On the Sea.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 May 1918, Page 3

On the Sea.

ZEEBBUG-OB NOTHING WEONQ WITH THE ofitcees. LONDON, May 1. Stories of Australians from Zeebruggo show an adventurous zest equal to that of the old British seadogs. Details confirm, the almost unimaginable risks and the calculated rush and fury of the onslaught. The five Australian seamen among the Vindictive's landing party included Staples, of Adelaide, who ivas among the first ashore, and red a party of bombers, who attacked the machine-gunners. He said:

“They were as thick as thieves, but wo found cover and gave them hell until the retreat sounded. Some of the boys had rifles, and bayoneted the Germans who were trying to cut off the demolition party which blow up the sheds. We were specially trained with the bluejackets for six weeks. ” Eudd, a youthful Sydney man, said that the Mole defences were terribly strong. The Germans had long trenches full of machine-guns protected by masses of barbed wire. “It was a wild fight, the screaming and bursting shells were fearful, Every man who returned to the Vindictive carried a wounded comrade. A the tide had receded we had to slide them down to the deck like sacks of flour. How the Vindictice survived beats me. The funnels were holed like pepper-pots, with dead and dying every where. ’ ’

Stoker Burke, a West Australian aboard the blockship Thetis, said: "The ship was riddled while steering for the canal, but it got there. A man could walk out of the • shell-holes The harbour was lighted up with extraordinary brilliancy. I saw the captain of the Vindictive pulling alongside, as if he owned the place. No decoration is good enough for him. After the lodgment of the Thetis we escaped in a little scooter, with the shells following us for two miles. We reached Dover in eight hours.” "We found the Thetis’ skipper unconscious alongside the wheel, and rescued him.

"Take it from me, as a dinkum Aus(nothing is wrong with the British naval officers."

The question of all is, "Shall we get an Australian trip out of this?

The other ratings engaged were Guillard (NS.W.), Newlands (Ballarat Vic.), Hopkins (Perth), McCrory, Strong, Lockhart, and Garter (Melbourne) - Bush, a Manchester seaman from the Iphigenia, stated that the utmost courage and skill w r as shown by Lieut. Billyard Leake, who is 22 years of age, and was born in Tasmania. He is the son of the owner of Harefield Hospital. He fought gamely as a midshipman at Eabaul, and was gunnery lieutenant on the Warspite at Jutland. His younger brother has the Military Cross for valour in France. .. .