LIGHT HORSE IN FRANCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 July 1918, Page 3

LIGHT HORSE IN FRANCE.

(Official Commonwealth Correspondent.) LONDON, June 19. With the, majority of the Australian 3louuted troops in Palestine people are apt to forget the presence of the Australian Light Horse in France, who are frequently operating apart from the ;AiistiifaWnn infantry divisions. (Some of these Light Horse and New Zealanu Mounted Itifles and Now Zealand cyclists are playing a considerable part as infantry. During the heavy fighting last month near Kcmmel and Dickenhusch they ca'rned praise from both British and French comrades for their gallant conduct—first through the heavy preliminary shelling at Kemmel Hill, whero French cavalry later relieved them, and afterwards in the front line near Vormozeel, alongside the South Africans and other gallant infantry of the 19th Division. Many British

Tbmmios, who lost all their officers, attached themselves to the Australians. Many little groups of colonial and British fought during those days at the end iof April, under the severest strain, of overwhelming numbers of the German army till support arrived.. Australians teFi how the gunners of one English battery, beaten from their guns, re- , Sired, organised tlieir own connter-at-'fcack with rifles, and recaptured the guns. They brought up horses, and took out the whole battery. French cavalry, relieving British remnants on Mount Kemmel, rode their horses to the very foot of the hill, in the most daring fashion, says an Australian ini fantry officer attached to the Light i Horse. When the enemy finally took | the hill, Kemmel was no longer tenable ' or any protection to oiir position .behind. The enthusiasm of the French cavalrymen on finding Australian and iXew Zealand Light Ilorse beside them jwas unbounded. The Light Horse a few days later went iip to the front line at Vormozecle. It was n most threatening position. The •enemy wero massing for a further attack there. It was a dangerous position for the British lino. The Nineteenth Division on the loft, which fought heroically in the St. Quentin battle, had found itself again involved sit Mossines, and still resolutely held tho line with much diminished battalions. They were uufeignedly glad to see the little body of Australian troopers riding up, which they did in mounted column, although the whole district, is bare of any shelter for troops, and the enemy bombardment had transferred it into an absolute desert. The Australians dug in at the site of a famous camp, well-known to tlieir countrymen, with Scots on their left. They received on the afternoon of April 26th a heavy attack by massed German infantry in full marching order. This thin line, assisted bv artillery, completely smashed the Huns’ offorts, ■which continued unceasingly for 00 minutes. They called off after suffering the bloodiest losses. Two days later the Germans again attempted to break through this vit.pl spot- of tho line opposite the Light Horse. They attacked with a fresh division in a slight mist. The Germans, not knowing the country, gradually assembled in little groups closer to our line, which did not fire till every available machine-gun, Lewis-gun and rifle were mounted on the parapet, including captured German guns. Then, when the enemy were coming on slowly, evidently ignorant of their whereabouts and exact position, and arrived at close ranee, the whole line opened up a blaze r.f fire. The shock to the Germans was so terribly deadly that they could not be said £o have attacked at all