72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - Electric Scotland

VIMY RIDGE.
worth while just here to record the gallant exploit of
Lieut. D. 0. Vicars, D.S.O., and Pte. McWhinny (later
Lieut. McWhinney, D.C.M.)
While the 72nd attacked, more or less frontally, the tri
angle before mentioned. Vicars and McWhinney together
with a mere handful of men worked around to the right
flank of Clutch trench. Almost all of Lieut. Vicars men
were casualties by the time he reached the trench, but
Vicars, accompanied by McWhinney and Cpl.
Hat" Mat
thews, began what was one of the most memorable feats
in the Battalion s history. Armed chiefly with bombs
which they manipulated with unerring efficiency, the three
proceeded to take, unaided, about 400 yards of the strong
ly-held German support line. Slipping from traverse to
traverse along the trench, the dauntless trio advanced,
clearing or partially clearing each bay by throwing bombs
into it before entering and finishing the job with revolver
and cold steel. Time after time Boches braver and more
cunning than the rest attempted to waylay them by lying
in wait in the doorways of their dugouts, only to be met
by a courage and resource more deadly than their own.
Pushing the now thoroughly demoralized Boches before
them, the three continued their advance until practically
the whole trench on the Battalion front was cleared. Aid
ed by the arrival of the frontal attacking troops they
drove the completely routed Bavarians to their destruc
tion in the heavy "standing barrage," which was protect
ing the left flank of the attack.
This is but an example of what was done on that glori
ous and eventful day. Of the heroic work of the rest of
the Battalion no praise can be too laudatory. Stumbling
through the maze of shell-craters, and lashed by machine
gun fire they had continued to advance, and while Clutch
trench was being cleaned out they had been grimly fight
ing their way towards the hotly contested triangle of
trenches, and here it may be said that there was a dem-
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