TIRELESS ANZACS.

Taihape Daily Times, 19 November 1917, Page 6

TIRELESS ANZACS.

WORK IN PALESTINE. PREPARING-' TO ADVANCE. CAIRO, November 2. Renter’s Ic'orflegpondent , A ’at British headquarters in Palestine -says that the fifth counter-attack upon our new positions on the left,.flank was ra pulsed with heavy loss.last night. Wo are now bombarding ,the strong points on this part of the enemy’s second line. fV ,1 i " A strong enemy patrol’ at night 'approached our position at Shieks Abbas, driven off by artillery and machinegun fire, with considerable loss. Our captures since the ‘ beginning of the offensive, now amount to 207 officers and over 2400 men of other ranks. Our aviators have been very active. The naval wing bombed the railway communications and stores with good effect*. Ten direct hits were secured on a bridge and a inunction 5 * factory at Wiljulie, 15 miles north of Jaffa. Our airmen also berrnbed the station and stores at Tel Sheria, on the Beersheba railway. Our cavalry captured another well in the limestone hills nortli-easf of Beersheba, the enemy making a feeble resistance. -c -

The spirit of bur mentis somthing to marvel at. Dust, sand, heat and fatigue, seem to roll off their’backs like water from the back df a cluck. It Would almost seem, though, that the long spell of inactivity lias whetted their appetities for fighting. They are as keen as schoolboys holidaying, and are splendidly fit. ’This keenness is not confined to combatants, but is general among all the auxiliary, services They shirked no efforts, in Spite of the great strain under which they had been labouring for the past ten days or a fortnight. For instance the Australians w T orked for 24 hours on end at certain wells 15 miles from south of Beersheba in order to facilitate the circling movement. The cavalry were np to their waists in mud, sand, and water but cheerfully kept on with the tvork. General Sir Edmund Allenby, personally visited them while they were labouring in the hottest part of the day. He spoke cheering words, which were heartily appreciated.

The Commander-in-Chicf does not spare himself. Ho does prodigious journeys, notwithstanding the bad roads, heat, and dust. To see his cheery face caked with dust is naturally an inevitable encouragement to the men, and stimulates him to put forth their best effors,- and make them work with double zest, in the knowledge that their zeal is recognised and appreciated.