HIGH PRAISE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2651, 23 December 1915, Page 6

HIGH PRAISE

FOR NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS LETTER FROM CENERAL BIRDWOOD. His Excellenoy • the Governor deßires to publish i'he following extracts from a private letter to himself from Sir Wuliam Birdwood, dated Ootober 29, 1915, which the Governor thinks may, be of interest to the people of New, Zealand. Sir William Birdwood says:— Ido not think I am in any way exaggerate ing when I say tfaat I imagine this Army Corps contains some of the finest men who are now serving the Empire. ... It would be impossible to beat the men 6ent out from New Zealand and Australia, who have so willingly and splendidly responded to every call which nas ever been made on them from the moment they effected _ their magnificent landing on this Peninsula in April. , . .. . "I am glad to say that we nave been ahle to obtain a much-needed rest for most of those who originally landed with us, though it has not yerfe been possible to get them all away. lam glad to say, however, that both the New Zealand Infantry Brigade and the Mounted Rifles have had their turn, and have been in a rest camp at Mudros for the last month, wheffe I hear • they, have much benefited from the change and rest. They have been joined, too, since their arrival there, by reinforcements, and I am sure that the ears of the people of New Zealand would tingle with pleasure had they heard an account of these men which was given me hy an independent officer, who came up with them from Egypt. He told me that he thought they were some of the finest men he had ever come across (I may mention that he had been with us since we landed), and not only that, but he was immensely "struck by their excellent behaviour and bearing on board ship. This all augurs wonderfully well 'for the future, and New Zealand, may indeed be proud of what she has been able to do in the way of sending men, and what she is still doing in the procuring and training of further reinforcements." ,