THE AUSTRALIANS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1917, Page 2

THE AUSTRALIANS.

Contemptible Hun Act The following message was cabled by Mr C. E. W. Bean, official correa - pondent, on May 10 The night before last there was heavy artillery fire on the Hindenburg line and at Bullsoourt, mostly dne to apprehension by, the Germans that we were attacking. Shortly after the fire ceased, groaning could ba heard from a wounded German near the Australian liues from the direction of a small sniping post. A Victorian sergeant Bad a couple of men went out to bring m tbs German. Suddenly another German started up, and began running towards the Garina o line. The Victorian sergeant had no weapon, but he ran round aad cut off the German. The German stood with his rifle on gnard, and his fieger on the trigger. The Australian pat out his hands to take the rifle, and the German handed it to him. He was then taken prisoner, with three others.

The Gsrman troops when andaoions* ly dealt with sometimes do not rise to the ocoasion, but the moral of these we have latterly been fighting is good. Ooe German when asked what he thought of the. Australian troopi said, “They are equal to ns.”

Thß Australian ambulance men have bsen losing as heavily as the infantry. One waggon was always in sight of the Germans. Again and again they pattered shells within a few yards, but we always thought they were shooting the mtn loading it till yesterday afternoon, when they followed the waggoa deliberately back with shell after shell until it was out of sight. Then they continued to follow it with Finally just before it got out of range they killed the driver. It would be idle to hope that some German officer’s conscience will tortnre him for doing the meanest act man was ever guilty of. APPALLING LOSS OF PRUSSIANS

Graveyards for Burly Guardsmen Telegraphing from British Head- ' quarters, the “ Morning Post correspondent said—- “ Bulleccurt is still (be battleground of Prussian Guards and the English infantry. A combat with bonibs has continued since we first got ' a foothold in the rains. We are slowly but surely -clearing out the enemy * pockets.' Oaly two enemy posts remained on Monday morning; Our troops are consolidating the tnred ground, and- the chances of recapture are remote. “ It has been slow and weary work, and all the grim horrors of war were encompassed within the broken walls. Oar men toiled and fought through Sunday’s oppressive hear, and continued throughout the night, with not a breath of fresh air, and not a moment’s peace’ in this unwholesome dustheap, with unßeen dangers, and" little of the glory of battle. It was merely a dogged tussle for portion of a stable and a few feet of trench. “ The bud and the enemy’s shells beat down unceasingly on the rubbleheap which was once Balleeourt, . There was neither shade nor refuge, save the collars. The British bombers pushed forward in the taDgle and debris of the village streets, stepping over the bodies of their foes. “ Many Prussian Guardsmen havs fallen at Balleeourt. They were fine well knit men, and good courageous fighters, as the British and Australians willingly testify. Their stubborn resistance makes our triumph greater. Yet the stubborn, Prussians admits that they had no liking for such fight*" ing. The prisoners say that they were merely flung in to furnish a few days grace to to the trench-diggers in the rear. “Prussian Guardsmen carpet the earth around Bullecourt’s upper fringe, and their bodies choke the ditches linking up the village with the Hindenburg lines. The successive piles of dead trace each phase of the fruitless counter-attacks. Mutilated bodies lie thick where our barrage fire first caught the infantry, while waves of more dead lie within range of the machine-guns, and the fiual remnants of the counter attacks lie iu email groups in the village ruins, slain by our bombers. In addition to the massed attacks, there ware many bombing sallies from the Hindenburg trenches west and north of the village. ( “ Ths Australians on the eastern Bide kept the enemy quiet, but where the enemy worried oar men night and day with great persistence, venturing wherever there was an opportunity for their bombers. Thirst was almost unendurable in Balleeourt, and the British burden of a close-fitting tunic and fighting kit was hardly supportable. The Australians looked cooler, and said with a certain that they felt cooler. Not long ago the Bame Aczaos shivered in their neat shirt tunics and encountered mnch bad inage from the British. To-day it i« turn of the Australians to banter. They even regard the Gallipoli ‘shorts* as a possibility at Balleeourt. jfc, “ The Australians have very decided ideas as to military dress, ancL| insist oa having their own. But whatJQ ever the garb, the effeot on the Prussian Guards is the same, because the Australians outside Bullaoonrt are killing their opponents'as successfully as the British within.’’