TERRIBLE DECISION.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 May 1918, Page 6

TERRIBLE DECISION.

i; PUNCHING MEN TO DEATH. heroes of beetonneux. h; LONDON, May 4. 'The General Commanding the section of the Australians at B’retonneux unites to the United Service a moving description of somj« great incidents '‘lt is always a terrible decision, this launching of magnificent men to death. One knows that every timei it means sentence of death to many, despite one's utmost care and thought, Each such man is priceless indeed; Then, when the plans made, one can only sit, wait and pray, and perhaps strengthen this or that flank or relieve pressure in the centre.” The General pays high tribute to the work of a colonel, the son of a wellknown Melbourne Presbyterian clergyman, adding: “Our losses were light, but, alas, some of our brave boys have gone. One officer killed in the counterattack had performed a Victoria Cross deed on the previous day. “He jumped into the Boehe strong post with a few men, though outnumbered 110 to 1, and killed all with bayonets and bombs

“The - counterattack left mighty little of three German divisions, including the Fourth Prussian Guards. The boys made a real mess of these Germans. They lie in heaps. Two ■whole battalions fled in panic, leaving a. gap 700 yards wide in their line. They had to push up fresh troops in broad daylight, and we mowed them down in swathes.

“A young officer, who used to drive the Albury-Melbourne express, says that he saw 400 Boche dead lying where they had tried to dig cover from ©ur fire

“Another Victorian performed a titanic deed. He jumped alone into a post containing ten Germans. He was thrust through the arm and thigh by bayonets and his scalp was opened by a blow from a musket butt. He looks slightly Mattered, but nine of the Bodies are dead, and the other fled for his life. “Australia can never fully appreciate these soldiers, who face hardships and death, enduring all. ’ 1 General Birdwood writes that Bretonmiex counter-attack was as fine a piece of work as any troops have yet done_ The Victorian units collared 511 Germans, and say that they have never seen the ground so covered with enemy dead. The other units suffered from machine guns on the flanks, but took their objectives and 150 prisoners, Naturally our losses are reducing us, but the spirit of all is first class. The Boche on Sunday attacked us north of Bretonneux in four dense waves, all which we wiped out without him getting within 200 yards, of us, or inflicting one casualty.