AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 2 June 1917, Page 6

AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION.

AUDACIOUS DEALINGS WITH THE GERMANS.

The night before last there was heavy artillery fire on the Hindenburg line at Bullecourt, mostly due to the fact that the Germans thought we were attacking. Shortly after fire ceased groaning could be heard from a wounded German near the Australian lines from the direction of a small sniping post. A Victorian sergeant and a couple of men went out to bring him in. Suddenly another German started up, and began running towards the German line. The Victorian sergeant had no weapon, but he ran round and cut off the German, shouting as he came up. The German stood with rifle on guard and his finger on the trigger. The Australian put out his hands to take the rifle, and the German handed it to him. He was taken prisoner with three others. The German troops, when audaciously dealt with, sometimes do not rise to the occasion, but the morale of these we are fighting lately is good. One German when asked what he thought of the Australian troops, said, "They are equal to us."

The 'Australian ambulance men have been losing as heavily as the infantry. One waggon is always in sight of the Germans. Again and again they pattered shells within a few yards of it, but we always thought they were shooting at a small group of men loading it till yesterday a'fterrioon), iwhen they followed the waggon deliberately bsck with shell after shell, until it was out of sight. Then they continued to follow it up with shrapnel, and, finally, just before it got out of range, they killed the driver. It is idle to hope that some German officer's conscience will torture him for doing the meanest act a man was ever guilty of —Commonwealth Correspondent.