the grenadiers are six feet tall. They make up one of England's imperial regiments and are regarded as one of tbe Kingdom's greatest and oldest collection of fighters. "Where you goin'f" growled one r.f the grenadiers. "Up to take the position the ereoa'iiera couldn't take," piped a little Scotchman. And they did. Fair play is logenaary with the Scot. Strange to ?ay it is something the German doesn't like. When a Scotchman attacks with a bayonet he singles ort his adversary, generally with, "Com" on, Fritz, let 's go to ut : it 's you or rce. " If Fritz hasn't his gang he usually "beats it." The Germans Learn A Lesion. Scotch troops are one type that Germans will never maltreat. One day Prussians captured a half ior.en Scotchmen, etrippe:! them and sent them across No Man's land to their own line?. As the men reached the center of the death strip, the Germans turned loose their machine guns. Tho Highlanders in the trenches, without barrage or ns much as a shot, went over with one bound with their bayonets and cleaned out every Prussian in tbe opposing trench. The Scotch think well of the Prussians as fighters; pretty veil of the Bavarians and are filled with compassion for the Saxons. "Were it not for the fact the Prussians mix their con-commissioned ofiicers in with the Saxons," aid Sergt. Boyle, "they would do little fighting. The Saxon hates the Prussian and the Prussian has only contempt for the Saxon." This led to a little story. "One night while in a bombiLg station just in front of our line"

?aid Sergt Boyle, "we were startled by someone falling in our midst. It was a German out on patroL We nabbed him and took him back to headquarters. He proved to be Saxon. The officers gave him a good feed and asked hi:n when the relief was coming in and other questions. He'd Bring "Em AH Over. "Ho gave answer? very madily. So impressed was he with the reception he had received he said: " 'If yon let me go back and teTJ the others how you have treated me I'll bring the who'e bettalioD over.' He said th Prnssjkn , officers fial tdid the men it was certain death to be taken by the British. If he hadn't been acquainted with our position we vorM have taken a .'hppe on him." Tho kilts worn by the Scots hav been um,h in discussion in this war. At one time th British government furiously considered asking the Highlanders to discard their plaids tbe government wou! 1 Lever order it because of their ccShspicuousnesa. Even though he realized this touM decrease tbe number of casualties, the Sot turned down the suggestion flatly, but consented to wear a khaki colored shield over the plaid. 'Cooties'' ibo.lv lice) have been the bane of the Scoch. "Cooties" are not very discriminating but they have a special affection lor kiltie. They climb up under the kilts and take refuge under the waist band1. It. is no uncommon sis;ht to see a highlander in the midst of battle drop his ritie, and bgin a hurst for s. voracious cootie.'' machine gun bullets singing and shells bursting around his head the while. Baseball Takes With Stch.. American influence is playing havoc with Scotch pfktimes behind the line.. The evotch are rapidly becoming accomplished in baseball and a short time ago when a Highland nine defeated an American team the London papers proclaimed tbe fact all over one page. It is a cinch that, after the wai the crack of the bat will be heard in many a village in tbe land ol thistles ud heath&b