BATTLE STORY

Hokitika Guardian, 30 July 1929, Page 5

BATTLE STORY

GUNS IN THE FRONT LINE AT WYTSCHAETE.

On April 10, 1918, when the Get'-, man offensive in Flanders spread northward i to the Messines-Wytschae-te ridge and tlie neighbourhood of Hollebeke, “A” Battery of the 88th Brigade R.F.A. was in position on the western slope of the ridge about half a mile south of Wytschaete. The guns were kept in action all the morning although the German bombardment was YGijyl heavy. It was afternoon when the infantry in front were forced to give ground and the Battery commander, decreasing his range to catch the advancing enemy, found that his fire would not clear the crest of the ridge. • The guns were therefore man-hand-led forward to the crest, and in this /Exposed position their rapid fire over open sights did great execution. Soon parties of infantry camle back through the guns, but tlie Battery commander saw no reason to retreat.

He rallied these men and lent them his Lewis gun to stiffen the defence whilst as many gunners as he could spaile opened fire with rifles. A shell killed or wounded the whole of the detachment of- one gun which was overturned, but willing hands soon got it into action again. German machine-gun and rifle fire swept the position but the battery commander promised the infantry, that so long as they held on he would keep his guns there. So the fight was maintained and the German 7th and 17th Reserve Divisions which converged upofi Wytschaete could not 'break through on this day. In tlie evening the battery, which had no ammunition left, was ordered to withdraw. The only way to get the guns out was to man-handle them over half a mile of ground thick with shell craters and .exposed to heavy fire. But it was done, and with suprisingly little loss. The gallant commander of the battery was killed in action four days later. He received the Victoria Cross.