MARCHING TO GERMANY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 100, 22 January 1919, Page 7

MARCHING TO GERMANY

NEW ZEALANDERS' EXPERIENCES

EN ROUTE

BELGIANS' ENTHUSIASTIC

WELCOME

SAD TALES OF THE GERMAN

OCCUPATION

(Special from the Official "War CorreE' pondent.) '• January 16. The march of New Zealanders from the scenes of fhei'r'latest -triumphs' in the war will be memorable to all who bad the good fortune to take part in' it. On the cessation of hostilities the great majority were naturally anxious to return to their own country, but any slight, unwillingness, there may have been at the outset oh the part of some to inarch to Germany quickly vanished as the .interesting experiences and possibilities of the journey gradually unfolded. The trek was from Beauvois by way of Solesmos, Bavay, Maubeuge, Thuin, Oharleroi, Namur, Huy, Liege; Pepinster, Verviers, and Herbesthal to Cologne. The march was made by ea6y stages in dull weather, with e good deal of drizzling rain. The men carried their packs and rifles. In the devastated urea railway transport was unavailable, and in/any case was undesir-' , able, as the delayed mines left by the enemy were still going up. After crossing the Belgian frontier the division entered upon a land of beautiful chateaux, tenanted, only by caretakers. Various headquarters were billeted in.' these . veritable marble halls. 'Even the field cashier had a chateau, while in the village itself .the "Diggers" were treated with great hospitality: i The, . journev- ui> the valleys of tlm Samhr&j and the Mouse proved extremely interesting. In Liberated Belgium, The moment liberated Belgium was entered the division was received with joyful acclamation, and everywhere un-; bounded enthusiasm and hospitality pre-ir •vailed. • Many Belgians, were aware of j the division's fighting prowess and New Zealand's generous response with funds j to alleviate the distress resulting from the German invasion. They showered; favours .upon bur. metr,- . -ana-.unforgeK table scenes of welcome occurred at various halting-places along the route. Officers and men were invited to break-j 'fast, _ dinners, and dances, at whioh l . these kindly people produced their best viands and choice wines that had lain' buried in the earth duriw: four years i of enemy occupation. At Charleroi one* battalion on the morning it left had no one to provide breakfast for, as all hnd sundry were being entertained by; the inhabitants. -Throughout the whole' trek, which occupied three weeks, the'' oorrluct of the men was ell that couW be desired. .... v . Croat Quantities of Material Left by the Cermans. At Huy two thousand Russian prison* ers left'behind by the Germans in theirs hurried retreat were stills being fedin the town. One noteworthy feature of the journey was the great quantity. of material, such as motor lorries ana heavy guns, left behind in the German! retreat. In the Belgian towns and vil-« > lages the Now Zealanders listened to, many sad tales of the German occupa-v tion —tales such as would indnce them!, to fight with' renewed vigour and de*,' I termination shbuld the necessity arise/

A Remarkable Sight,

At Venders, a wool-manufacturing centre, the New Zealanders were wel-' coined by several wool buyers, wKO.had made many trips to Australia and New Zealand. Here the enthusiasm, reached a high pitch. Crowds lined the streets* Men and women stuck miniature Belgian flags into the tunics and rifle barrels of the troops tilj the column was ablaze with, the national colours, and presented a truly remarkable sight marching botween the dense.throng of. cheering townspeople. Old' men and women, overcome" with emotion, shed tears, but they were; no; longer tears of sadness. In strange contrast'to this, ,thrilling scene, the German personnel' near by.were engaged in.handing over rolling stock to British'officers. / Trek Excellently Arranged. ' At Taminal' there 'was an issue of seven thousand pairs of boots to our, men, whose footwear by this time was beginning to show signs of wear. Baths were established at certain'.stopping places, and from morn till eve thousands of men passed through them ac-i cording to pre-arranged time-tables. • Clean underc"othing was .supplied at) ordnance dumps and supply refilling points. Excellent administration marked the trek,, and jthe .whole division became a machine "moving with clocklike regularity ."-w" .-' • •

Division Re-sYitefs Central Plumer's Second Army. On December 14 the division passed! froni the Fourth Corps or. Fourth Army, under which it had fought its last-battles, to the Second Corps, and' came once again into General Plumer's Second Army, in which it had fought in Flanders.* ( , Up to the German frontier the'division had to rely for supplies upon its own motor transport. Extra.personnel was obtained, ~ani the British drivers and New Zealand mechanics did .splendid work..' ' , : At the Cerman Frontier. The German frontier was reached at Herbesthal, and there the division entrained for Ehrenfeld, on the outskirts of Cologne. Artillery; motor "ambulances, and other motor "transport vehicles moved by tho road.' "The enoccupied three days, .there being twenty-One trains, each comprising forty-eight vehicles, drawn by-German engines manned by German enginedrivers and stokers. A train.left every; three hours, the German arrangements being perfect, while the loading of thft horses and vehicles was accomplished) by. the New Zealanders themselves with marvellous celerity. The train journeys occupied about four hours. Billeting parties, accompanied by German interpreters, went in ahead. Crossing the Rhine.

After detraining at Ehrenfeld, our* troops marched through Cologne,' crossed' the Rhine by one Hohenzolleffi bridge, and occupied an area of Gorman; territory east of the river in.the region, of Mulheim and the neighbouring villages. To-morrow the Prince of Wales will come to pay a visit of a few days to the division, during which he will be the guest of General Russell, who at present is commanding the corps as well as the division. ,