' PAGE FOURTEEN | The Canadian V.C.'s How Men From Canada Earned the [Empire's Highest Tribute for Bravery in the Field of Battle. 'CAPTAIN ROBERT SHANKLAND, V.C, D.C.M., 48rd BATTALION. For most conspicuous bravery and resourge in action under critical and adverse conditions. Having gained a position, he rallied the remnant of his own platoon and men of other companies, disposed them to command thy ground in front, and inflicted heavy casualties = s dispersed a counter-attack, thus enabling supporting troops to come up un» molested, He then personally communicated to battalioh héadquarters an. accu- rath and valuable report as to the posi doing so rejoined his command and carried on until relieved. His courage and splendid example inspired all ranks, and, coupled with his great gallantry and skill, undoubtedly saved a very critical situation. Capt. Shankland was born -in Ayr, # private in Winnipeg in 1014, BY CAROLYN CORNELL. The taking of Bellevue Spur, near Passchendaele, by the Canadian army in the fall of 1917, was strategically necessary before the troops could dig in for the winter. Up to that time they had occupied a situation which «was little better than a muskeg. The trenches' were . obliterated. There only remained a few shell holes filled with mud. If Bellevue Spur was not taken the Canadian division on CAPT, ROBERT SHANKLAND, V.C.: D.C.M. that front would have to retreat three miles to take up winter quarters. It was the 43rd ttglion which took the spur and. the jcoup was carried out successfully pwing to the gallan- try of one of thé officers, Capt., then Ligut,, Robert Shankland, = "It was undoubtedly Shankland s good work that won the day," says Lieut.-Col. William Grassie, who was officer commanding the 43rd Battalée ion, Cameron Highlanders, at that time, As the faking of Bellevue Spur was the necessary preliminary to the taking of Passchendaele, we may say that on this one man's re- «source and courage was hinged the success of the whole fall campaign, and 'the final establishment of the Canadian line on the high ground at Passchendaele. The 43rd Battalion went into ac- tion Oct. 24th to relieve the New Zea- landers, 'who had been holding that sector of the line. Everybody Knew that the attack was coming. Zero was 5.456 o'clock in the morning of Oct. 24th. it was a bad mix-up. The cendition of. the Canadian trenches was beyond description. The enemy kept up heavy fire, and the Canadians suffered terribly. The next. day the punishment continued. The casualties were heavy. Lieut. Shankland had been held back with about 180 men at St. Julien as a roe serve. They were sent out on the 26th. | The Highlanders kept up the struggle all day. It was win or re- treat, and "retreat" was a word un- known to Canadians, as long as there was any left to fight, . The weather conditions during this engagement were awful. The plan on whieh the Canadian army was en- trenched, in mud holes, was swim- ming with water. There were ne nice regular trenches with parapet and paradas, as we have seen them demonstrated in vacant lots in Can- ada, or drawn on blackboards. The very awfulness of the situation made them more determined to get to the He won the D.C.M. at Vimy Ridge. w (FROM OFFICIAL GAZETTE.) / 4 upon the retreating enemy. Later he tion of the brigade frontage, and after Scotland, in 1887. He enlisted as German. trénches on the ground ris- ing above them. Then, on the morning of Oet. 26th, something happened. It had _to" "Over the top" they went, The casualties were awful Practically all of the officers were gone Robert Shankland found groups' of men here and there without any command. They were all fighting, but they had no head. They did not know what they were doing. Shankland con- solidated these fellows into a com- pany and advanced. They took the German trenches and penetrated about a mile and a quarter beyond the rest of the line Then Shank- land, leaving his com Bany, worked his way back to battalion headquar- ters and- gave th® logation of the brigade frontage; afterwards at great personal risk rejoining his command, and carried om until the line was con- {was the worst solidated "Shankland converted what looked like a bad day into a victory. It show we had had," said Col. Grassie, commenting on the action 'of Capt. Shankland. a Capt. Shankland"s record -since joining the army has been excelledy by but few even in. a war when so many honors were conferred in a short time. He joined up with the 43rd Cameron Highlanders in Win- nipeg in 1914, as a private. His abilities were soon noted, and he left here as a sergeant-major. Lieut. - Col. R. M. Thomson was his com- manding officer, and recommended him for his first decoration, the D.C.M., which he won in June, 19186, for brilliant work in rescuing wound- ed men from No Man's Land in the battle of Sanctuary Wood, in the third battle of Ypres, In the fall of the same year, in the battle on the Somme, after Lieut.-Col. William Grassie h aken command of the battalion he was Pecommended - by the colonel for a commission. That the recommendation was justified was seen by Lieut. Sharkland's spleydid-ability in succeeding bat- ties. The V.€C. was conferred an Lieut. Shankland about a year later, Oct, 26th, 1917, and he now holds the commission of captain and adju- tant in his battalion. Ayr, Scotland, claims the distinc- tion of being the birthplace of Capt. Shankland. © His parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Shankland, and his sis- ter live there yet, and although Cans ada claimed the hero for a short time, and he made his military ad- vance through the Canadian army, it is doubtful whether he will return, it is said. The Smith Institution, Ayr, is his alma mater. The youth gave promise of the man in his prow- ess at school. ~~ He won the medal in each class as hé passed through it, and ended by carrying off the dux medal of the whole school at his gra- duation. "He was aye a game yin," is the way his school fellows describe him, it is said. An officer in his battalion bears out the saying. 'I never knew such a fellow,' sald the officer. "He actually could re- member the name and number of every man in his whole battalion." When he was a boy at home Capt. Shankland was a member of No. 2 company, Ayr Parish churches Boys' Brigade, in which company he must] have learned much that proved use- ful to him in the last four years, Leaving school, he 'worked in several clerical positions before coming to Canada. He was assistant cashier in the Crescent Creamery when war was. declared, and he joined up with the 43rd Battalion. - As has been pre-eminently the case ANB "Afraid * The child won't play or smile. His tongue is white, breath feverish, stomach sour. He fears he is in for a dose of awful castor oil, calomel or pills. How he hates them. He would rather remain sick, a Casares never gripe, never sicken, never disappoint the worried mother, 0 To Tell Mother! if his mother would only aun the value of candy Cascatets." "How children love this candy cathartic--how surely it acts on liver and bowels, He is real sick." THE DAILY BRITISH WHIG, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1919. HENRY Rie Navy. pe ne: MILBURN'S LAXA-LIVER PILLS > nests Act as a stimulant to the sluggish liver, clean the furred tongue, sweét- en the foul obnoxious breath, and cléar away all the poisonous accumu- lations from the system by causing the bowels to move regularly and na- turally every.day, thus preventing as well as curing constipation, sick headaches, bilious headaches, water brash, heartburn, and all diseases arising from a lazy, slow or torpid tiver. They are purely vegetable, small and easy to take, and there is noth- Ing of the griging, weakening and sickening effects 'of the olf. fashioned purgatives. ) Mrs. John Kadey, Chipman, N.B., writes:--*"I have been using Mil-| burn's Laxa-Liver Pills for some time | and can recommend them to anyone] suffering from heartburn and liver! trouble. I tried other remedies, but. they only relieved me for a short! time. I always recommend Laxa- | Liver Pills to all sufferers, as I think | they are a valuable remedy." | When you, go to your dealer and! ask for Laxa-Liver Pills' see that you | get the genuine "Milburn's." Price 25c a vial at all dealers, or mailed | direct on receipt. of price by The T.| Milburn Co., Limited, Toronto, Ont. SR ee nie with all the men who have won a's- tinctions in this war, Capt. Shank- land is extremely reserved in spoak- ing about his honors. The facts have been gleaned from eye-wit- nesses and his superior officers. He now wears the two most coveted de- coratigns of the British army, the V.C. dnd the D.C.M., which ranks a close second to the V.C. It is said that he never mentioned winning either decoration to his parents. It was some time after the winning of the D.C,M. that they found it out. During a short leave which he had about that time, hé did not mention it to them, and as he was in a Cana- dian regiment the details were not published in the British dailies. His reserve was just as great with regard to the conferring of the V.C. "By a strange coingidence,'* states an Ayr newspaper, "Mr. Shankland. father of the hero, first heard of his son's winning the V.C. from a Cana- dian chaplain whom he had met with by accident travelling from Glas- gow to Ayr on the train, and had chated with him. Following his usual habit, Capt. Shankland had noi mentioned the fact that he had got another military decoration. It was | almost a ménth later that Mr. Shank- land received the letter from the chaplain. After relating how he | had met Capt. Shankland in Lens, the chaplain continues: * 'The man whose name is on ev- erybody's lips here is no other than your son. We were engaged in op- erations in"Flanders, and at the most critical part of the whole thing the 43rd was getting an almost impos- sible part to do. However, they went at it as only Scottish lads cam 20, but do what they could they gered beaten and had to fall back. If they failed the whole thing went to pieces. They actually fell back, fied the retreat from part of it and turned it into victory. I was at the front myself that day, and every one who knows agrees that the man who was the means of saving the day and' bringing us a brilliant victory was your son. 1 would" have preferred that you should have got the frat I know that about it, so I have written the facts to you,' Capt. Shankland has heen twice wounded, once slightly and the sec- ond time more seriously. ' On one occasion #® bullét whigh might have striking a tin candy box which he An his tunic pocket and which had been sent him from Winn The full details of the acts of hero- men who | . ans of Great Britain. It is neces- ry that the boys and girls growing but not all, for Lieut. Shankland ral-|. caused his death was glanced off by |. Article No. 11 Cut out for Reference FORD'S EAGLE 'BOATS FROZEN-iN AT QU fas. Here are three of the famous Eagle submarine "chasers manufactured by Henry Ford for the American He had reached the stage of quantity production and was about to produce one ship pér day, fully equip. ped for sea, when the war ended. They are very fast hoats, carrying a heavy lead of depth bombs and quick. firing guns, The prow, as far back as the jet of steam, seen in the forward boat is solid concrete covergd with steel, tc be used as a ram. The boats were on their way 40 Sea to be added to the regular equipment! of the % American Navy on the Atlantic coast, but they were caught by the winter at Quebec. § 3 JEBEC. | [300 Wl AllTo THE . ded & DIRECT FROM 3 5 ne. THE TEA POT " t vo for Disabled Soldiers VERY returned soldier, who is an amputation case, is provided by the Government with an artificial limb. He can have that limb repaired, and if necessary, replaced, without éxpense. This is one of the many services rendered by the Department of Soldiers' Civil Re-Establishment to the returned soldier. DEPARTMENT OF SOLDIERS' CI ESTABLISHMENT. Administrative Offices of the Departm ical Officers in charge. to Medical Representatives. made to this list constantly, Ciry or Towx. | REPRESENTATI Nova Scotia: | *Halifax. . | 4 | Hollis St. *Sydney. : iDr. Jas: Bruce. P.EJ: *Charlottetown.. Quebec: *Montreal. ... {Dr. Alex. Ross. *Quebec: iv. ; James St. Ontario: ] ll *Kingston. y Baia (Dr. 1. T Dr. A. G. Aldrich. *Ottawa, Port Hope... .. Gananoque Picton... J Lindsay en Brockville *Toronto *Hamilton. . North Bay... Chatham, . Sudbury. Windsor... . Paris : Brantford. . . . Windsor Orillia. ii ir W. C. Gilchrist. Haileybury . . r. G3. F. Jackson. Mattawa...... Dr.) | James, Midland... .... [Dr T: J. Johnston. Barrie. ui Owen Sound. . . Welland... .. Collingwood . . Woodstock. . ©. Stratford. i St. Catharines . .{Dr. J. Shedhan, V Sault Ste. Marie. . Dr. C. A. Publow, Pr. J. A. White, Dr. E. J. F. Williams. Dr. Wi J. Bell. Dr. R.'V. Bray. Dr. W. G. Cook. Dr. W. J. H. Gould. Dr. C. C. Fissette. Dr. H. H. Moore. Dr. W. R. McCulloch, Dr. D. McKay. Dr. §.McM. Mclay. of Toronto Bldg. Dr. A. J. Manion. b Manitoba: ini mvp vestment Bldg. Dr. D. 8. Creighton. North Battleford] or Ls H.H. Jackson. Prince Albert... Dr. RL. King, Medicine Hat. BC: Va NCOUVEL..i v. . *¥ictoria. veo RB aos TICLON . ... *§t. Bes one oh So GPa Bank Dr. A. A, Shepard, 746 Qu. Dr. N. B. Alegander, Room 56, Bk. Medical Representatives VIL VE. Dr. J. J. Davis, Pine Street. RE- Note.~At places marked (*) there are Medical nt with Med Otherwise reference is given Additions are being {Name oF Unit Mebicar Direc- wor, Asst. Unit Mepicarn Direcror or Mepicar Dr, Dugald Stewart, Leith House, don, 301 Drum- *, Hubbard, 17. St. Latta, Golden Lion F. Douglas, 132 Queen St. & Dr. E. Ryan, 185 Spadina Ave. Dr. W. Bethune, 300 Clyde Bik. Dr. Cruikshank, 14 Labelle Bldg. Dr. Cs Fuller, I Wyandotte St. W, Dr. W. A. Lewis, P.O. Box 13, Dr. H. H, Middleboro. Pr. La EF, Robertson, 55 Albert Si. Wm een St.E. Dr. K. Mclvor, Notre Dame In- Dr. WC. Arnold, McCallum-Hill | pe G:* R. Johnson, . Beveridge Dr. G. G. Stewart, 410 McLeod . IDF.G. W. Tech, 109 Sherlock Bik. Dr. A. P. Proctor, Board of Trade 2.C. >. Holmes, Central Bldg. hee, omens Bide. I This department also supplies free * ortho- paedic" appliances to correct as far as possible injuries to the feet, legs and arms; also special boots, splints, braces, etc. To those who need them, it also gives free surgical appliances such "as trusses, spectacles, spinal supports, glass eyes, abdoininal supports. A Government factory has been established "at Toronto to make artificial: limbs. Here standard patterns, embodying the best ideas known, are manu= factured. In this work expert advice is given by surgeons who have seen overseas service, 'and Who are in constant touch with similar work in other countries. An experimental department is maintained for developing practical applications of new ideas, and for testing out all iew appliances that become available in Canada or foreign countries. Repair parts for standard patterns are kept in stock at fitting depots in the following centres: Halifax, Fredericton, St. John, Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, " Hamilton, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Moose Faw, Saskatoon, Calgary,. Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria. At these depots there are experienced fitters who maké repairs and adjustments de: the supervision of surgeons. They also fit fo individudl patients appliances received in the rough from the factory. These depots are so located that those requiring renewals, repairs or adjustments, can get them free without travelling long distances. If there is no fitting depot-in the patient's town, he is instructed by the Department's Medical Officer to travel to the nearest depot. He is fyrnished with free first ¢lass railway tickets, an allowance to cover meals and other expénse,' and an allowance to apply against loss: of time from his work. If he must remain there for I8nger than a week he is maintained at the Depart- ment's expense, and he and his dependents receive the same allowances as if he were in hospital. » "Artificial limbs, orthopaedic and surgical appliances. are furnished freg only when their issue is authorized! ' by a Medical Officer of the Department. These repre- tatives arc listed alongside. tide Free Artificial Appliances ¥