THE AUSTRALIANS AT ZEEBRUGGE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 196, 8 May 1918, Page 5

THE AUSTRALIANS AT ZEEBRUGGE

L A MID FIGHT SIDELIGHTS ON THE GREAT RAID Stories of Australians from Zeebrugge show an adventurous arst equal to that of tho old British seudogs (writes the Sydney "Sun's" London correspondent). Details confirm the almost unimaginable risks and the calculated rush and fury of the onslaught. Tho five Australian seamen anions the Vimlictivo's landing party included Staples, of Adelaide, who was among tho first ashove,, .:nd led a party of bombers, who attacked the ma-chine-gunners. Hβ said:— "They wero as thick as thieves, but wo found cover and gave (hem hell until tho retreat fiouuded. Somo of the boys had rifles, and bayoneted tho Germans who wore trying to cut oil tho demolition party whioh blew up the sheds. Wo specially trained- with tiho bluejackots for six weeks." Kudd, a youthful Sydney man, said that tho mole defences wero terribly strong. The Germans had long trenches fall of machine-guns protected by masses of barbed wire. "It was a wild fight, tho screaming and bursting shells were fearful. Every man who roturned to the Vindictive carried a wounded comrade. Aβ the titlo had receded wo ) ad to elido down to the deck like sacks of flour. How. tho Vindictive survived beats me. The funnels wero holsd iike popperpots, with dead and dying everywhere." Stoker Burko. a West Australian aboard tho blockship Thetis, said.— "The. ship was riddled while steering to tho canal, but it got there. A man. could walk out of the shell-holes. Tho harbour was lighted up with ixtraordinary brilliancy. I saw tho captain of the Vindictive pulling alongside as if ho owned tho place. No decoration is good enough for him. After tho lodgment of the Thetis wo escaped in a Jittlo. scooter, i with the shells following us for two miles. Wβ reached Dovdr in eight hours. We found the Thetis's skipper unconscious alongside the wheel, and Tescued him. Take it from me, as a. dinkum Australian, nothing is wrong with the British naval officers."

Tho question of all is. "Shall wo get an Australian trip out of this?" Bush, a Manchester spnnian from the Iphigouia, stated that tho utmost cournge and skill to shown by Lieutenant Billyard Leake, who is 22 years of age, and vras born in Tasmauia. Ho is tho son of tho owner of llarofield,Hospital. Ho fotight gnmely as a midshipman at ltabaul, and was gunnery lieutenant on '(.ho Warspite at Jutland. His younger, brother lias the Military Cross for valour in France.