TRENCH RAIDS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2896, 7 October 1916, Page 11

TRENCH RAIDS

' fr- , NEW ZEALAOT)ERS' EXPLOITS HIGH PRAISE FOR ALL RANKS 'Accounts of a few raids carried out Successfully by New Zealand : troops in Franco have been received by the Defence Minister in a private letter • from an artillery officer of IheR.Z.E.S/ 1 . "From, information I have received, ' Said Mr. Allen yesterday, "it seems that the New Zealanders have been oc- •" cupied fairly 'steadily in these raiding ' attacks, and as far as one can judge they have been very• successful. 'In " tone instance that 1 have before me, : our casualties were slight., but tlie party, though quite a small one, brought back ten prisoners, two or whom trove' wounded, and actually counted'fifteen dead Germans-in the enemy trench, who had been killed in the raid. - This particular action was led by Captain A. B. M'Coll. Ho got back to his own trenches, but returned to help'stretcher-bearers,, wlio had got into difficulties, and bofore he-got back again was severely wounded- by ■ machine-gun fire, and died before got- ■ tina to the dressing-station. , ' 'In another raid our men remained in the enemy trenches for fifteen min- • litos, and up till that time had no casualties. They did suffer a few casualties _in returning, but a very caroiul estimate snowed that twenty-, nino Germans wero killed, and nine •prisoners wero brought in. This raiding party was led by.Captain A. J. Powley.' The Brigadier-General com- ' manding expressed appreciation of tlie excellent work done by all ranks, and • tho cool way in which 'alt details wero : carried through. . • . , "Concerning auother raid, tho -Brigar dier-General said: 'I cannot, close this report without expressing appreciation of the fine soldierly qualities, displayed by non-commissioned officers and meii, and- especially. the leaders of the > four sections. All the rank- aud file showed a fine offensive__spirit.' . "The witer-of- on to' say:— T lt"'is "with the deepest regret, that we ' hear to-day of tho death of Captain . E. B. Alley, r to. whose training, leadership, and fine example this fingade owes the success of this enterprise.' ' ■ "The object of these Taids," Mr. Allen continued, "is to collect information, and a' great deal,of very 'valu- : able informatibn about the enemy defences, the approximate strength .of the garrison, and so on, has been ob- • tained-in this way." . ■