THE NEW ZEALANDERS

Nelson Evening Mail, 26 September 1916, Page 5

THE NEW ZEALANDERS

DEEDS OF GREAT HEROISM.

GALLANT STRETCHER-BEARERS

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

LONDON, Sept. 24. Mr Gibflbs continues: The scene was horrible, with crash and cries.■» A dying New Zealand officer was a- very splendid and heroic man. He was the ' life and soul of the defence against the counterattack. There were moments when his men were disheartened because their line was thrown back and the wounded lay thick on the ground, but the officer infused new fire by the flame of his .spirit, and rallied the gloomy ones. He

was so can less of his own. life, and -so eager for '• he -honour of New Zealand that they .-(Mowed him under a kind of spell, becai.se of the magic-, in him. So the enemy were put to Right down the valley, alio the New Zealanders were masters oi the ground' when dawn revealed t-hv horrible carnage. The enemy returned in strong force in the after!! yon under the orders of the German General Staff. At the end. despite the'.-• telephones, the assaulters were practically sentenced to death: they were doomed men. When tho captain of the Canterburys again led his- lads in a great bayonet charge right across the open the Germans stood and received the charge with blanched faces. The New Zealanders came at the trot, and then sprang forward, with bayonets moving as quick ns knitting needles. The Germans cried out in terror, and those'who could escape ran down the hillside, falling as they ran. This rout was the end of the counterattack, and the New Zealanders knew that, they were the ma-sters. Seeing the Germans 'terror, they muttered, "Poor devils." The heroism of the bayonet fighters was splendid, but the valour of the stretcher bearers was perhaps finer. Their duty was to go into open country in cool 'blood and pick up men. They had to pass through salvoes of 5.9 inch guns, which tore up the ground and buried' many stretcher bearers and mangled many. The stretcher bearers went steadily and quietly hour after hour until sixty had fallen. They carried on the work of rescue careless of their safety. A New Zealand officer said. "I'm not a sentimentalist, but the work of those men seemed to me to be very noble, and good." Mr Gibhs concludes : "This story will be read gladly in New Zealand townships and up-country farmsteads. If any words of mine can give a little extra to the share of glory of these colonial boys who have come so far over the seas I shall be glad and proud. My heart is very full of admiration for the valour of these men who fought these j great battles as well as any troops who j shared the clav with them'." ,