REMARKABLE FEATS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2664, 8 January 1916, Page 12

REMARKABLE FEATS

BY N.Z. ENGINEER \ HOW THE CENTRE WAS HELq AT ANZAC CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY In the lone record of devotion and achevement which has been made by the New Zealand soldiers in Gallipoli is included the remarkable service of the New Zealand Engineers (says an exchange). Tlie very nature of the func tions entrusted to this branch 'of an army is opposed to spectacular demonstration; if strives to effect its purpose by secret and underground methods, and while avoiding the observation of the enemy, its efforts and their results have been rarely chronicled. The original establishment of tlie Expeditionary Force included only one field troops of engineers. In Egypt a corps of engineers was organiseu upon the model of tho Royal Engineers, from whom three officers were appointed to command *the new unit. A nucleus of men was drawn from the British contingent of 250 New Zealanders, which had been formed of men from the Dominion who were in England or hurried there upon the outbreak of war. When the contingent arrived in Egypt it was informed that it could not serve as infantry, and would be utilised either m the Engineers or the Army Service Corps.

Specialists in Every Branch. Many ,of the newcomers were qualified engineers, and a nucleus for the new corps was formed of 12U of them, among whom were found specialists in almost every branch of mining engineering. Major G. R. Pridham, R.E., was appointed to tho command, and (associated with him were. Major Ferguson and Captain-A. G. M'Neill, also of the Royal Engineers. Four other officers were appointed from the British contingent. They were Captain Donald Simson, of Auckland and Johannesburg, Lieutenant M. G. Newbould, of Napier, both of' whom have returned to New Zealand, Lieutenant' "Walter* Skelsoy and Lieutenant S. W. Paine, of Auckland, who was afterwards killed in action. . J.he officers of_ the Royal Engineers immediately proceeded to organise the equipment for the force, while Captain Simson extended the personnel to ''50 men. From tho ranks of the New Zealand force were drawn several surveyors, artisans skilled in all kinds of constructive trades, and miners from overy part,of Australasia. There were thus combined a body of professional men. many of whom, had abandoned high-salaried positions in mining enterprises, and another body of men who had earned their livelihood on the lowest rungs of the ladder. The common purpose of loyalty and service served to harmonise these apparently uncongenial elements, in a week a' bond of fraternity spread through the ranks, so that the corps becamc a hapgy family of enthusiasts. Even the cook was a gradnato of Oxford, and a splendid cook he proved.

Training in Egypt. A severe course of training was undertaken in Egypt. Every type of bndge-building was practised on the canal, with route-marcliing to and from the camp, the men were trained in digging, and in demolition work. Lectures upon every branch of engineering science were given, mostly by sped al- - in the ranks of the corps. 0110 or the, objectives was the attainment of a Ingh standard of discipline, and the results proved the fallacy of tho idea that intelligent men will not submit to military discipline. Within seven weeks, tho corps had completed the course of training prescribed for three years. That its instruction had been thorough" is proved by tho fact that much of its work equalled, and some of it surpassed, the times set by the Royal Engineers' records. The corps had the advantage df being formed upon a nucleus of highly-trained men, whose education and experience developed both, initiative and versatility. Tlie engineers landed with tho infantry and remained at Anzao to the last. On the first night, .they succeeded in digging in the guns, and, next day, began the arduous and dangerous duty of opening communications uetween the beaches ajid the firing line. The manner in which roads were cut on the cliff faces and open protected has been often described. Half the corps was stationed on Walker's Ridge, 011 tho left of the position, and the other half in the left centre, where Qninn's Post and Pope's Hill afterwards became historic. It was at Pope's Hill that Lieutenant Paine was killed. He displayed a wonderful resource and ability in the execution of bis duties, and his loss was Beverly felt bj the corps. The Story of Quinn's post. One of the most remarkable achievements of military engineering was conceived and carried out by Lieutenant Skelsey. Upon the slope of a hill, dominating Monash Gully, the centre of tho Australasian position, tho Turks had dug three lines of trenches. At the head of the valley the hill fell away sharply, and 20 yards behind the lip of this cliff was the first trench of the enemy. It was impossible to make a frontal attack upon such a position, but a means of dominating it was found by the engineers.' Lieutenant Skelsey drove saps into the cliff along a front of 100 yards and then piercing the surface, opened a trench to t'lie right and to the left. Tho undertaking proved costly, but it achieved its purpose, for tho trench was opened within nine yards of the Turks, and then two more lines were entrenched behind it. The positions 011 both flanks were extended to meet it, and in this, way the centre was consolidated and Quinn's Posht was brought into existQuinn's Post was brought into exisfccarricd on underground, and the object in -underground warfare' s to drive the enemy back under his own trenches and blow him into the air. So splendidly did tho New. Zealanders labour that a score of times they blew up the Turks. Although they were relatively on the defensive,' tho New Zealanders maintained the aggressive from the first, and having once secured the advantage, they became doubly aggressive. According to all accounts, tho work of the miners in this hazardous position was deserving of the highest praise.

Destroying a Blockhouse. It was at Quinn's Post that LanceCorporal Fear and Private Hodges gained tho D.O.M. The interval of nine yards between the front" trenches was swept bj- seven rows of trenches, and across this Fear and Hodges crawled one night to demolish a blockhouse. It was a structure of heavy railway sleepers, reinforced with sandbags. They removed 0110 row of sandbags, set a charge of gun-cotton, arranged tho detonating apparatus and fnise, and crawled baA. Tltey wore 35' minutes in the open, under heavy fire, and though their clothes were pierced by, bullets, neitlior was injured. Such conspicuous gallantry, as it was described by General Godley, would probably have been rewarded with the Victoria Cross had it been performed in Flanders. Another notable feat- by the engineers was carried out at Suvla'Bay. Led by Captain Waite, a party of engineers and, infantry crawled to a redoubt, surprised the guard, and blew up a gun emplacement. The construction of "Gibraltar" was also a remarkable example of, engineering. It comprised throo tiers of gun emplacements, built under heavy fire by long and arduous labour. The value of the servico rendered by the engineers was 011 several ocensioun the subject of special cnmmemlatiou by tho general connoandiua the Juacsa,