NEW ZEALANDERS

Levin Daily Chronicle, 2 May 1918, Page 1

NEW ZEALANDERS

FILLING AN EMERGENCY. A HOI TIME AT METEREN. A HURRY CALL POR MEN. (Special Despatch from the New Zealand Official War Correspondent, Captain Malcolm Ross). 21st April. While some of the New Zealanders have been engaged in assisting to stem the German onslaught on An ient, others of their comrades, including the entrenching battalion, cyclists, and some of the artillery, have been hotly engaged in the northern battle. All these, though some of them were not greatly experienced in active warfare —for they included reinforcements and even cooks —have worthily upheld the traditions of the New Zealand Force. For some time now there has been a camp in France through which our reinforcements filter. Its commandant fought on Gallipoli, and though he limps about with a rather badly shattered leg ho is one of our keenest soldiers. Therefore when the call came to bring up reinforcements he was in his element, his only regTet being that he would not be allowed te take a command in the field. The enemy was trying to open out a gap at Meteren, north of Bailleul, and the New Zealanders had to be ready in six hours. They were brought up in 'buses. At first they were employed digging posts and strong points, which they did under machine-gun fire, but there was not much shelling. Later, when the enemy, taking all risks, attempted to push forward quickly, our men combined with the English troops and helped to stop the rush near Meteren just as the situation was becoming dangerous. Two days later, just as they were on the point of making an attack they found that their flank was dangerously threatened, and they had to fall back on a line previously selected. One small body was cut off by the enemy, and probably are all prisoners. All this time there was still fighting. ARTILLERY METAMORPHISED. On 14th April the situation had become obscure and difficult, and another call reached the camp that more men were needed. Among the men left were some of the artillery reinforcements. The situation was explained to these, and they cheerfully and unanimously volunteered to fight as infantrymen. Within three-quarters of an hour they were equipped as such, paraded, and given brief instructions | in musketry, bayonet fighting, and outpost work. Some few of the artillerymen who could not be spared from the horse lines petitioned to join their comrades, and owing to the action._/>f others (including unfit men) volunteering to work double time and look after the horses, these artillerymen had their wish gratified. Within twenty-four hours they were on their way to the Meteren front. Arrived there, they found that the situation had so improved that their services were not required except for traffic control and such work. Their disnp pointment was keen. During a hurried visit to the northern battlefront I saw the English commander under whom these New Zealanders had fought, and found him enthusiastic about all they had done. "For several days," he said, ''they fought magnificently, and they alsi dug fine trenches. They killed an enormous number of Boehes." A BATTERY'S GALLANT FIGHT. Meanwhile, a little further afield, the New Zealand artillery was distinguishing itself under extraordinary circumstances in the same battle. Having received word of an impending attack they barraged the enemy's front before his advance commenced. Later in tho day they suddenly found themselves without any of their own infantry in front of them iand saw the German waves advancing npon them. One battery fired its guns over open sights upon the enemy till the latter got within fivo hundred yards, and until it was almost surrounded. While some of the guns were firing right 1 ahead, others were slewed round until they were actually firing in rear of the battery's flank. Some of the GerNew Zealand gunners promptly trained their guns on that house and blow it to bits. Then they dismantled their own guns of all the removable parts so that they could not be used by the enemy. By all the rules of the game tho personnel of the battery should now havo been taken prisoner or killed or wounded, but these gallant fellows were not to be easily got. They had in the meantime salved some of the Lewis guns and rifles, and now proceeded to fight their way back as infantrymen, which they did successfully, but not altogether without loss. One would havo thought that by this time they might well have been prompted to rest on their achievements. Not so. Before long they were supplied with new guns and within twelve hours they were in action again with these. The other batteries fought a rearguard action back to the new positions without the loss of a single gun, and tho whole arc still shooting with much success in a very warm corner of the battlefield.