WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 20 October 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

;/I,W ZEALANDERS IN A DEATH TRAP. HEROIC FIGHT FOR BELLEVUE SPUR . LONDON, October 18. Bcllcvuc Spur is an ugly V-shaped hill rising to a height of 200 feet above the flooded Rabapcek creek, its sides extending 1000 yards back into Passchendaele township. At the point of the V, which is about 200 yards wide, a deep concrete structure, stands overlooking our lines, narrow slits manned by machine-gunners and snipers governing every approach. Two irregular lines of wire, each ten feet deep, extend across the front of the redoubt downhill to the valley where a smaller redoubt bars the flank. Bellevue looks a forbidding stronghold, which was the scene of one of the greatest incidents of the war. 'Against this spur thousands of fine-spirited New Zealanders flung themselves on' Friday with high hopes of crowning their unbroken victories with the greatest victory of all. The enemy barrage played heavily upon them for twenty minutes before the start, but the lads rose eagerly from the line of shell-holes and began a steady advance in a wave, our barrage plunging ahead, The men sank sometimes waist-deep into mud. The barrage went faster than the advance was possible. The enemy machine-gun fire swelled to a shriek. Many men felL« but the men pressed on. They reached the Rabapeek and plunged into this deep morass. The enemy's main barrage of shrapnel and high explosive descended hereabouts, whilst machineguns, which now thickly studded the trenches between the redoubts, seemed to close the passage over the stone road which traverses the morass. Many, nevertheless, pressed irresistibly over the dead across the road; others plunging through the water, though wounded. Some were drowned. Then the ascent of the slope began, and the first wave, now .thin, reached the. wire,...and. the heroic (effort .\v;ill,. bp/ftbld .'iwhereyer Australasians gat'h.er. .The. gallant, lads pied ~ »every means of piercing the wire.. Wave after wave advanced to death, many were riddled by bullets, Others dropped to the ground and began crawling beneath the wire, Many were shot and remained there, Some reached the redoubt and began to crawl beneath the splits round the side. He perhaps might have altered the fortunes of the engagement with bombs, but he was killed by one of our rifle grenades which we were firing from shell holes. The great effort ended. The waves had expended themselves. The survivors remained in the Shell holes. The Jaegers' sniping was so accurate that any head put above the ground was shot. The men awaited another effort, which the commanders decided was undesirable. The line was organised at night time, but later somewhat • withdrawn, in order to permit shelling the enemy positions. The day was crowded with heroic incidents, An orderly room sergeant, .after f ,the death of the colonel and the wounding of the adjutant, went through a" hail of bullets to a senior captain, found him wounded, and went to the other senior officers,, all of whom were disabled. He then went to the lieutenant and informed him that he would have to command the battalion. The journey occupied ninety minutes. A Lewis gunner who was wounded (the rest of the crey being killed), continued to work his gun upon the enemy machine-guns, twice advancing his position alone, and finding another gun when his own was blown out. I

Mr. Gilmour writes: There was another fine day on Tuesday, which was confined to mutual artillery strafing. The Australians and New Zealanders were only asked to hold their trenches securely and this was no trouble at all. German raiders were fighting in some sectors, and put in a heavy rain of shells occasionally, .but the casualties since Friday have been very few. Consolidation enabled the men to remain in comparative safety in the front lines and dig dry sleeping places. AVhen the rain recommenced on Tuesday night. Our front line was cosy compared with the cold and uncertain terrors reigning in the German positions. Tie New Zealanders state that the Germans are suffering from extreme nervousness

HEROIC ACTS. LONDON, Oct 18. A popular Otago officer was killed after throwing a bomb at one of the biggest pill-boxes. But for the wire the New Zealanders would have given the places short shrift. Other New Zealanders co-operated with the Imperial troops on the left. Officers say they never saw such cool bravery as when the New Zealanders were advancing. They had to be sternly commanded to lie down when gusts of bullets came their way. When a shell killed a senior officer a signalling sergeant from Lytteton struggled for an hour and a-half through mud, under constant fire, until he found i lieutenant to take over the comma'.: \

MOST CHEERFUL. LONDON, October 18. The New Zealand Force to-day is most cheerful knowing that the latest sacrifices were not made in vain, but were attended by the most important results GERMANS ACT DECENTLY. LONDON Oct 18. j The New Zealanders are proud of the way they got the wounded out of the battle. The mud made the work so difficult that six bearers were allotted to each stretcher. A former guide at Mount Cook was among the bearers, whose courage and endurance saved many lives. Considering the losses incurred by the New Zealanders in the early stages, when under fierce machine-gun fire, the work of removing the wounded was one of great difficulty, requiring elaborate organisation. The wounded were still being carried out two days after the battle. The Germans finding their Red Cross respected, gave the New Zealanders safe passage. At one time 300 stretcher cases were lying outside a New Zealand aid post in full view of the enemy, but not a shot was fired. Yet the New Zealanders instantly shot any German who was not tending the wounded who exposed himself; and the Germans endeavoured to catch the New Zealanders in the same manner. At other points the Germans shot down stretcher parties. Our boys inflicted instant punishment. IMPORTANCE OF DUNKIRK ITS SERVICES TO FRANCE. Received 835 PARIS, Oct 19 The Government mentioned Dunkirk in Army Orders as maintaining the economical life for national defence and its inestimable,services to the army, despite frequent violent bombardments for three years # . ~,.: -■•ARTILLERY AND AERIAL , ACTIVITY. 'v" :i LONDON, Oct 18. Sir-Douglas Haig reports: Hostile artillery shelled vigorously various localities eastward of Ypres and positions south-east of Poecapelle. The activity of our artillery continues. Successful counter-battery work and concentrated fire were directed with good effect on a number of targets. A few prisoners were brought in. There has been no further infantry action There was great aerial activity yesterday. Ninety-eight bombs were dropped on the enemy's billets and hutments. The enemy's machines were very aggressive in the forenoon, making several flights over our lines. Eleven enemy machines were downed, T-hxee of ours are missing. . WAR CABINET'S. CONGRATULATIONS. LONDON Oct 18. The Press Bureau reports: Sir Douglas Haig replied to Mr Lloyd George as follows: "TVhe British armies in France are proud to have won the congratuation s of the War Cabinet and the generous congratula tions conveyed in your message of appreciation. All ranks are determined to achieve victory and are confident of doing so."