THE AUSTRALIANS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 May 1917, Page 3

THE AUSTRALIANS.

Their Work in France. i0 The following messages from M; S C. E. W. Bean, official corresponded with the Commonwealth forces, ap 3 pear in Australian newspapers : —- ® April 30. During the German attaok oi April 15 there occurred an inoidem j which will live as long as Australian history lasts. I have now seen the officer who actually saw the whole 1 thing happen. A small post of Western Australians had been cut off early in the attack, but managed to get a messenger through stating that they were bowling over the enemy like ninepins, but needed ammunition. By the time the message arrived it was impossible to get ammunition through the surrounding Germans. The post was visible a mile down the valley, still holding out, and the watchers gazed anxiously as more and more ! Germans debouched opposite it. All well knew the end must shortly come. After an hour and a half the rifle fire from the post suddenly seemed to cease, and then a line of men sprang to their feet and charged down hill into a mass of Germans. Bayonets were seen working, then the mass swarmed round our men, who were lost to sight. Tho bodies of four or five of them, including an officer, have since been found. To-day and yesterday voting for the Commonwealth elections took place at about 600 centres of Australian soldiers in France. The poll was taken under conditions almost exactly reminding one of polling days in Australia. The wintry weather was broken finally three days ago, since when a most glorious spring has suddenly arrived, covering even patches of the Somme battlefield at once with a sprinkling of green grass, But most of the shattered trees will never sprout again. April 25. Greetings to the Australian troops were sent on this Anzac Day to the New Zealanders and the 29th Division. Many Australian units marked the day by holding athletic and military sports meetings. The spectacle of five teams of eaormons Victorians in a tug-of-war on a corner of the Somme battlefield, where the old shell holes had been filled in, and with a whole brigade seated around, as in an amphitheatre, was worth travelling leagues to see. Another brigade had a “ Hindenburg race,” confined to men who have lately reached here, who had been on the Somme and who had occupied the Hindenburg line. The men started from a trench in full kit, and had to - struggle through wire obstacles- half the way. By a strange coincidence this was won by a Western Australian, who is reputed to have been the first man to reach the Hindenburg line in the,fight. April 26. General Birdwood yesterday received messages from the 291 h Division and the New Zealanders to the Australians: “On this anniversary of the great landing.” Warm messages were received from General Sir Alexander Godley, of the Second Anzac Corps, to its parent corps. “We are proud of our great success in recent operations,” he said. General Birdwood sent a message of remembrance from the Australians in the field to the Australians in the hospitals. Warm greetings were received from the captains of the Bacchante and other ships. One which went straight to the\heart of those Australians who read' it was from General Sir lan Hamilton : “ Please tell my old comrades in the First Anzac Corps that their message has touched me very much. In return I send them and their gallant comrades my love and gratitude.”

AUSTRALIANS AT LAGNICOURT. WOUNDED OFFICER’S STORY. Australian officers who were wounded in the fighting at Lagnicourt (south-west of Cambrai) on April 15, are unanimous that the punishment of. the Germans on that occasion was the most severe which, the enemy has yet suffered from the Australians. One officer who commanded an outpost of the line forming the apex of the British salient gives a vivid description of the en-

gagement. “It was obvious,” he said, “ that the object of the Prussian Guards was to break up our impending attack, which was no seoret, owing to our ..preparations. For three clays and nights our artillery had hammered the foe and had made wide breaches in three rows of wire entanglements—each row 30ft across—protecting the ‘ Hindenburg ’ line. It is impossible to exaggerate the effect of this tremendous bombardment, which was so incessant that it gave the Huns no time, to effect re-, pairs to their defences. “ The enemy crept out at night and approached us on both flanks of our salient. They sent up star shells over our left flank, and a ding-dong battle began on both flanks and, later, in the centre. It raged for nearly three hours. The Australians retired in good' order on their main body. My company was ordered to hang on as long as possible, and it suffered heavily. After he had been taken prisoner a dastardly Boche flung a couple of bombs in our midst. X was flung sky high, and others were wounded.

“ In the meantime there was lively activity in our rear. Our reserves had daringly brought out eighteenpounders into the open, placed heavy guns, machine-guns and Lewis guns in position, filled the lines with rifles, and called up every available man, including the cooks, drivers, signallers, and headquarters’ orderlies. Thus we prepared to meet the .-Genman onslaught with a terrible wall of fire, when the unsuspecting enemy was at point-blank range. We put up a heavy barrage in his rear, hemming him in like a rat in a trap, Then every weapon spoke simultaneously with a horrible roar, and the slaughter began.

“ The Boches sent up one wild yell, then turned and fled helter-skelter. The vast masses afforded a target which we could not miss. The Australians followed up closely, and reoccupied their old positions. When the Prussian Guards Bprinted across the open, hundreds fell. A large proportion of those who reached the entanglements were unable to find gaps, and were cut to pieces howling.

“ The battlefield afterwards was a terrible sight. German corpses were everywhere, especially along the valley at Queant and Noreuil. Our 400 prisoners were of all ranks. “We considered"that this ignominious defeat of the Guards was a splendid revenge for onr reverse at Bulleconrt (near Lagnicourt), on Easter Monday.”