Page 5 Advertisements Column 1

Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 62, 18 March 1902, Page 5

ADVENTURES of the SEVENTH. Special to the N.Z. Times. DUNEDIN, Mar 14. Writing from Heilbron on the 10th ult.y the "Star's" correspondent with the Seventh Contingent gives some particulars of the figh-i ig on February 3rd, an action for which the Seventh received the praise.of Lord Kitchener. The writer says *—" At 9 p.m. on the 2nd the New Zealand regiment started on a night march from Fannies Holm to search some farms about eight miles distant at Oomdrai Noord. Shortly before daybreak the Wellington squadion, under Acting-Captain Oventon and Lieutenants Emmerson and Richardson, came on to a ridge. The scouts at the same time were on a ridge opposite, and down in the valley between them a Boer convoy, with guns, was sighted travelling along. Both parties charged the guns, taking them completely hy surprise, and meeting with comparatively slight resistance. Fifteen prisoners were captured Field Cornet Wessels, in charge of the guns, was shot dead. After taking the guns, Sergeant Robinson, Corporal Mitchell and Private Churnside (of the Wellington squadron) very promptly turned them on some of the enemy, who were escaping, and put a few shells amongst them. 'We unfortunately had two casualties, Frank Brown (Tauranga) and W. Hitchens (of the Scouts) were shot, and died while being brought into camp. The guns belonged to Meyers's commando, and one of the pompoms, it is interesting to know, was turned on to the Auckland squadron on June 25th, 1901, in the Standerton district. Four of the prisoners belonged to the Staats Artillery. Two of the guns were taken by the Boe'-s from the 79th Battery on Christmas Eve at Harrismith. The total captures were one 15-pounder gun, one ammunition waggon, two pompom guns, fifteen prisoners, two killed, 94 trek oxen, 176 cattle, 500 sneep, 36 horses, 64 mules, 18 saddles, 23 lines 176 round 15-pounder ammunition, 1650': rounds pompom ammunition, 13,300 of small arms ammunition.