FRIST AND SECOND BRIGADE

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5295, 7 January 1947, Page 3

FRIST AND SECOND BRIGADE

KE-ORGANISATION OF M.Z.E.F. 30 YEARS AGO • There has always been much eclat attaching to the word "First" in the British and Continental armies. Often, in actual fact, this ordinal priority did not mean a great deal, but the first battalicn of an English Regiment was always regarded as the leading one, as it was the custodian of the colour and so on. Thirty-one years ago this week, the First Otago and First Canterbury Battalions, which hitherto had been one-half of the First Infar.try Brigade of the N.Z.E.F., were looking very much down in the mouth, on account of a New Year's Day Order bringing about a change in the organisation of the 1st and 2nd Brigades, with the object, as is recorded, of bringing sister territorial battalions into one formation and facilitating adminstration. The effect of this way to put the 2nd Auckland and Wellington Battalions into the 1st Brigade and the lst Otago and Canterbury Battalions in the 2nd Bridage. The severance of a year-long association with the lst North Islan'd formations was regretted by the -So'uth Island boys and as the lst Canterbury and lst Otago moved up from reserve to the fror-t area, their Wellington comrades turned out in Sailly to do them honour and thier band playecl them through. There was a raid by two officers and 80 men of the 2nd Rifle Battalion on January 7 on a strongly-held-part of the enemy line linown as the Lozenge. They had to traverse a wide and deep trench in front of the parapet but this icy baptism did not deter them in the least and all three assaulting •columns into which the party was split gained their objective and took prisoners. On the, following* day, there was a heavy snowfall and an unusual series of hard frosts followed, in which the temperatures recorded were lower than any experienced in France since 1884. Every post was shown up in this~sector and even with white overalls, patrolling* became diffieult. At about this period also, there was a drastic re-organisation of the artillery throughout the Army. The Somne offensive had shown the necessity of massing* on an offensive front a much greater proportion of field artillery I than that normally attached to the in- • fantry divisions engaged. Thus, the artillery had frequcntly been on an-

other assignment to that allotted the foot troops. The re-organisaion aimed at preserving a permanent relation between a Divisional Commander and his own artillery and at the same time, establishing a pool at the disposal of the higher command by the formation of independent brigades. This was the beginning also, it may be noted, of the -universal adoption of the six-gun battery, instead of a f ourgun, as formerly. The 2nd Artillery Brigade, detached at the time with the Australians at Annentieres, whose artillery had not yet arrirfjd, was •designated the "Army" Brigade. ^ The Division as a Avhole was allotted numbers of subsidiary tasks during this winter. For example, some 6'0 n.c.o's and men were attached to the Australian 'Tunnellers in the construction of a deep dug-out system in the forward area and another detachment of details from several units took over the iEjivisiofeal ibaths at Pont de Nieppe, along the bank of the Lys, in a building that was formerly 'a jute factory. Here also, the "sock king's" were installed, these being junior n.c.o's from each unit who were charged with the supply of a clean and mended pair of socks daily for each man, The washing* and repairing was done by a number of local women and girlst and the system worked admirably Avhile the Division vemained in this sector. #