ANOTHER SPLENDID ADVANCE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 30, 30 October 1918, Page 5

ANOTHER SPLENDID ADVANCE

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS IN FRANCE SCENES IN THE CAPTURED VILLAGES (Special Dispatch from the Official NewZealand War Correspondent.) October 23. The New Zealanders have made another splendid advance in a battle which was recommenced by the British armies this morning. The Canterbury and Otago troops assembled across the Selle River, just south of Solesmes. and after waiting for; a short initial advance by an English division that had Njeen holding the line they went forward at 8.40 a.m., following a destructive barrage that made hundreds of the enemy take to flight. The troops were in fine form, and pressed quickly after til© retreating enemy. Prisoners • soon began to como back. They were ft mixed lot and very dejected. They had been told that Germany bad agreed to all our demands, and thoy wondered why we were still figutiug. Passing on, the New Zealanders crossed a small stream, and, still meeting with slight opposition, reached their first objective shortly after noon, forward and to the right of the village of Vertain. Ahead lay an obstacle in the shape of ft stream 01 considerable size named St. Georges. Here the bridges wero blown Tip, but the troops, making light of difficulties, reached the other side with but few casualties, and after an hour's pauso proceeded to exploit their Buccess towards another stream—the River Ecallon,- with steep banks and a considerable flow ot water. Ahead lay Beaudignies, and beyond that Quesnoy, with iti old wall fortifications. In all we have advanced today 6000 yards, and the battalions that took the first objectivo are still strong enough to go on again to-morrow, it has been a fine day's work. Other divisions which were engaged in the battle have also done well, and there has been a big haul of prisoners.

Devilish Brutalities Revealed, The weather, which has been dull and wet, cleared last evening. IhuJ morning the battlefield was veiled in mist, but later the sun shone out ana everyone was in high feather with our success. Continuous streams of tramc, unhindered by the enemy's shelling or aeroplanes, poiu*«l' along the roads, antl regimental bawds, stationed at intervals, played striking tunes as tho troops marched to victory. Our New Zealand artillery did excellently. They were in a position to the south-enst of Solcsmcs, and, having fired from there till six a.m., they limbered up and dashed lorward to shoot for an advance on the next objective. For this shoot tho battlers had already three hundred and fifty rounds of' ammunition already dumped.' In Solesmes one found .ample evidence of tho devilish destruotivcness of the Hun. Houses had been looted, and much which could not bo oairied away had been smashed. A largo liumber of civilian? who' were left behind are gathered in groups to-day, and tliey are somewhat dazed with the sudden change. They have watched for hours our troops and traffic streaming past, and some of them recognised among the returning prisoners Gorman omcers an(l men vlio, but a little while before, had. treated them brutally. Some of the civilians, could only with difficulty bo restrained from using violenco upon one man who, only a few days back, hail kicked a. little girl in the street because she did not get out of his way. But the saddest incident of all was that of a gendarme, returning to his own town. He had had no news for four years of his wife, who lived here, but to-day he learnt that before tho German departure her two children had been locked in a, .room while she was gagged and outraged by German soldiers, and as a result of her ill-treatment she wp already dead. "When I expressed doubts to somo civilians who told mo this story they took mo to the doctor who had attended the woman, and he confirmed the statement in its entirety. He, did his best to save her life, but. failed... Fines wore imposed on civilians for trivial and even imaginary offences. The tre.rtment o British prisoners were brutal, and tliey were Hind© to work at trench digging and wiring under shell fire.

A Heavy Blow. October 23 (midnight). The enemy has had ft heavy blow today. The Otngo and Canterbury troops, continuing their dashing ndvance this evening, secured the bridgeheads of the Ecallon River intact, and they nave detachments across the river, and are advancing on to the high ground to the eastward. October 2*., Further details of yesterday's fighting add to the admiration of the splenaid feat of the South Islanders, who advanced so far, and eventually, uwiM cover of darkness, stormed tho EcaUon bridgeheads. In addition to the art!lion, the Canterbury and Auckland machinegun companies greatly helped the infantry in their advance. In front of the Vertigneu village, which wo captured early in the day, our machine-gunneia drove their limbers right up into action, and in very-quick time had their guns off the limbers and were firing a'barrage in front of tho advancing infantry. ThOJ were absolutely racing, and. their performance was particularly brilliant. Later they, made a further advance to proteot our right flank, whioh was in tho air; our infantry, at one time, holdinir two thousand yards beyond their bnundaiY. A famous divisioiv on our left kept well ahead of the &ew Zealandcrs, the Gordons especially distinguishing themselves. The Canterbury and Otago men, movinc forward to the high ground ahead, still met with opposition from the German machine-gunners on the Tight, but one company was swung round to keep tho enemy dovvn while another, on the left, kept advancing till it reached the outskirts of Beaudignes, on the banks of the Ecallon River ahead. Sere they were held up bv machine-gun fire. Later on we secured the two, bridgeheads, the enemj having been driven off.

A Brave Man's Death,

Then the enemy came back again, 'and here a very brave New Zealand soldier was killed. In the gathering darkness he saw some men, and not being quite sure about them he called upon them to surrender. A German, drawing a revolver, fired and shot him dead, lne enemy were, however, soon driven oil, and tho Otago and Canterbury men went on and held the high ground ; beyond the river. More machine-gun opposition was met in the darkness from the top of the slope, but this morning our men went for the enemy again, and after lntlictinsr casualties, drove him off once more. Throughout tho day prisoners were captured at intervals, but not in large numbers, as there were none in our line of advance. Last evening the groom of an Otago battalion commander handed 'over one small batch he had rounded up, and this morning a batch of over eighty, including three officers who were hardly pressed, hoisted a white flag and came fu witl! full packs up. , Last night the Otago men captured battalion commanders. Besides machine-guns, our captures for tho day included one battery of 5.9 nuns, one of 4.2 guns, and one 9-inch aun 'V German intelligence report was captured giving the positions of the I divisions in our line.. It specifies the New Zealanders as a tired and worn-out division.