WAR NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 201, 26 September 1916, Page 3

WAR NEWS.

THE BATTLE OF FLERS. NE|W ZEALANDERS' SPLENDID PART. THE FIRST TO ENTER FLERS. MAGNIFICENT STEADINESS UNDER HAIL OF LEAD. THRILLING INCIDENTS OF THE BATTLE LONDON, Sept. 23. The wounded New Zealanders are arriving from the Somme front, whither they were transferred from the Armentieres sector a month ago. All stories confirm the splendid courage shown by the New Zealanders on the 15th, in the face of the greatest trial yet experienced. The father of a young family, who was gravely wounded, said: "When our boys went over it was a magnificent sight. The first wave consisted of the Otagoites and Aucklanders. They stepped out fearlessly, despite a hurricane bombardment and the incessant whizzing of machine gun bullets. An onlooker might have thought by their carelessness of danger that they were only sham-fighting. Those whose sons and brothers were killed here can well'feel proud. It was a glorious death. Heavily loaded, unable to run, Carrying shovels and equipment, unlike raiders who go to return, it was a moving day for these men, and things did move. They found a new place to sleep that night, although there were many gaps as the result ot those first two hours of open walk in extended order over "No Man's Land,' dodging shell holes, and with German dead lying everywhere as the result of the enemy's earlier and fruitless attacks. English regiments were cooperating on our right. Several tanks were allotted to our front, and we were vastly impressed by these new engines, and were delighted to notice the German funk when they realised their deadly power. When the first sallied out, fourteen Gerrhan bombers rushed out, thinking it was an ordinary armoured car, and hoping to stop it before it reached their trench. They threw scores of bombs, which exploded harmlessly. The tank's machineguns wiped out the whole party. The Germans quickly learned to respect the monsters, which, when they develop greater speed, will be even a more terrible menace to the defenders of trenches.

"We felt we were right into it this time," said another, although, we haa lost several, notably a number of Maoris, during the previous three weeks by gas attacks and bombardments, this was our first proper action on the Somme front. When we learned of the magnitude of the operations and our important part in them, a thrill went through all of us. Everyone was cheerful, although we knew for a certainty that many would not survive. Our bombardment was beyond description. The Germans declare we do not know what shell fire is until we have been in their trenches The German bombardment was severe enough, and caught many of our chaps before the advance. The assault on the trenches was quick, rough work for a few moments, and for the rest there was no time to watch' our comrades' fate. The single thought in every mind was to get ahead. As a result, the New Zealanders entered Flers before the Coldstreams, Irish, Canadian, Scottish, an dother English units. We were all mixed up in the finish. The Otagoites and Aucklanders took the first line, waited for the Rifle Brigade to come up, and then pushed out, making the'second line with an overwhelming dash. Then all the New Zealand forces combined in a final rush. The "Dinkums," as the Rifles are called, proved themselves among the best. Some of our men got beyond the village, and suffered from machine guns." A Pioneer says: 'lt was laughable to watch the Germans surrender. They came into our trenches running, rolling, limping and crawling. A Hawke's Bay man, with a broken arm, who was helping to drag a Dunedin comrade who was more seriously wounded, became indignant on seeing a huge Ger-

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