WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS ON THE SOMME

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2892, 3 October 1916, Page 7

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS ON THE SOMME

OTAGO MEN IN HOT CORNER. (Official from the Now Zealand Official War Correspondent, Capt. Malcolm Ross.) September 29. Sinco my last cable message the veterans ha.vo pushed their offensive farther forward, capturing a section of two trenches that wero barring progress to the left of Gueudecourt. Starting from the factory corner, a strong point that they had previously taken, the Otago, Canterbury, and Auckland men advanced. behind a barrage. The Canterburys and some of tho Aucklanders en-tered-the trenches without great difficulty, but the other Auckland ,men, with some of tho Otagos, were stopped by enemy wire,' and came under ma-chine-gun fire. This section received reinforcements from the Wellingtons, but after stubborn fighting night fell with tho onemy still holding an angle in the position that had been captured to the right and left. On tho following day tho Rifle Brigade reinforced Auckland and Cantcrbuiy, and, after, further fightiftg, the position was made secure. Thero was some confused but gallant fighting on front of the enemy wire, lii tho first day of the nffensivo the Rifle Brigade captured 422 prisoners in Flers and the vicinity. The battlefield still bears many signs of -the fury of our attack. Iu a switch trench the German dead in places wore lying shoulder to shoulder. Whon I visited tho battlefield yesterday tho Germans vere shelling Flers and Gueudecourt and 3crtain areas of country we bad captured. It was a cheering sight to see tho cavalry patrols advancing beyond Piers upon Gueudecourt. - During all this fighting tho stretcherbearers and runners in tile fire zone did heroic work, several of the latter, ihough wounded, getting their messages to the company commanders, and then Iropping from oxhaustion.