OUT OF GERMANY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 164, 5 April 1919, Page 7

OUT OF GERMANY

LAST OF N$V ZEALAND DIVISION WORK OF DEMOBILISATION (Special from the New Zealand Official War Correspondent.) France, March 25. _ To-day the last draft of our men iu Germain' marched back across the Rhine. The last routine order was signed by Colonel Avery, and tho New Zealand Division censed to exist. Formed at the beginning'of 1016 from the remains of the brigades that earned undying fame on Gailipuli, aud the newly-form-ed Rifle Brigade, it crossed the sea to France, where it quickly began to c-ari! famo on the battlefields of the AVestcrn front. Tho Somme, Messines, Passchendaele. Bapamue, and Lo Qucsnoy are milestones along its victorious pathway.' 'Through all. its fighting career it has been commanded by the one general, whose high ideals it has always endeavoured to achieve.

In all its stirring history the division lias never been in retreat. Onco only has it failed to take an objective, and even in that failure, which was an attempt nt tlie impossible, it added to its record yet another splendid page of heroism and determination. The small number of prisoners it has lost, as well as the battles it has helped .to win, may be taken as some Wasure of its bravery, while tho almost complete absence Of serious offences is an indication of the excellence of its conduct in the field.

Even in Germany, where remembrancos of the methods adopted by the enemy in warfare might have. given . causo for' breaking the bonds of ordinary discipline, it has conducted itself in a manner worthy of its best traditions. On the eve of its disbandment, the head of one of the great industrial concerns in Germany, in and about which it was billetted has stated that no fault could he found with the conduct of tho New Zealand officers and men.

Demobilisation commenced with the draft that was dispatched from Cologne on January 14, although odd drafts, numbering. 2500, left during the four preceding weeks. Thereafter, with the exception of one week, Slrafts/varyiw? from 700 to 1000 of all ranks were dispatched everv Tuesday. Fifteen officers and GOO other ranks proceeded to the base at Rouen, with the horses, and were demobilised from there. In addition, the di\ision was allowed to retain its leave allotment during demobilisation, and, as it was arranged that these men should not return, another thousand were disposed of by that means. Similarly, the majority of the officers who proceeded on leave after the middle of February wcro retained in England, the number of officers in the division being far in excess of the number required to accompany drafts. Periodically other officors were sent to England on duty, and did not return. The Pioneer Battalion was dispatched conplete, with its transport, from "Verviers to Dunkirk, on Christmas Eve. and therefore did not see Germany. Sixty officers and 900 others were evacuated sick between December 28 and March 25. and did not return. All tho drafts were dispatched from Cologne to Rouen, and the journey averaged from fifty-five to sixty hours.

In order to maintain the division as a. fighting formation throughout demobilisation, reorganisation from timo to lime was necessary, and. in addition, the civil administration of the divisional urea Kiwi to be mantaincd. Four thousand three hundred horses were disposed i/f by return to the base, sale to abattoirs, and evacuated sick. The whole of the vehicles, guns, and ordnanco equipment of the division is being used in connection with the equipment of tho new army of the Rhine. The ordnance and veterinary stores have been handed in. Everything has been carefully checked and receipts obtained. Tho divisional canteens were recently closed down, arid as much plant as possible was sold and credited to canteen funds.

The discipline during demobilisation nas been good, only one serious case hating occurred. This was tho cass of, a machine-gunner concerned in highway robbery. He was killed by a German policeman, and a private was killed by some German roughs. The chief culprit. ■ unfortunately, escaped, but four others concerned were sentenced to two years' imprisonment. The German representative present commented upon tho fairness with which the British Court conducted'.the trial.

Altogether, those .immediately concerned with the demobilisation and the handling of Hie ordnance deserve great credit for the efficiency with which thev did the work. The Y.M.C.A. deserve special credit for the manner in which thev provided comforts for all the drafts.

General- Godley paid a final visit to Hie division to-day. Divisional Headquarters were closed nt noon at Mulhoim.

The final dm ft 10-day comprised 29 officers and. (180 other ranks. Early ;n the afternoon the Inst of the infantry marched across the Colognp bridge, past the. statues of the Ilohenzollerns, still prpudly ridinj their bronze horses, and so on to the station. At i o'clock the long troop train steamed away for Rouen. Soon the great Cathedral spires faded in the distance, and tli n . New '/oa- - landers' part in the Great War and their watch on the Rhine had already become memories of the past.