GERMAN OFFICER'S RUSE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2570, 18 September 1915, Page 6

GERMAN OFFICER'S RUSE

IMPERSONATED AN AUSTRALIAN. An interesting story, of -how-the Auckland Mounted. Hafles stopped tho career of a. German "'officer who was walking about tho British lines giving false orders was told by Trooper it. B. Stevens, of the Auckland 1 Mounted llifles. An attack was in progress by tho Turks, and the Australasian troops were firing busily when a man in. the uniform ,of an Australian officer ' appeared. He'was a tall, fine-looking man, who spoke English perfectly, and ha was Smoking a cigar. Ho walked along a long lino' of trenches, exposing himself, in a: somewhat recldess way and calling out "Cease fire, boys, ceaso fire. My men are coming up on- tho right." The man's assurance caused the cessation of fire along si portion of the front. ■

Just before this, howevor,' an. order had reached the Auckland lines that orders to cease fire' were not to be obeyed unless, the men were satisfied that they came from a Tollable source. When the officer reaohed the Aucklandors' trehclies, and . ordered 'firing to cease, nono of the men. suspected him oxcept Trooper Snowling, a man whom Trooper Stevens described as a "slow, dreamy, old chap,. very, popular." Trooper Stevens was' only a few feet away from Snowling and he says that the latter was reloading his rifle when the officer appeared. Snowling looked at him intently - and then said: ' 'What. did you say, sir?" ' The officer leaned down- over the trench and repeated his order to cease fire. Like a flash, Snowling sprang up and drove his bayonet at tho man above \hiin. .The weapon completely penetrated the officer's chest and he fell forward, dead into the trendh.i The Aucklanders found in his. pockets a considerable sum in gold arid papers establishing his identity as a Germany officer. He was wearing a completely new Australian uniform. Trooper Stevens also described another stirring incident of that Turkish attack. It occurred a little just when the Turks were massing their troops in readiness for the assault. The position was a- difficult one to hold, the men wore weary and exhausted, the cold of the. early morning was severe, and the men were feeling somewhat anxious atfd "nervy." The Turks had been making a great noise, and crying: "Allah, Allah," in a manner calculated to further unnerve the new Australasian troops.' Suddenly,- away on the right, the Waikato Mounted Infantry started their war cry, "Ko mate! , Ko mate!" The yell, ran along the line like an electric s shock, and in a moment thousands of men were shouting the famous phrase. "It was absolutely thrilling," said the trooper. "I can-, not describe it to you. It was the finest haka I ever heard, and it put new life into the men. They were ready for anything after that. The Turks attacked, but their yells were much more feeble, and presently died away. When they heard us, they knew they were beaten." ' '

When the famous landing took pm'e on April 25 many colonials pushed too far inland, were cut off, and never heard of again. _ Tho saddest.feature of these incidents is that tho heroic manner of their deaths will nevor be described. Trooper Stevens said that when the Auckland Mounted Rifles made one, advance . they found evidenco of isloated and desperato little fights. In one place they found two Auckland soldiers lying_ side by side. Their rifles were still pointing forward over little mounds of earth, hesido them was a box' of ammunition, lialf-empty, and around them was a ring oft shells:, They had fought to tho last, and died bravely together. , In, another place the advancing troops found two dead men, one with his bayonet through the other. One jvas a New Zealander and the other a Turk, and it appeared that' tho New Zealander had bayoneted his enemy, and then succumbed to injuries, or to another Turk's bullet. Tlio colonial, though bo had been dead a long time, was still gripping his riflo.