IN MESOPOTAMIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 January 1916, Page 5

IN MESOPOTAMIA.

(DETAILS OF THE ADVANCE. APPROACHING THE OBJECTIVE. HEAVY TURKISH LOSSES. . Received Jan. 2,1, u.j. p.m. London, January 22. The. Daily Telegraph's correspondent gives details of the advance in Mesopotamia. The frontal attack pinned the enemy to the trenches during the day, where they were exposed to a heavy artillery fire. 'Before dark both frontal, and flanking attacks were pushed home with great gallantry. Although there was no cover we gained a footing in the enemy trenches. The enemy retired during the night of the 13th, and our troops advanced and captured the position, the enemy being driven to a neck of land between some swampy ground and the river, five miles from our position. The gallantry of the ammunition carriers was wonderful. They . crossed the ground under a hail of lire with ammunition boxes 'balanced on their heads. The Turkish losses were heavy. We buried 350 in one morning.

' .'■ V.C. HERO, NAVAL OFFICER'S GALLANTRY. London, Jan. 21. The Victoria Cross has been awarded to Lieutenant-Commander C'ookson. On board the gunboat Comet, on September 28, duringthe advance on Kut-el-Amara he was ordered to destroy an obstruction across the Tigris. The attempt to sink the. central dhow by gunfire failed. Cookson ordered the Comet alongside, jumped on the dhow, axe in hand, and {ried to cut the hawsers conceiting it with the oilier craft forming the obstruction, despite the heaviest ride and machine-gun. fire from both banks He was immediately shot, and soon d'ed.

Three other, officers of ilie Comet were, awarded Distinguished ' Service Crosses, and hi petty officers and men Distinguished Service Medals.