CHUNUK BAIR.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1916, Page 5

CHUNUK BAIR.

MEMORIAL OF A GREAT FIGHT. NEW ZEALANDER'S PART. Colonel J. R. Reed, K.C., writes to tMi Auckland Stflf as follows: "In last night's issua you quote the account of the fight at Chunuk Bair from.the 'Times History of the War.' This history, as well as 'Buohan's hl». tory' are both wrong in a statement republished by you. It is as follows: 'Lieutenant-Colonel Malone of the Gloucester led the way.' It is true that Colonel Malone led the way, but he did not belong to the Gloucester Regiment, He was the Officer Commanding tht Wellington Battalion, which under his command, waß Ir. th» 'forefront of thft battle. Colonel Malone was a New Zealand Territorial officer, and in civil life was a well known lawyer. The 1 mistake that the writors of both these histories has fallen into is due to the conjunction of Colonel Malone's name with the Gloucester Regiment ill the following passage from Sir lan Hajnili ton's third dispatch:— *i '"On the right General Johntton'g column, headed by the Wellington Bat* talion, and supported by the 7tlßat* talion, Gloucestershire Regiment,, the 1 Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment', the Sth Welsh Pioneers, and the Maori Con* ■ ' tingent, the whole most gallantly led by ' Lieutenant : Colonel W. G. Malone, had raced one another up the steep. Nothing' • could check them. On they went, until, with a last determined rush, they fixed themselves firmly on the south-western- r slopes and crest of the main knoll known as the height of Chunuk Bair. Wjth deep regret I have to add that the brave Lieutenant-Colonel Malone fell mortally wounded as he was marking out the line ! to be lielcl. The 7th Gloucester suffered terrible losses here.' . ' -V v "I think it only right that as far, at all events, as we New Zcalandert ara concerned, that this error with regard to Colonel Malone's regiment should not be i allowed to be verpetuatod." [Buehan, in his history, refer* to Col- , onel Malone as "Brigadier-General." Evidently he had temporary charge'of a brigade, hence, the mistake. Had Hi' g«r. vived It is known "he would have received the higher ink.] ACCOUNT BY AN EYE-WITNESS. "A New Zer.lander Who Was There 1 also wrote to the Star on the same subject: ''ln your issue of yesterday,, in ra- i ferring to the battle of Chunuk Bair, you quote from 'The Times History, of "the War.' The account is .fairly accurate, excepting in two important particulars. i . Colonel Malone (of Stratford), was i& charge of the Wellington Infantry Bat* talion, not of the Gloucester. 1 The New Zealanders did not on August 9 'abandon the ground so dearly won.' TMjy held Clmmik Bai: Ridge against a much larger force -of {TnticSf-ind under extremely heavy artillery fire'"frim the left flank (Hill !)71\ until 0 p.m. on Monday, August !), when they were relieved' • . bv two battalions of Kitcheners arijijr (roughly 21(00 men). When relieved the New Zealanderi numbered only. *boul> ' £SO. ■ At daybreak on August 10 the Turks attacked strongly, and the force which had relieved the New Zealanders the night before, abandoned Chunuk; Bair Ridge, and it was never <etaken."