Anzac Gunners.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 11 December 1917, Page 3

Anzac Gunners.

j,fx- c. E. W. T>ean, oftdal rress correspondent with the Australian Imperial . forces, says:— - When the leading batteries began to come over the ridge immediately behind their new positions on July'3l, they came suddenly under the observation of the enemy, who_ was still holding positions 011 the heights beyond. Almost immediately shells be-o-an to drop more quickly. As the news got round amongst the group of German batteries covering that part of the line one after another turned their lire on to the crest over which our batteries were filing. Then, for the first tunc the column broke into a trot, coming with perfect steadiness through at tornado of shell-lire. The leading batteries made their way through a maze of shell holes to their new positions, the gunners flogging and almost lifting their horses by immense effort through the deeply pitted ground. That moment the tail column was blocked by* a gun sagging into a shell hole. A 5.9 shell plunged fair into the midst of one of the wailing teams, killing and wounding every horse. NQt for a minute did the work falter. Those batteries which had already downed trails continued steadily to pick up their task where arranged. Machinegun fire was hissing on to them in constant bursts from guns they could not see. A GREAT SIX HOURS. Limbers had just beciMiioved oft', and 1 the guns got into position, when, wliiij ring overhead, a German areoplane, flj - I ing under low clouds, wheeled ovci 1 them. They could see the pilot in his i seat and the bombs as he dropped them j one after another over the batteries. But this journey was too hurried for aiming. 10very bomb fell wide. then turned to his machine-gun. Six times during the day German machines amongst the whirling collection wlucli circled low. overhead fired on these gun crews with machine guns. The Australians rigged up a Lewis gun which they found in 11 crater, and a Vickcr gun left iti a trench. These (with batmen, sig nailers and spare men using rifles), v were turned on to attack the 'planes whilst the battery continued its work. So thick, so low under the clouds were the machines that it seemed barely possible for them to avoid each other, or distinguish the enemy from themselves. Through all this, under fire and heavier shell fire, as the day went on, the Australian batteries carried out every ord?r which reached them through •i "lon< r day exactlv as if 011 a practice "round. '"I would rather have lived those first six hours," said one to me, '' than any other day of my life.