GALLANT WORK BY NEW ZEALANDERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1741, 28 July 1917, Page 3

GALLANT WORK BY NEW ZEALANDERS.

IN ACTION AT MESSINES. GENERAL GODLEY’S TRIBUTE. In the House of Representatives on Thursday afternoon, the Minis.ter of Defence (Sir James Allen) read a letter which he had received from General Sir Alexander Godloy relative to the work done by the New Zealand troops in the capture of Messines. The full text of what the Minister read is as under: “You will have heard long before this of the brilliant capture of Messines by the New Zealand Division. It was quite one of the best things that has been done in this Avar, and I Avas very glad to have been so able to arrange (he distribution of the units of my corps that the taking of Messines fell to my old division. The casualties, I am glad to say, are not nearly so heavy as doAvn on the Somme, and I was able to pull the division out again fairly soon. “Our greatest loss Avas Bi’oavii, aa'Jio had already proved himself a most excellent brigadier, and is a very great loss to Ncaa t Zealand and to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He Avould have gone far. He, and Russell, and Raplh Beetham, Avcrc standing together quite close to Messines, Avhen a shrapnel burst over them, killing BroAvn instantaneously by cutting his jugular vein, Avounding Beethain, Avhile Russell, fortunately, avus untouched. But the latter Avas hit this morning, by a sniper, Avhile visiting his front. The bullet Avent through his steel helmet, but this, fortunately, deflected it, and he has only a comparatively slight scalp Avound, Avhich AA T ill soon be all right. lam very thankful (hat he came safely through these two narroAv escapes.' “I am very sorry about S. A. Atkinson's death. He had already proved himself an excellent ollieer, and 1 should be glad if you Avould tell his relatives so. Fattier M’Menamin is a great loss, too. SteAvart, (he Canterbury College professor, avlio commands the 2nd Canterbury Regiment, avus Avounded, but I hope not badly. Also Bob. Allen, of Auckland, commanding the Ist Auckland Regiment. “This battle of Messines has been quite the greatest success of the Avar so far. Everything Avent exactly as planned, and all the barrages and various stages exactly up to time-table, with the result that the Boche was never really able to make a stand Avhen tackled by our magniiieent infantry. The explosion of the mines and the A r iolcnee of the artillery bombardment were really beyond description, and how any living soul could exist through it is almost incomprehensible. But there is no doubt that the Germans are extraordinarily brave lighters, and we have been very heavily counter-attacked during the last (wo days, and as I write we are trying to dislodge lavo “pockets'' of (hem Avho are holding out in parts of the captured trenches. “The battle is by no means over yet, and I am very busy with plans for the further exploitation of our success, so must stop iioav. “1 cannot tell you how pijoud I am to luiA'c had command of the Noav Zealand Division, and to still haA'e it with me. “.You may tell the people of Ncav Zealand Avith authority that there is no division in the British armies in France Avhich has- a higher reputation."