The First Attack 

As told by Paul Burns 

The attack began late in the afternoon and continued into the 
night of February 23. 
Over a field dotted by occasional olive trees with only the scant 
shelter of vineyard growth between, we made our advance. 
Given a withered grape vine, a mound of earth, or the more pre- 
tentious shelter of an olive tree and the boys drug in and opened fire 
on the Fascist lines. 
In one of those interludes beneath an olive tree I looked around— 
on my left was Charlie Donnelly. Beyond him the Cuban Section stretch- 
ed between the road on the extreme left and the Irish Section. To the 
right of the Irish Section the American Section dug in and fired. 
A few yards away in a little hollow of earth was Captain John 
Scott and with him Frank Flaherty, one of the three Flaherty broth- 
ers of Boston, who distinguished themselves by their heroic service 
and leadership under fire. 
Donnelly joined me under the olive tree. We fired until our rifles 
burned our hands, with scarcely a word beyond the “Hi Charlie, how’s 
it goin’?” and the reply, “Pretty good, how’s the rest of the boys?” 
The infantry continued the advance. Explosive bullets split the 
air and the machine-gun bursts raked the field. From behind a row of 
trees the Fascists increased their fire. 
Captain Scott rising had only time to shout, “Continue the ad- 
vance”, when he fell with three bullets in his body. 
MacDonald and Wheeler, company runners, had both been wound- 
ed. Eddie Flaherty, the other runner crossed the field to call Bill Henry, 
leader of the Irish Section. Bill took over command... 

*

After being ordered back that night, we were told we had advanced 
too far!

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