WITH THE AUSTRALIANS.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 September 1918, Page 2

WITH THE AUSTRALIANS.

AUSSIES' NOBLE ACHIEVEMENT. MEN WONDER AT SUCCESS. HEADQUARTERS, August 28. F,or the size of tie unit engaged, Friday's .battle south of the Somme was unique, and will be remembered as one of the noblest achievements of our famous divisions. These few Australians took 3000 prisoners.

Steep hills threatened the brave assailants with annihilation, and the men themselves wonder how it was managed.

Before t\ie attack the word "Gibraltar" was passed along the line as befitting the afternoon's objective, where a steep chalk pit crowns the hill. They stormed "Gibraltar" in broad daylight, the Queenslanders and Westralians leading.

There was little artillery help, but just stout Australian hearts against these weakening Germans.

The battlefield gives plenty of evidence of the enemy's desire and intention to hold the ground. The enemy dead still lie as they fell. Little groups of five, ten, and even twenty, surround the gun positions. Here and there an Australian lad, with his battalion's colour patch still showing bravely on his lifeless arms, lies spread face downwards, with his bayonet pointing towards the Germans.

It was a great day for the Melbourne public schools. An old Wesley Collegian commanded the right section and an old boy from All Saints-, St. Kilda, the left. Two old Wesley Colege boys commanded the left companies, and a Melbourne Grammar School lad commanded the company on the right. A Xavier boy was wounded commanding another battalion, whilst a Scots Collegian was the adjutant of the battalion.

All speak of the courage of a young officer from the country, who after the advance, collected nearly lop machine guns, posted them for defence, and instructed the improvised crews how to use them.

Our lads took four times as many prisoners as they had casualties.

A number of Victorians were killed and wounded in rescuing German wounded, owing to the intensity of the German shelling.

The Germans were so thick in the positions in this particular sector that the colonel expressed the opinion that they had just been strongly reinforced. Hundreds of Germans carried packs, and the officers were neatly gloved and booted. Three officers refused to surrender to privates and demanded officers. The Victorians had welcome comrades in the Highlanders, who ciame across into their sector, explaining: "We want to be with the Australians, where the stoush is."

Artillery observers saw the the main road ahead black with fleeing troops and transport, which our guns heavily battered

Yesterday the Tasmanians, with the Victorians on the left, worked through Bray behind the barrage. They found a tough resistance in the village, and and in isolated houses, but collected 185 prisoners and * killed more than 100 Germans.

The prisoners included a machinegun officer, who had commanded a section of the defences in the battle of Bullecourt. By a happy coincidence his examination occurred in the dugout of an Australian officer who also had commanded a unit at Bullecourt. iLikc most intelligent prisoners, he

admitted the depressing conditions of the enemy in this sector, but claimed that a firm line of defence would shortly be found The hero of the encounter wiaa a young Sydney electrical engineer, who retook an important point called "The Chalk Pit," and then formed a defensive flank. He collected a number of British companies and got all well' posted.. The luckiest man in the fight -fras a young New South Wales corporal, a Lewis gunner, who whilst the xednosed circus overhead discharged their machine-guns, took up a rifle and fired a single shot, which passed through the foot of the observer into a vital part of the machine. The aeroplane came to earth, and the Germans tried to escape, but were chased and captured. They said in stumbling English that they couldn't understand why their machine Tell.