SOMME FIGHTING REVIEWED.

Taihape Daily Times, 17 September 1918, Page 7

SOMME FIGHTING REVIEWED.

BRITISH DIVISIONS GREAT SPIRIT. LONDON, September 14. Sir Douglas Haig, in a supplementary despatch, states: lu a series of successful battles on the Somme front, beginning on August Bth, English Scottish and Welsh divisions took an important share in the fighting and performed many gallant actions. Most of these ..divisions have been advancing over the same ground whereon they met and ultimately checked enemy s o-rcat offensive in March. During the past few weeks they have shown, without exception, that the _ tremendous strain, sustained earlier in the year with so much courage and resolution, has in nowise diminished their splendid fighting spirit. For example, the Guards” Division, which in March and April, at B'oyelles, Soiry, and Bccquorollc. maintained the northern pivot of cur defence attacked on August 21st and captured Moyennevillc and Hamclincourt, also St. Leger on August 24th.

For gallant exploits on the Somme twenty "other divisions are mentioned including the Fourth, which broke the enemy’s attacks - on the north bank of the Scarpe on August 28th, and in the face of strong resistance on September 2nd, carried the defences of the Dio-court-Queant line. The Thirty second Division after heavy fighting at Dammcry on August 10th and August 11th captured Herlesville on August 28rd, Vormandovillers on August 27th, and successfully participated with the Australians in the advance across the Somme. Sir Douglas Haig states his account of the doing these different Anglo-Scottish-Welsh divisions is necessarily brief and incomplete. It concludes: On the same battlefelds, whereon they withstood the heaviest assault, the British Army has ever faced, all have fought side by side with the splendid division from Australia, Canada and New Zealand with courage and gallantry. Their enterprise is only equalled by their success.