THEIR GREATEST TRIAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2885, 25 September 1916, Page 7

THEIR GREATEST TRIAL

IT WAS MOVING DAY FOR . THEM , THINGsIi'MSVE Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. (Rec. September: 24,' 5.5 p.m.) '.'. London, September 23-• Wounded New Zealandors have arrived from the So'mmo front, whither they had been transferred from the Armentieres sector a month ago. All 6tories confirm their splendid courage on the morning of September 16,-in the face of the greatest trial they have yet experienced. ; The father of a young family, gravely wounded, said: "When our boys went over it was a magnificent sight, • The first wave consisted of the Otagoites and Aucklanders, and they stepped cut fearlessly,. despite the hurricane bombardment and incessant whizzing of machine-gun bullets, An onlooker 'might-have thought by their carelessness of. danger that they were only Bham-fighting. Those whoso sons and brothers were killed here can well be proud. It was a glorious death, Heavily loaded and unable to .run, carrying ; shovels and equipment, unlike raiders, who go to return, it was moving day .for these man," and things did move. They found a new place' to sleep that night: Although thoro were many, gaps the result of those first two hours of open walk in extended order Man's Land, dodging shell holes. , The German, dead ; were, lying everywhere, the result of the enemy's earlier fruitlass' attacks. ' There were English regiments co-operating on'our rkht, and several "tanks" . were allotted 7 to our front. - We wore vastly impressed with these new engines,, and were dolighted to notice the German ,funk whon they realised their deadly ' powers. When they first sallied out, fourteen Gorman • bombers rushed out, thinking them ordinary armoured cars, hoping to stop them hefore they' reached tho trench. •'They threw 'scores of bombs which explode harmlessly.' The 'tanks"' ma-ehine-guns wiped out the whole party and the Germans quickly learned to respect the monsters; which,/wben they develop greater speed, will be even, a more terrible menace to the defenders'trenches." : .. "We felt we were right into it this time," said another. "Although we lost several, notably 3 number of -Maoris, during "the ■■ previous three weeks by gas attacks and bombardments, $ was bur first proper actionem the .Somme front, and when we learned the magnitudeof the operations and our important .part*, a Itall-..went all over : ns. .Everyone.was.'.cheerful, although wo knew certainly jnsu»-. would not survive. Our bombardment was beyond . Tho;Germans declare we do not'know what'shell fire is until we liave been in their trenchos. The German bombardment wag severe enough and caught many of our chaps before the. advance The ' assault on the trenches was quiok, rough work. A few moments for rest—no time to watch your comrade's fate. ■ Tho single thought in every mind is to get ahead, the result being the New Zealanders entered Flers before tho Coldstrcams, the Irish, Canadians', Scottish, and other English units. Wo were all mixed n» in the finish. The Otagoitcß and Aucklanders took the first line and waited for the Rifle Brigade, whioh came no and pushed) out, making for tho • second lino with an overwhelming dash. Then all the New Zealand forces combined In a fihal,rnsh. Tho 'Dinkums,' as the Rifle Brigade is called, proved themselves among tho best. _ Soma of our men got beyond tho village and suffered from the machine-guns." A pioneer says: "It was laughable to watch the Germans surrender. They ca.mo into our trenches, running, rolling, Ijinpingj aiid crawling. A HWko's Bay man, with a broken arm, who' was helping to drag a Dunedin comrade, more seriously/ wounded, became in* diimanb on seeing a huge Gorman carried on a stretcher, and determined that his comrade should he relieved of the painful crawl. He saw two Germans soared to death manning into a. shell hole shoiitiug: 'Kamerad.' The Hawke's Bay man shouted _'Stop V They did not comprehend; lie picked iip his rifle and they_ quickly understood. They approached him and dropped on their knees. A burly Huu osirned the Dunodinite a, mile and a half to the rear." The pioneer battalion suffered while digging communication trenohes under a. barrage intended to provont supports approaching. Before the battle, General Birdwood again appeared unescorted in almost every trench, renewing .acquaintance' with GallipoH veterans. The men speak in tho highest terms of General Russell. "They express surprise at seeing a kinoma' pper'atorin tho front tronclics.on Friday morning coolly filming the advance. The'men say: "It will do our people good to see the magnificent steadiness m that great a.ttaok." _ A Kaitangata' boy, badly hit Jh the js.w, speaking behind bandages,' said: "According to Sir Douglas Haig's latest, our chaps are still there holding the line. You bet ,ybur life they'll stickto it as long as needed." The wounded are concentrated at Brockonhurst and Walton. Some convalescents havo boon sent to Hornchnrch and Codford. Somo, owing to pressure,_ sent to'' Isolated hospitals, were quickly. discovered and transferred_ to New Zealand hospitals, all of which are working smoothly. Thero are nooomplaints, The men especially appreciate New Zealand mutton and butter.