"My comrades, and what became of them, as told to me in letters, by my
old chum Bob Goddard."
The Red, Red Road to Hooge
"The Iron Sixth"
ILLUSTRATIONS
28th Battalion leaving Winnipeg on the 27th of May, 1915
General Ketchen
As I looked when I left Germany; As I looked before I saw Germany
FOREWORD
Having been asked by the Author of this Book, No. 73,194 Private Jack
O'Brien of the 28th Northwest Battalion, to write a few words as an
introduction to the story which he is placing before the public, it
gives me much pleasure to do so.
The 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade raised and organized from the four
western provinces of Canada has done its share and at the time of
writing it is still doing its share in the field against the common
enemy. The 28th Northwest Battalion, originally under the Command of
Lieut.-Col. J. F. L. Embury, C.M.G., has taken its share in all the
engagements in which the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade took part,
including St. Éloi, Hooge, three engagements on the Somme, 15th
September, 26th September, and 1st October, 1916, as well as the
general engagements of Vimy Ridge, Fresnoy, Lens on the 21st August,
1917, and Passchendaele, and in each of these engagements, alongside
the remaining Battalions of the Brigade--namely, the 27th City of
Winnipeg Battalion, 29th Vancouver Battalion, and the 31st Alberta
Battalion--never failed in gaining all of the objectives which had been
set for the Brigade to carry. Whenever any special raids to obtain
information and identifications were called for, the 28th Northwest
Battalion invariably volunteered for such duty, and their efforts were
always crowned with success. In fact the record of the Brigade
throughout the campaign has been an outstanding one, and the various
matters which Private Jack O'Brien refers to in his book will be of the
greatest interest to all members of the Brigade, past and present, as
well as to the general public in Western Canada.
The feat accomplished by this young soldier in escaping from the
Germans, whilst held as a prisoner of war, is in itself worthy of
special notice and he was only successful in his third attempt. His
conduct and record in the field is one to be proud of, and I have no
hesitation in introducing him to the readers of his most interesting
book. As a soldier he has done his duty and is deserving of every
support in the circulation of his war story.
H. D. B. KETCHEN,
_Brig.-Gen. comm'd'g 6th Can. Inf. Brig._
10th April, 1918
INTO THE JAWS OF DEATH