THE ANZAC BREED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1489, 23 December 1915, Page 4

THE ANZAC BREED.

TRIBUTES IN FLANDERS

(From H. S. Gullett, Official Australian Correspondent at British Headquarters in France.) When the Australians made good on the beaches at Gallipoli and the story readied London, it was said that whether or not the Turk and German were defeated the men of the Commonwealth eonld never be said to have fought and died in vain. Their sacrifice and achievement upon that April morning would be for ever the inspiration of the Australian people at home, and their glory abroad. The British people were profoundly moved; they shared m our pride and our grief. Australia has .within a few terrible but splendid hours gained a new place in the mind or England and the whole outside world. Our little force of native born, schooled onlv in peace, and strangers to soldiering, had joined the rare company or their race who followed Drake and Wolfe and Nelson; old fighting England welcomed them as of Balaclava breed. After the landing at Gallipoli the Australian abroad was vividly’ conscious of a great citizenship. Yon felt those things in England, but not until you come here amidst Britain’s fighting manhood at the front do y r on appreciate fully’ what Australia and every Australian has gained. In Franco and Flanders the traditional practice lias been followed of making new troops accustomed to the sight and sound of war before putting them into the front line. The introduction to the trenches has been gradual; the eager novice has been as far as possible fathered and supported by the trusty old regular before taking the supreme responsibility. In the whole war there has been nothing so magnificently’ audacious as was done with the Australians and the New Zealanders at, Gallipoli. Men fell me here that in the long story of war there is no parallel for volnntarilv entrusting a groat decisive cleanout job to a new raw force as was done with the Australians. “Hamilton must have liked the look of them, and been greatly impressed with their officers,” a general said tho other day’. “He had the advantage of having seen the Australians at home, and he evidently took the view that fighting alone they would he on their mettle. His faith was brilliantly justified.” Admiration of the British Army for their Australian comrades was by no means lacking before tho Gallipoli landing, and it is now as generous in its appreciation as the most ardent and susceptible Australian could desire. A corps commander expressed the general view when he said: “For troops to get ashore at all was a great achievement, because the fighting since has shown tiiat the Turk on the defensive is as good under German leadership as the Germans themselves. And if tlie job was possible, one might have expected our regulars to do it. which, as a matter of fact, they did. But in the ease of the Australians it was a triumph of sheer natural fighting qualities. Tho Australians had only been six months away from their civilian operations, and yet, although halt of that time was spent at sea, they did what could not have been done better by any professional soldiers in the world. in fact, I doubt, without in any way disparaging the regular, it the professional would have gone as far inland in that first grand rush as they did. In a job like that every man must be more or less his own leader, and that would suit the colonial temperament,” Similar tribute is paid hli along the line. An officer who is a famous big game hunter, and who a few years ago was one of the best, bowlers in England and often played against our cricketers, said “Good sportsmen are nearly always hard fighters. At sport the'Australians are the strongest fighters in the world. They are harder to heat than any others; one could never count on an Australian rot, . till the last man was out. In a. pinch the wicket-keeper was as likely to make a score as the crack batsman.” Every soldier in France tries in his own wav to express that he is pi ondei still to‘he an Englishman because of what the Australians and New Zealanders have done at Gallipoli.