WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 November 1918, Page 4

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

(From Captain Malcolm Ross, Official War Correspondent with the New Zealand Forces in the field). PATROL ACTIONS. October 29. Our line remains almost stationary in the vicinity of the railway northwest of Le Quesnoy. Since the Rifles went into line there have been only patrol actions. Posts were established across the railway } but some had to fall back in the face of opposition from superior numbers, the enemy apparently thinking it important to hold this position. One of 'our platoons exploiting beyond the railway was cutoff, and apparently several men captured. They have not since been heard of. Enemy shelling, including gas, lias been heavier than for the past six weeks and machine-guns have been active along tho whole corps front. Our men have been thrice counter-attacked. Each attack ha-s been repelled. Our men more than made amends for their loss. One counter-attack following heavy minor-werfer and artillery bombardment was repelled by rifle and Lewisgun fire the enemy suffering heavy losses. Tlifi enemy forces are still practically disorganised and he has been compelled to throw into the units under command divisions other than their own. IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN. Recently a large wooden cross was erected at a factory corner near Flers in memory of the New Zealanders who fell in the second battle of the Somme. The scene was remarkable, onr party arriving at nightfall. The cross was erected by candlelight- amidst a scene of desolation in which there was no sound of gun nor sign of living man. Some skulls and hones founl on the battlefield were buried by the New Zealand party. A MOREL BATTERY. One of our batteries of field artillery has been selected as the model battery of the whole Army, and will proceed to the base for two or three months to act as such. The General, addressing them just after coming out of the line, congratulated them upon tueir honoui. "the CHRISTMAS MAGAZINE. There is a great demand for this year’s Christmas magazine, which excels last year’s both in letterpress and illustrations. The twelve tons of paper secured for the issue provide only sufficient supply for the troops, and sales to the public are under, the circumstances, impossible. Fifty thousand Christmas cards have been sold. KEEN NEW ZEALANDERS. The line in our sector for the moment is stationary, but our men can scarcely he restrained. The Rifle Brigade is carrying on good work from positions left them by the South Island Brigade, and is harrassing the enemy night and day. The men are on the north-western flank of the fortress of Le Quesnoy. An English division on the right is doing equally good work. A night air raid under cover of artillery and trench mortar bombardment, carried out by one officer and two platoons, resulted in several enemy killed, and tbe capture of two machineguns and three prisoners. Our casuallies were "nil. Later, in broad daylight ,one officer and five men, with a Lewis gun, followed through the medium of a trench mortar shoot along the railway. A patrol officer, seeing 40 of the enemy gathering near a bank with-in-a hundred yards of the rim. rushed in and killed' some. The remainder showed signs of faltering. At this juncture the rest of the patrol came up, and all tho enemy were either killed or captured. Our men returned triumphantly with one officer and thirty other prisoners. These plucky New Zealanders had no casualties. THE ATTACK ON LE QUESNOY. Within a few days possibly the New Zealanders will play a conspicuous part in the fall of J.e Quesnoy. It is a town fortified on the Vauhsin system with an outer moat 45 feet wide and 36 feet deep, and a redoubt every 209 yards. There are underground vaults, cellars, and barracks capable of sheltering between a thousand and 2000 men. Civilians were told to leave the town on October 27th. The German orders were that, the town must be held at- all costs. Nevertheless it will fall. In the meantime the enemy is said to be feverishly working on the Mons-Maubenge or Briinhilde-Stelhing lino, to which bis retirement may ultimately be made. News of the Eastern armistices, while inspiring our troops to final victory, have been quietly received at tbe front. DEATH OF MAJOR J. AT. *- RICHMOND, October 28th. Yesterday afternoon Major J. M. Richmond, D.S.O. M.C., Royal New Zealand Artillery, was killed in action by a 5.9 shell. His death was instantaneous. I'll is afternoon ho was buried in the French cemetery at Solesmes. The Bishop of Nelson read the service, and General Russell and many of his comrades in the Artillery attended. His death is greatly deplored throughout the whole division. He joined the New Zealand Artillery in 1910. and left, for the war with the Main Body. He landed on Gallipoli in the first boat conveying New Zealand troops ashore, and remained there conI finuouslv till the evacuation, leaving in I the last boat.