CAPTAIN T.E.Y0 SEDDON,S EXPERIENCES

Hokitika Guardian, 28 June 1918, Page 4

CAPTAIN T.E.YO SEDDON,S EXPERIENCES

STEMMING THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE. NOTES FRO’m"A DIARY. Sunday’ March 24.—Saint SylvestreCappell. Church parade; poor singing. All day I was about the billets"seeing they were clean, and fixed up accounts with the farmers. At 4 p.nl. we proceeded along the road to our entraining station. The Y.M.C.A. had tea ready, for the boys —an orange, a biscuit and a cigarette. Our travelling compartment was next to the Colonel’s. The entraining was well done and quickly. " Hun ’planes overhead were hovering, but deposited no eggs, thank goodness. We sang as 'we*travelled! Pratt has a splendid voice but never remembers words. That doesn’t matter. Hind.sings fairishly and the others all help. Finally we slept well. Monday, 25th.— The train journey was very slow, with many stoppages. We saw old at early dawn, and later , and then the familiar valley of the , not being able to go further; got out; stacked our kits, and proceeded to a damp paddock. Here we had a meal. The Colonel sent for me, and I was ordered to billet the battalion in the village. It filled in the afternoon making the arrangements, and endeavouring to make myself understood in my best French. There were hundreds of refugees wending their way from —-. Finally we got word to fall in and be ready to proceed at once by motor lorry. We jambed as many men in as possible and away we went. I was in the second lorry with all the Lewis gunners I could get. We passed

through . It was a sad sight to see the people clearing out. Many of them were in carts, drays, dogcarts, carrying with them any family treasures they could lift along with their bed clothing. We must have motored 30 miles and were quite close to ——. We arrived at a village which was almost deserted.

There we got the men to turnin in the hay lefts, and I vyas told that I would have to share a. narrow bed with Gillies —when he turned up. However, I made love to the old farm wife, who showed me a grand double bed with clean blankets —what a haven. I turned in about n. 45. At 1 a.ui I was awak ened by an alarm that we must get out at once, as the place was beingapproached by the Hun It was a glorious night, and soon the Company was lined up on the road. There really was no immediate danger, but our orders had been

altered and we were to march northwards to fill a gap. We proceeded. Mead and Ponder led via . I had a talk with a cavalrv officer—

the cavalrv took over our billets—and he told me how badly they had been smashed up. It was pleasant marching, but away on our right we could see towns burning, and every place we passed through folk were clearing out. The same story we got from all the Tommies we passed —terribly cut up, swarms of Huns, piles of dead Germans, fierce unexpected onslaughts, etc. Tuesday, 20 —We were tired when we got to a field outside . Here we bivouaeed. I had a good breakfast 01 porridge, and then Sinclair,

Hind, Pratt, Tennant and I went to sleep. Later, I went over to see Gordon Coates. All the infantry were gathered near Dinknms, Auckland. Wellington, and our own Brigade. Malcolm Ross came over to see me. Some photographs were taken of a Whipct (a new tank). I was with the Cookers hurrying on the stew when the General drove by. I got the first hint then about the propaganda work in America, but as things were so critical and lie was so busy I told him not to bother. The Brigade following the Rifle Brigade went out about noon. I was kept with the Colonel in reserve with Major Logan. From Brigade Headquarters I was told to proceed on horseback to ——, to billet the Brigade, the reserves at least, and the transport and : Quartermaster people. I noticed i going along the road that .at the rear of the Hun was i firing a good deal as if he had ; taken that village. 011 arrival at j some Tank officers laughed at jmy mission, saying that any minute, the Hun would be upon us, and they offered me a seat in their I car which they kept ready for any ; emergency. I could not believe j the situation was so serious, so I had a look at the village for billeting purposes. However I thought It wise to report to the Colonel over the phone about the position. Met Lieut Eric Waters who had come to billet iiis battalion. Together we rode at top and met the reserves under Major Logan. I came on ahead and found that the Highlanders had cut off the Hun from teams and the New Zealanders were in front of us. Just outside the village 14 prisoners had given themselves up, so all was safe for the time. I went round the village billeting and ordered the turning on of the taps of beer barrels and the smashing of wine bottles. That night the Colonel did not like the look of things and reported the matter to the Division who took the responsibility for our being there. The officers of the Division , reserve slept on -the floor. Fred Mathews and I stayed at a little 1 farm-house where we were very comfortable. Fred and I slept together and his blankets kept us ' both warm. 1

Wednesday, 27th. —Next morning General Russell drove through the village, and later Colonel Wilson sent word for us to “ get cut.” We did so. A Hun prisoner walked in and gave himself up—a young student from Prussia who was very hungry and tired. We took up positions outside the village, digging ourselves well in. We had no sooner got outside the village than Fritz poured shells into it. Word came that the reserves were wanted, and we met at a rendezvous outside the village and proceeded under Major Logan to . My rations did not turn up, so I was off without anything to eat. We went in artillery formation across the open fields and then up to Battalion Headquarters. There I

got a meal and instructions, and proceeded up the sap' with my Companyt reserves. It was a hot shop, most unhealthy. The sap was fairly safe, but was subjected to a good deal of pounding. When neaiiug my Company section we had to "jump a “stop,” and exposing myself I drew a regular hail ot bullets. However, Fritz was firing low so nothing happened. I remained at the bottom of the trench until each of my party had wormed their way across the dangerous part without exposing themselves, and we arrived safely at our section. Our fellows had an hour before driven off a surprise attack by the Hun. Of 43 who attacked, 40 were killed, including two officers. Gillies had been wounded slightly, so the command devolved on me, and ! took over the Company from Hind who had been in command temporarily. There was a gap between the Companies on my right and leit, and I immediately began to have the' spaces filled—but 011 the right where it was impossible to niau the whole gap, to have it patrolled. I had a good tour of the trenches and had just lett Sinclair when word reached me he had been killed. His death was painless. It was hard to believe lie was gone. We buried him close to where lie fell That night we “ stood to ” all the time. Fritz was a bit uneasy for he sent up flares all the night. The flares on touching the ground set the dry grass ablaze. It had an errie effect. I had two patrols out at different times during the night. (To be continued )