NEW ZEALANDERS IN THE FRAY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 184, 24 April 1918, Page 5

NEW ZEALANDERS IN THE FRAY

HOLDING THE GAP AT RiETEREN SUDDEN CALL TO THE FIRINGLINE (Special Dispatch from tho New 'Zealand Official War Correspondent, Captain llalcohn Ross). • April 21. AVliilo some of tlio New Zealanders have been engaged in assisting to stem' tho German onslaught on Amiens, others of their comrades, including the entrenching battalion, cyclists; and some of the) artillery, have been hotly engaged in the northern battle. AH these, though some of then; wero not. greatly experienced in aclivo warfare—for, tliey included reinforcements and even cooks— liavo worthily upheld tho traditions of tho New Zealand Force. For some time now there has been .a camp in France through which our reinforcements filter. Its commandant fought on Gallipoli, and though ho limps about with a rather. badly shattered !eg ho is one of our keenest soldiers. Therefore when the call came to bring up reinforcements ho was in his element, his only regret being that ho would not be allowed to take a command .in tho field. Tho en:iuy was trying to open out the gap at Meteren, north of Bailleul, pud the Now Zealanders had to bo ready in six hours. They were brought up in buses. At first they wero employed digging at. posts and strong points, which they did under ma-chine-gun fire, but there was not much, sholling. Later, when the enemy, taking all risks, attempted to push forward quickly, our inch combined with the English troops and helped to stop the rush near Meteren just as the situation was becoming dangerous. Two days later, just as they were on tho point of making an attack, they found that their flank was , dangerously threatened, and they had to fall back on ti lino previously selected. Ono small body were cut off by the cnoiny, and probably aro all prisoners. All this time there was still fighting. Another Call on New Zealand.

On April U tho situation had become obscuro and difficult, and another call reached the camp that more men wero needed. Among tho men left were some of tho artillery reinforcements. The situotion was explained to these, and they cheerfully and unanimously volunteered to fight as infantrymen. Within threequarters of an- hour they were equipped as such, paraded, and given brief .instructions in musketry, bayonet fighting, and outpost work. Somo few 'of the ■ artillerymen who could not bo spared from tho horso lines petitioned to join their comrades, and owing to the action of others (including unfit men) volunteering to work double time and look after horses, ' those artillerymen . had their wish gratified. Within twontyfour hours they were on their way to tho Meterea front. Arrived there, they found that the situation had eo unproved that their services were not rcr quired except for traffic control and such work Their disappointment was keen. Dining a hurried visit to the northern battlofront I saw the English commander under whom these New Zealanderg. had fought, and found him enthusiastic ' about all they had done. "For several days" he said, "they fought magnincently, awl they also dug fine trenches. They killed an enormous number ot a°he cyclists and somo of the mounted men also fought in this battle and tod plenty of shooting as tho enemy came on through the opea farmlands. Fine Work of tho Gunners. Meanwhile, a little farther afield, the Now Zealand artillery was distinguishing itself under extraordinary circumstances in the same battle. Having received word of an impending attack they barwed the enemy's front before his advance commenced, Later in fte day they suddenly found themselves without any of bheir own' infantry in front of them and saw the German waves advancing upon them. One battery fired its guns over open eights upon tho enemy till tho latter got within five hundred yards, and. until it was almost surrounded. Whilo somo of tho guns were firing right ahead, others were slewed round until they were actually firing in rear of tho battery s flank. Some of tho German machinegunners wero seen to advance arid occupy a house. The New Zealand, gunners promptly trained their guns on that house and blew it to bits. Then they dismantled thoir own guns of all the removable parts so that they could not be. used by tho enemy. By all the rules of tho game the personnel of the.battery should now have been taken prisoner or killed or wounded, but these gallant fellows were not to bo eo easily got. J hey had in tho meantime halved some oftho Lewis guns and rifles, and now proceeded to fight their way back as infantrymen, whioh' they did successfully, but not altogether without loss. One would have thought that by this time thev might very well havo been prompt-' ed "to rest on their achievements. Apt «> Before long they wero supplied with new guns and within twelvo hours they wero in action' again with these, fihe other batteries; fought a rearguard action back to the now positions without tho loss of a single mm, and tho whole are still shooting with much Recess in a very warm corner of the battlefield.