Two New Books

Hokitika Guardian, 7 October 1922, Page 4

Two New Books

“Tile New Zealand Tunnelling Compunv,” with illustrations and maps, edited b.v Lieut. J. C. Neill, A. 0.5.. M.. is the profoundly interesting story of the Tuimollers in France. If the writer does “swank” a hit because the Tunnellcrs, “put it over” the Imperial specialists, the story he tells gives ample ground for doing so. Ihoic are histories and histories, some dry as dust, others less so, but tire compiler of this work has succeeded in making his record as interesting as a Scott novel. The first experience of a French village in winter “a collection nf mud hovels each with its hack to the filthy cobbled .street and its family life centreing round a huge manure pile thi> drainage from which soaks under the dwelling or into the household well. In summer perhaps they are more bearable because the mud has dried up, but instead there are swarms of flies and the warmth brings out the full flavour of t.he smells” is a Liebig extract of concentrated description. One wonders which of the two was the host poker player when “a tunneller wandering along the trench encountered a brawny Scot sitting on the firestep stripped t<> the buff, subjecting his shirt to a minute scrutiny and enquired the'reason thereof. Jock regarded him with a long look of amazement not nnniixed with pity, finally ejaculating, ‘What, have nae wee bensties yet?’ then solemnly holding out something between fingers and thumb, ‘All wool, here’s twa to make a start we’,’ The “Geophono” by means of which one classic sample distinctly heard a horse munching oats at 100 ft. below tbe line, and the “Camonflit” nro new to us. The military stylo of timbering was with sawn timber 10 x 3 dovetailed together top and bottom each set touching the last. Tt is little wonder that the New Zealanders using any logs procurable, with a. round set of two and a cap at three to five feel intervals amazed the regulars with the work they did—sß2ft. line finished in one week—afterwards during the war of movement the Tunnellcrs were employed road making, well-sinking, installing pumping plant and pieplines and bridge building. They were selected to perform tlie most difficult bridging work of the whole war. and in eight days assembled, erected and opened for traffic a 180 feet single span steel bridge to carry 35ton tanks. As already said the little hit of “swank” has a great deal of excuse. Another hook just, issued “The Neg

Zealanders in Sinai and Palestine” also with illustrations and maps, the third volume of the N.Z. Official history, the first volume being on Gallipoli, and the second on France, should be in every home. The work is compiled by Lt. Col. C. Guy Powles C.M.G., D.S.O and Major A. Wilkie. W.M.R., who have most interestingly associated their story with the ancient and mediaeval history of the same places. As the tumiellers set a fresh standard toi the Royal Engineers in France, so the annais in Egypt made the pare in

transport their five-mule teams driven by one man simply walking away from the British sea-horse ride and drive teams and drew a daily average of TOGO and more. It is only when one reads the connected narrative as here given that it is realised at what, a cost of effort success was attained. After the battle of Magdhaba when the brigades had to ride 30 miles to El Arish for water they had been marching and fighting for 30 hours without pause and this meant their third niidit without sleep. “Apart from the intense cold which penetrated to the bone the lightly clad horsemen the men were fatigued to such a degree that words fail: to adequately describe-dense clouds of dust almost blinded the tired horses. Many a Ulan fell asleep and letting his reins slack was taken by bis horse-who feeling the loss of control. quickened his pare—far m among the Horn's in front. The Italian -Liaison officer was among those who fell asleeo on their horses. He was ndmg with'the Headquarters of the Division behind one of the brigades and though clad in khaki, wore a cap of a different shape and colour from the British cap. Throe separate times did his horse take him awnv in amongst the horses of the leading brigade; and three separate times did tired and (losing troopers wake up with a start to find a stranger riding with them: and three separate times was he brought back to Divisional Headquarters under arrest as a

spy. Virions in various forms appeared to most of the riders. Although the route of the march was practically I arc, yet streets and houses well lit up, and curiously shaped animals were seen. The Divisional Commander, usually the most staid of men and who was riding with his staff, was suddenly seen to sot spurs to his horse and accompanied bv the officer who was riding beside him, galloped off to one side in the darkness. It appears that they both, at the same time, thought they saw a fox and thought that they were fox limiting and so went off at a gallop. That many hundreds of more should see tall buildings lighted up and strange forms- each according to his fancy—is curious hut that two sober well balanced mind should at the same time experience the same hallucination is more than strange—our wise ones laid it down that the brain had temporarily lost certain of its powers of endurance whifL sleep could could restore.” What horses will endure when in the pink of condition is truly amazing. Some of the brigade horses were without water for 84 hours, work iug almost continuously at heavy work and wore fed with libs of grain alone in the 24 hours, while in the Jordan \ alley they endured without difficulty heat, so great that one could not put a hand on them without pain. Probably the most remarkable achievement in the book is the way the concentration of troops that led to the final bruik-up ol the Turkish army was concealed from the enemy. General Allenby's plan was to break the Turkish line on the Plain of Sliarnn, but to lead him to believe the attack would he in the Jordan Valley, for a fortnight troops were moved at night and hidden during the day in the orange groves near tlic Plain of Sharon, while in the Valiev of the Jordan, several dummy bridges were erected across the river with wide roads leading to them. New camps with empty tents were made, the cavalry's vacated lines were filled with empty touts and dummy horses with real horse-rugs upon them and real nosebags upon their dummy heads. Fires were kept alight. With the result thrit when three cnvjilry divisions. five infantry divisions and 231 guns of the heavy artillery had been itransferred the 'enemy’s intelligence report was that there was an increase of i avalry in the Jordan Valley.—-Poor Von Sanders, lie did well to get away, even with the loss of his staff and records. - Truly the story is interesting and has a lesson, not only for the student of war as war. blit to every one who can he made to see that, it is the last little bit. done after one has done their best, that snatches success very often.