A MIDNIGHT RAID.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1916, Page 10

A MIDNIGHT RAID.

CKR.UAXS I'(TWITTED 15i NEW ZKALAXDEUS. MACIIIXI'MU'X CAI'TURKD. (From Capt. Malcolm Ross, Official War Correspondent with X.Z. Forces). Northern France, August 17. The latest raid carried out by the Now Zealanders against the Germans was eminently successful. Shortly after midnight a number of Aucklanders from one of our brigades left their trendies after a bombardment that nuzzled the enemy a good deal, and succeeded in raiding the enemy trenches, capturing a machine-gun and a prisoner. A second prisoner was 2aptured in ,Vo Man's Land. It nvas found that excellent work had been done by our artilllery and trench mortars, quite a broai pathway having been cut through the enemy's wire. Our men gained a favorable position and the moment our barrage burst 'behind the enemy trench they rushed over the parapet and entered the trench. Within the first few minutes one tierman was .shot and another taken prisoner. A New Zealand lieutenant commanding the centre party noticed a ma-chiuc-gun dug-out just as the signal for recall was given, but he managed to reach the gun, and, tearing it from its emplacement, he, with one of his party, carried it right into our trendies. It wa.s a gun of the 1916 pattern. The main feature of the German trench was the depth of their dug-outs. The revetting of the trenches was done with wicker work, and the parapet was abo\it 14ft thick. The raiders suffered only two casualties. The captain commanding the raid was complimented upon its success, and upon the coolness and bravery of his ofliccrs and men. '"BRAVERY UNDER EIRE. It is now possible to mention the circumstances under which Sergeant-Major Edward Frost was awarded the IXS.O. for gallant conduct during a raid early in July. When a party wa# withdrawing through No Man's Land under enfilading lire from machine guns and grenades from the enemy's support line, Frost, who comes from Wellington, twice returned through the German wire to their lines, and under heavy lire rescued and brought back two wounded men. It was largely owing to his courage, energy and example that during a retirement lasting an hour and a-half some thirty wounded men mere brought safely back to our lines. The other evening when the Germans were indiscriminately shelling a town the horse of a passing team was hit, and a lieutenant killed. Frost jumped through a window on to the street and dashed oil to the assistance of the driver, and was himself wounded by a second shell. He is now in hospital making satisfactory progress. On the following day lie was to go south to receive a further distinction from the hand of the French Com-mander-in-Chief.