In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 50, 26 September 1916, Page 3

In the West

NEW ZEALANDERS IN BATTLE. FIERCE AND BLOODY FIGHTING. Press Associations-Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. London, September 24. Mr Gibbs further states that in U* fighting since July 6 there has nothing Mercer or bloodxer than th hand-to-hand struggles on the eft oi l?ler9 W hei-e the New Zeala»dcr increaked the fame they had gamed at Gallipoli as soldiers who had to &* up what they gained, and who hod o„ to their ground -ith grnn obstmac against the heaviest odds. This is t "udgmenf of a Ifeiteh officer who J watc hed them fighting for the last few days, and he speaks with a tbr.ll of admiration, recalling the stoicism wherewith they endured the heaviest shell fire, the spirit wherewith they attacked despite intense fatigue; and their rally, though discouraged by the loss of officers; which swept hack the Germans in panic-stricken flight.

The Story Covers Weeks of Fighting.

The New Zealanders, at dawn, on the 15th, advanced upon the! left oi Flers on two lines of trenches, which formed part of the famous Flers line. Our gunfire had not cut the wires or 'destroyed the trenches. The swish of the machine-guns showed that the enemy were alive and savage. The New Zealand losses would have been serious but for the tanks, which had lagged behind, but arrived in time to attack the Flers line. In the most deliberate and stolid way they sidled along the barbed wires, , smashing them into the earth, and then poked their big .snouts over the German parapets, firing from both their flanks upon the German machine-gun teams. The Xew Zcahnders, following, took the double trenches and pushed, on for another 700 yards across the sunken road, with its steep banks of the 'deepest dug-outs. The Germany Did Not Slop ,-iXr.irt • :\': : ■ Uv? ■ •■> -<' ! .!?':' J,Vj, until they had established Oh a new line running westwaVds'from; the top of Flers village, which the. EKgli&h lads had already captured. The tanks followed the Germans and drew the fire of the German battery 1500 yards away. The Gorman* missed the tanks, and eventually the Briartillery knocked out the .bat? tery. lVleanswhile the New. Zealand infantry, were ordered to make- a" flaußng front up the edge of the valley running northwest of Flers. They did this most gallantly, although they stuck out like a thin wedge into German territory, owing to lack of support on the right and left, due to the Englishmen being busy capturing Flers. ■„

iThero was Fearful Fighting at High Wood. • In view of the hazardous position of 1 the New Zealanders, they were ordered to fall buck to a Hue going.'straight westward from the top of Flors village, from which they .helped to hold it on tlu> night of the loth and 16th. Thence-forward the enemy made repeated counter-attacks. Sometimes 'these-were feeble in strength and w.i iv shattered quickly, but tliey grew in intensity as the days passed, and ib was seen that the New Zealanders were in " precarious position owing to the weakness of tlie west, Hank. Here the Germans held out on shell craters, enabling their supports to drive a. wedge between tha-.Now Zealanders and the Knglish troops north of High Wood. A brigade of to!er-

! m an s attempted this. They advanced 1 in six or seven waves upon tlie tinglish soldiers, who they outnumbered by two to one. The Englishmen met them in the Open With the Bayona in the old-fashioned way. The New Zealanders watched the light w*th enthusiasm,until they saw the German ranks broken and the remnant flying. H was a great struggle, but not so long and bloody as the, light the New Zealanders themselves encountered on the 20th. The Germans struck the New Zealanders at then' joining point with the Britishers, west of Flers. The Canterbury men at the joint were twice beaten back and twice regained the ground. Throughout the night and until dawn on the 21st there was violent bomb and bayonet lighting. H was not a matter of the Biitish on one side and the Germans. on the other, it was a chaotic struggle between isolated bodies of men lighting . in shell. bits of trench, •single, figures lighting duels in groups and not joining to form the lines, which surged backwards and forwards. The first line of New Zealanders went forward with hardly a check to the German switch trendies-; five hundred yards distant. They were the men of the Auckland, Canterbury, Otago, and Wellington battalions, and put their trust in the bayonet. They had their desire in the Germans' switch trench. The Germans defended themselves to the last gasp. Only four remained alive after the frightful encounter. It was a Fight to the Death. The New Zealanders lost heavily. The shrapnel and machine-gun 1m thinned their ranks. When they faced a stretch of 800 yards leadin gto the next trenches, the New Zealand Rifles covered the ground quickly in open order, but they kept in touch with each other by a fine esprit i\c corps which Was better than disc plino. The German trenches were deeply dug ami heavily wired, and proved a great obstacle. The was horrible, with its crash and the cries of the dying. A New Zealand officer,

I A Heroic Man, ! bboW *dt ii.'f ■■■■

life and soul of the defence against the counter-attacks. There were moments when his men were disheartened, because their line wa;-; thrown back and the wounded lay thick on the ground. But this officer infused new fire, by the flame of his spirit; He rallied the gloomy ones. and was" so careless of his own lilt, and so eager for tha honor of New Zealand, that they followed under a kind of spell, because of the magic in him.

So the Enemy was Put to Flight Down

the Valley.

The Now Zealaiiders were masters oi the ground when dawn repealed ihe horrible carnage. The encn.y ivturned in strong force in the afternoon, under orders from the German General Staff at the end. Despite the telephones »the assaulters" were practically sentenced to death. "Th.y were ■•■•• doomed men when tlu\ cap.ain of Lhtt Canterburys, again: led his lads in a great bayonet charge right aci-usa tiie open. The Germans stood and received the charge with blanched .faces. The New Zealanders came at the trot, and then sprang forward with their bayonets moving as (jujek as knitting needles. The Germans Cried Out in Terror, and those who could escape ran down the hillside, falling as they ran. This rout ended the counter-attacks, and the Xew Zealanders knew they were

masters. Seeing the German terror they muttered, "Poor devils!" The heroism of the bayonet-fighters • was splendid, but The Valor of the stretcher-bearers was, perhaps, finer. Their duty was t 0 go out into the open country, >n cool blood, to pick up the men. They had to pass through salvoes from 5.0 guns, which tore up the ground and buried and mangled many of the stretcher-bearers. But they went steadily and quietly on, hour after hour, until sixty had fallen, and carried on the work of rescue, careless oi' their safety. A New Zealand officer gaid: "I'm not a sentimentalist, but the work of those men seemed to me very noble and good." Mr Gibhs concludes (bis story, which will be read gladly in .every New Zealand township and m all upcountry farmsteads, as follows: "If any words of mine can give A Little Extra Share of Glory

to these Colonial boys, who come from so Far overseas, I shall be glad and proud. JVly heart is very full of admiration' for the valor of these, men, who fought these great battles as well as any troops who shared the day with them." GENERAL NOTES. Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. Londons', 5 ', September 25. A correspondent on''the Western Headquarters General''Staff 'states that a map recently'found on aprisonered Germait officer indicated that eleven vital points 'lnust' be held while one defender was alive. Nine are already in the Allies' hands, and the remaining two are outside the scope of the battle for the ridge. The capured positions are closely crowded and obscure «the significance of each, the whole ridge being but , a continuous chain of fortresses, protecting each other. They were so interlocked that' their strength was increased a thousandfold. Mr Beach Thomas states that the battle for Omens was unusually good. The Germans Mid 'withdrawn many guns to the extreme (ire limit, lessened their bombardments, and showed nervousness in other ways. The counter-attacks were vehement, but lacked sting, whereas the British and Dominion troops eh'avged 5 with* a winning side's zest. ''■'- T'tut : ' before -the enemy leaves thein'stV- foothofibhe will wrestle for a heavy fall/' Behind the, machine-gunner stands the''officer, revolver in hand. The em-my finds it equally difficult to surrender as to fight.