SUPER-SOLDIERS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 28 July 1916, Page 5

SUPER-SOLDIERS.

ANZAC’S NEW APPELATION. HAILED BY OFFICERS. CHEERED BY THE FORCES. IN THE WORST BATTLE. THEIR SEAL OF FAME. LONDON, July 27. The first Australian and New Zealand wounded men have reached Lon-jd-on. A few are gravely wounded, but jthe majority are suffering from slight [injuries inflicted by German machine | guns, 1 It is the unanimous verdict that the battle of Pozieres Avas the worst battle of the Avhole Avar The British and G(er|mans alike fought like fiends. The [Anzacs insist that a great part of the glory belongs to the Londoners. A Avounded London officer, however, declared that th e Anzacs, who accomplished wonderful things at Gallipoli, {had at Pozieres, under conditions of unexampled violence, set the seal on their fame. A British commander shouted: “Hail Anzacs! ” as the Avounded men Avere being brought into the jßritish lines. There Avas not a soldier present who did not echo the greeting. Th e Anzacs are not ordinary fighters—they seem to be “super-soldiers.” They do things Avithout talking. The officer continued. “The assault on Poz{ieres Avas one of the most difficult assaults essayed since the offensive began. The Germans had set their hearts on retaining the village. General iHaic’s order Avas “Pozieres must be , & taken!” When the word Avas given to ■change, and the Anzacs SAvept across the approach to the German lines, there 'was no shouting or battle-cry. Each Tom, Dick or Harry, Avith his teeth set firmly, went forth to slay in silence. When the German machine guns opened, the bullets \A r hizzed in all directions, and seemed to be pouring from the skies. After the second; line of trenches had been captured the ■ ,Bri r fishers established . thomselvefew: under cover of the. artillery, 'but the:;; Anzacs? would not be held back ' They ' w*?nt ■forward until they had captured afvillage street, and here the x’e.al cornage .began. Some.crack German regiments ,Avere then employedi but the Anzacs {went for their men, and put in terrible bayonet Avork. ’r After -a fierce contest {the .obtained, life .upper hand 'and drove %ie Germans onf of the main j thoroughfares and captured a number; ‘of guns. It AyasJffie most horrible night any soldiers ever experienced. By daybreak on Monday we had a .lirni footing in the 1 village. The fighting at Pofieres proved that the Anzacs would face a wall of iron and get I through it.