cess of attrition our little
body of men was growing smaller day by day, when to cap the climax late
that day a stray shell plunged into our little hospital just as the
medical officer, Ralph C. Powers, who had been heroically working with
the dead and dying for days without relief and who refused to quit his
post, was about to perform an operation on one of our mortally wounded
comrades. This shell went through the walls of the building and through
the operating room, passing outside where it exploded and flared back
into the room. Four men were killed outright, including Sgt. Yates K.
Rodgers and Corp. Milton Gottschalk, two of the staunchest and most
heroic men of Company "A." Lieutenant Powers was mortally wounded and
later died in the hospital at Shenkursk, where he and many of his brave
comrades now lie buried in the shadow of a great cathedral.

This was the beginning of the end for us in this position. The enemy was
slowly but surely closing in on Shenkursk as evidenced by the following
notation, made by one of our intelligence officers in Shenkursk, set
forth verbatim:

"January 22, Canadian artillery and platoon of infantry left of
Nikolofskia at 6:30 a.m., spent the day there establishing helio
communication between church towers, here and there. All quiet there.
At 10:00 a. m. one of the mounted Cossack troopers came madly
galloping from Sergisfskia saying that the Bolos were approaching from
there and that he had been fired upon. He was terrified to death; other
arrivals verify this report. The defenses are not all manned and a
patrol sent in that direction. They are sure out there in force right
enough. The clans are rapidly gathering for the big drive for the
prize, Shenkursk. Later--Orders from British Headquarters for troops
at Ust Padenga to withdraw tonight. 10:00 p. m.--There is a red glare
in the sky in the direction of Ust Padenga and the flames of burning
buildings are plain to be seen. There is ---- a popping down there and
the roar of artillery is clearly heard."

That night, January 22nd, we withdrew from this shell-torn and flaming
village, leaving behind one of our guns which the exhausted horses could
not move. We did not abandon this position a moment too soon, for just
as we had finished preparations for withdrawal an incendiary shell
struck one of the main buildings of the village, and instantly the
surrounding country was as bright as day. All that night, ti