NEW ZEALANDERS' FINE WORK.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 August 1917, Page 4

NEW ZEALANDERS' FINE WORK.

GENERAL godlews letter

THE TUNNELLERS PRAISED

, Wellington, Aug 23. Tfie following is an extract from k letter from General received by Sir James Allen and was read in the House this afternoon : “The Tunnelling Company did very well iii the Arras battle and gained great kudos. .Of the other New Zealand units beside this division of ouU army, the Field Artillery Brigade was also under my command and did very well, and I am glad to say the new Fourth Brigade also arrived jiiSt in time for the battle. It was most useful in supplying carrying parties and doing rough work, etc., during the first few days and I then put it into' a defensive unit of the line from which it has since advanced a little and taken some German trenches. A patrol from'it did very good work last night in crossing a pontoon bridge over the river Lys and penetrating into the village and bringing back" some prisoners. Altogether the brigade has excellently Undergone ifs baptism' hf fire. I am' so'rry to say that Colonel Fletcher commanding the Third Battalion of the Wellington Regiment is badly wounded, but I hope he may be all right. Colonel Allen is, I am glad to say, almost convalescent? I .also managed to get a New Zealand Stationary Hospital up hear here before the battle, so that it looked after many of diir wounded from the division, etc. A squadron of the Otago Mounted Rifles of my corps cavalry also did well and was responsible for a statement in a German communique that the British cavalry had crossed a ridge and had charged and had been repulsed with great slaughter, few of them getting back. This was quite true as it was only a few patrols of the Otago' Mounted Rifles which caused such a communique. They galloped up to a sniper’s post and helped towards capturing a couple of grin's arid brought back serine Useful iriforriiatidri. Altogether I atri glad to say there were a good riiany meii of New Zealand units besides the division engaged in the battle and I am able to give you a good account of them all. Since I last wrote to you, we have had a good deal more fighting, and I have advanced the front of my corps an average distance and about four miles in all. Much of this was done well by the division. I will write again ail'd teil yoii more when things are more settled down.”