PERCIVAL PHILLIP’S STORY.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 August 1918, Page 3

PERCIVAL PHILLIP’S STORY.

TALES OF THE VICTORY

I [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.] ; (Received This Dav at 950 a.m. - ) LONDON, Aug. 26. ■ Mr Percival Phillips writes: It must I not be forgotten' that our well wor ‘ triumphs afteu mean hard fighting; ! with severe losses at one or two points but tho losses on the whole aro light. Sometimes there was grim close quarters’ work with the bayonet, in deep craters by the moonlight, when handfulls of the enemy 'found themselves | trapped. For example, at Bibucourt i and Sapignies and near Bapaume, these included some of the fittest and most, skilled Germans, but they only fought in desperation. The British tide could not be stayed. German infantry hourly became more confused and more lielplesß. The' enemy’s defences were cleared and broken. He tried repeatedly to re-organise a coherent line of resistance, but was as often shattered into fragmentary rearguard chaos. Behind Bapaume it could scarcely be greater. Perhaps the commanders were partly

blameworthy, hut the men lost heart. Our prisoners are utterly discouraged. The movement everywhere on the Peronne road threatens delay when it crossed the wilderness of .the Somme battlefield, but this was passed and good roads and good ground were regained. A gallant incident was recorded at Miraumont. Tho British encircled tho garrison, and the enemy tried hard to relieve it. They sent tip a strong force who occupied a ravine. A small British force, pushing ahead of the town, found themselves at nightfall on the edge of the ravine, where they halted. . When dawn broke- on Friday, the British force found the ravine full of Gormans and themselves encircled, hut they hung on all day. Other British troops on Fri- j day night waded across the flooded J river Ancre, and did a forced march in j the darkness. Aeroplanes at dawn on | Saturday boro a message to hold on as j help was coming. The enemy in the ' ravine did not dare attack and had summoned reinforcements, but the British reinforcements won the race, cleared the ravine and turned to assist the assault of Miraumont, which was captured. ' When the German reinforcement arrived one. battalion was captured on bloc.

A STIRRING ACCOUNT. (Received This Dav ni 0.50. a.m.) LONDON, August 26. Mr Percival Phillips reports that as soon as the British had cleared Miraumont, tho Now Zealanders with tlie assistance of tanks attacked Loupin Wood en route to Bapaume. Jhey found little opposition within, but the trenches beyond, were filled with Bavarians. Tho Now Zealanders passed over these within two hours and did not wait to gather the prisoners, but pushed ahead and attacked Grevilors, an old acquaintance, which gave little trouble, and by the middle of the afternoon began fighting for Bapaume’s inner defences. There were good trenches around the suburbs and well wired slopes. Meanwhile, other troops climbed the slopes before Pozieres with quickened pulse, in order to gaze on the promised land behind. They found Pozieres no longer the same. The old ruins are gone and there are new ruins now of British hutments and tumbled cemeteries.

The German artillery beyond Bapaumo on Sunday was energetically trying to counteract the enemy’s infantry instability, but the barrage nowhere delayed our advance. Airmen report seeing patrols inside Bapaume, but theso were probably reconnaisanccs.