THE BLOODING OF THE BATTALION.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1916, Page 6

THE BLOODING OF THE BATTALION.

CHRISTMAS DAY FIGHTING DC THE .DESERT. COOLNESS AND BRAVERY UNDER ,; v J FIRE. A HAPPY CROWD. (From Malcolm Ross, Official Correspondent with the N.Z. Forces). Cairo, New Year's Eve. The First Trentliam Battalion received its baptism of fire on Christmas Day and came most creditably through the ordeal, officers and men displaying the utmost coolness under fire and great dash in attack . The Second "Trents.," who are present somewhere along the lines of communications, were not in it; the other forces engaged being the loth Sikhs, some of the recently-arrived Australian Light Horse, who were mounted, and English Yeomanry. Mersa Matruh, near where the Xe\r Zealandcrs fought, is a little port on the north-western frontier of Egypt. Here, at the end of November, the smaller frontier posts at Solium and Sidi Barm had been concentrated in prder to avoid possible causes of friction with the tribes. It lies in an arid zone with desert sands and barren rocky hills beyond. Near the shore the water is brackish; inland there are fresh-water wells. German influence has been at work in this region, the Senussi and the neighboring tribesmen being stirred up to open rebellion 'by the arch-conspira-tors of Europe, whose wonderful organisation, conjoined with a, well-lined purse, reaches even into distant Persia and the desert lands of Mesopotamia and Africa. Early in December a reconnoitring force from Matruh came upon a band of 300-Arabs, who were attacked and driven westward. Of these 35 were killed and seven taken prisoners. The British casualties were 10 killed and three officers and 15 men wounded. The New Zealanders readied Matvuli in trawlers and sweepers, which scs m<i from Alexandria. Arrived at their destination, they found permanent barracks occupied by an Egyptian garrison. Their first days were spent in fatigues and in making entrenchments on "the hill overlooking the station. Wire entanglements were erected and the position generally was strengthened. The camp was close to the beach. Drinking water had to be conveyed from Alexnndria. Each night a few sltots were fired at our outposts by the tribesmen, who used to creep up under cover of darkness, and one or two of our men were hit. The main body of the Arab force was encamped in a rocky doiu?a some seven miles away to the southward.

On Christmas Day it was decided to attack the position. The attacking force, consisting of the Sikhs and tli'e Xpw Zeakmdprs. loft camp at 4 a.m., ami marched for spvpii miles along a. rough road towards the place where" thp enemy liad heen spotted by one of our aeroplanes. The guns on 'the sweepers opened fire and a mountain battery op shore was also i n action. The first shell from the sea hit the top of the hill, and the second went just over it where the enemy were congregated amonast the rocks and eaves. The enemy replied with a field piece firiiur common shell, but though their shooting was close it did no damage. Three shells landed on the left of the road about a hundred yards from tho'Xew Zealanders.

FACIXG THE ENEMY.: Shortly after dawn the Sikhs advanced, the New Zealand A Company reinforcing them. This advance was the signal for a shower of bullets from ths Arab snipers, none of whom could be seen. Another section of the New Zealanders was sent to take the donga, where the enemy, with his camels, was supposed to be. They advanced quietly,: in extended order, to within 6(10 or 700 yards of the position, and opened a heavy fire. The enemy, from hidden positions, replied, and bullets were Hying all about nurimen. hut were doing little or no damage. Our force then advanced to within 400 yards of thp enemy. From this position they could see numbers of the enemy sheltering behind rocks and in eaves across the donga, and the order was given to charge down and across it. Led bv their officers, the-men went nt it with dash and enthusiasm. At the bottom of the donga the little force became bunched up somewhat, and there was a regular fusilade of enemy bullets, but scarcely a soul was hit. In places the side of the donga was steep and occasionally the men let themselves go and slid down fifty feet at a stretch. In this manner thev got within 200 yards of the concealed eneinv. and the real fighting besan. The Sikhs fought with great dash and courage, standing up boldly in the open and firing. They seemed to disdain cover, and their somewhat reckless daring won the admiration of everv Xew Zealander. Both Sikhs and Xew Zealandcrs now began to fall."" Lance-Corporal Ormiston fell wounded, and near him Sergeant-Major Puvkis, of Auckland, was shot through thp head and killed instantly. Private Leslip Moricp fell wounded in the arm and chest, and Corporal Beresford Wilkinson, who went to his assistance, was shot through the body while undoing his tunic, and died at once. Sergeant Weir, who was killed early in the day, got a bullet in the groin. Finally the Hritish force advanced and drove the enemy out of thpir position at the point of the bayonet, chasing them away beyond the wells. We captured (several prisoners and camels. A number of women and children were discovered hilling in the caves. They Arabs had cut the throats of some of their wounded camels that they could not get away. Our men counted over two hundred dead of the enemy, and our total casualties in killed and wounded, including the Indians, were some sixty or seventy. The section of the Austalian Light Horse and some of the English 'Yeomanry made a sweeping movement in the left flank. They lost a few men, and four of the officers were wounded. Xo Xew Zealand officers were killed or wounded. They inflicted considerable loss on the enemy. With d.irkit'.ss, tie enemy having been driven off. the attack ceased, and our 'men and the Indians marched back to camp singing. Tile Xew Zealanders had had "a merry Christmas," and they thoroughly enjoyed it. A wounded non-com. said to me: "It was a holiday!" with the emphasis on the "was." "As they marched back in the night-time singing," he added, "you could not have wished for a happier crowd." And thus it was that the new battalion was blooded. They have started well, and I have not the least hesitation ill saying that the); will worthily

uphold the reputation that New Zealand lias already earned -on the battlefield. I have just a few minutes ago been watching the 7th and Bth Keinforcements coming back to eainp after one of their route marches. .With a band at their head, they swung past the \ew Zealand Hospital with a fine, swinging step, loudly cheering the wounded heroes from Gallipoli, who flscked to the gates and on the balcony to see them pass. They arc really a line type ■of men. Witli some knowledge of the English, the French, the Clernun, the Swiss and the Austrian ami Hungarian soldiery, and, latterly, of the Turk, I have lio hesitation in saying that the Australians and the New Zealanders must be just about the finest infantry in the world.