NEW ZEALANDERS AT THE SOMME.
FIERCE FIGHTING BEYOND FLERS. AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT. 'From Malcolm Ross. Wsr Commendend with N.Z. Forces in the Field). Northern Fiance. Nov. 14. It is somewhat dilricult without the aid of a map to explain the fighting that ensued after the long clash through Ficrs. On the left of Fler. ran the Flers Trench heavily wired., auri the Ficra Support Trench! Jn front of th..t again, from a point opposite the middle of the village, ran Fort Trench joining on to Abbey road—in which were Herman (In, -nuts—on the left. .Ii t beyond Flers there were two strong points known as Box and Cox and on tli= left of these positions Grove Allej and ("loose Allci running forward in irregukv lines ci right angles to the line to Abbey road. Still farther ahead and yet more U the left was a strong pom! known as Factory Comer. And in front of that were the fiird Line, well wired, and the fiird support trench. These trenches formed a salient, the apex >.f which was level on the left, with the village o:* fiucudccor.rt, the houses, of which we could see still undestroyed amongst its trees. *
In the fighting in the region of Ficrs a captain of the Wellingtons did the work at a very critical time when the. enemy was attempting n counter-attack from the north-west. Ju this he sva.ally assisted by a lieutenant, who showed great energy and coolness in handling '.wo platoons and in digging in on a :,;w line north of Flers in an exposed position. This young officer i. us throughout all the operations in which he lias been engaged displayed great "a'.lantrv and has been' a fine example to hU r/.en. Wounded on fialiipoli, he was -.winded again on the Somme, yet refused to so into hospital, Beyond Flers the New Zealand attack now swung towards the left Tts continuation on Ihe morning of the 10th was timed for 0.25. Just before that time the enemy counter-attacked on our with IiOO men. Their attack was beaten off without much difficulty, and ouv advance was not delayed. The Wellingtons were not "long in capturing their section of Grovf Alloy, did with little dffliculy. The attack by other troops upon the fiird Line on our right was held up. By noon the remainefei of the New Zealand attacking force moved up to continue the advance beyond the ground we had already gained, but the cheek r.n our right led to a postponement of the projected New Zealand advance During the night the New Zealandcrs dug a new trench to hold the ground they had won from the northern limit
of their advance in Gvve Alley to Box and Cox, and this trench, as well as Box and Co.v, was occupied by a Canterbury battalion.
During the attack on Grove Alley, when a Wellington company was bombed out of a section of the trench, a ltncc-corporal of, the machine gunners promptly rushed to their assistance with his gun and prevented the further advance of the enemy. He then boldly followed the enemy down the trench, and materially assisted in capturing the lust ground. Although wounded, he cor.tinv.et 1 working his gun for some time &{■ tef\7ards. It was by such initiative aid gViMmitry that \v not only won our obiutnes, but held the ground we gained. A MINOR ENTERPRISE. (in liie night of the 20th-21sl September we attempted two attacks against, the junction of. the Flers lie and Drop Alley on the Ijft, both of which met with resistance,-and for. th = time were held up. but next, day they bravely continued theii attacks in conjunction with another division. I, It was during these operations that the Canterburys so distinguished themselves. This fighting I described in a previous article, but I find that the other Canterbury? are receiving congratulationfiom their friends for the fighting sr. bravely engaged in by their confreres, I should add that they would be the lad to claim an credit for fighting in which they themselves had no hand. The enemy fought determinedly and furiously. All night long the blood struggL continued, and. though our men lost about a hundred, they had the satisfaction of inflicting much heavier casualties on the enemy. Twice the Canterbury men were driven back, and it wa., not til'- dawn when the gallant captain wh.. ha o since been decorated, rallied his nn-„ end led another charge along the ■;roiuh, that the position was finally w0,..
A sygcant of the Auckland* s.l.j„ distinguished himself in this fighting. Ho led a bombing squad with great gallantry, ano continued to thro, bombs on the enemy after he had b.or. blown off his feet by a German bom'... ur.til a "block" had. been made and tl.'' tnncn was firmly held. This mar. had previously distinguished himself in the capture _and holding Switch Trench. A private in the Canterbury* also did fl..c work in these attacks and counter-at-tacks. Three times, between 1 a.m. i.nd 5 a.m. on the 21st. he led a bombing rartv in (lie face of heavy retaliatory bombing and participated in the final success' Another sergeant in the sar.if: battalion led several bombing attacks on the threatened flank. He also bs.yonoted several men of a German machine gun crew, and. having captured the 21111. worked it with great effect against the enemy. A lance-corporal distinguished himself in the counter-attack, sticking to hi; post with great heroism under nrcssnro of the enemv, and going to the rescue of a wounded mar under heavy bond) firing. >'During the counier-aitack a private, on hi* own initiative, bombed the enemv trench for a hundred yi.rds. and killed fourteen Germans. Tie w-.s seriousl> wounded. One..if. the machine gunners, a lance-corpora;, did splendid work when the right think was ir. danger of being driven in. Quickly, and w'itliort orders from superior authority, he shifted his g.ni to the parados, at givat risk to himself from enemy si.incrs/av.d enfil.'ded tile trench ..king which the enemy was working He inflicted .great loss upon the on-coming German's, and held them Imck while the New Zealand bo'inbers were being reorganised and ..fitting 1111 a fresh supply of bombs Tlie great test of a division in such fighting as this is whether [hf ground won can be maintained. The Germans had one more go at it. op th-> afternoon of the. 21st, and they were driven off with further losses. FURTHER PROGRI'i Still swinging towards i X*\v Zealanders were no- 1 to capture a road north , Alley and Factory Cor ' ' u Fiefs support line, a >'.■• plished, to attack r . ; ne ..Jsjjtwn as, Goose AY . -otion
of a road crossing it at an acute angle. At nightfall posts were pushed on to the rising ground on our front, and a line consolidated there The attack was fixed for 12.33 p.m., and all who witnessed it were agreed that it was a thrilling sight to see the battalion going steadily forward to their objective. Again they were in luek\. way, the op--1 osition was not great, and the positions yvere seized „wjth little difficulty and with but few casualties. A lieutcn'-. cut of the Otagos did fiiy. work in the fighting for Ooose Alley He was in orrr.rnan.-l ol the leading company in [he attack, and when the position was tokc-n it was found that the unit on the left was being Jwnibcd back, with (he danger of exposing his own left flank. He at once organised a strong party with bombs, and after a stilt fight succeeded in driving off the enemy. 'He followed this up with the construction of a strong point, and afterwards there' was no more trouulc l'ron that quarter.
STIFF FIGHTING ON THE GIRD LINE. Ahead of nil these raptured positions was the Gin'. Line, already'referred to It consisted of a front trench, well wired, and a support trench, in front and to the right and left of the village of Gueudeconrt. The New Zealanderp lind to storm about a thousand yards of this l.ne away to the left of the village, between the Ligny Tiloj road and Goose /'ley, the untaken hit of which was also included in the operation. In the front line were Canterbury and Otago Battalions, the Aucklanders being in reserve. The movement'was a somewhat complicated one. there being a bend in the line, so that the infantry could not start parallel with their objective. Again out gallant fallows went forward as if on parade, slowly, and, with>head< erect, behind the barrage. Not a single man in all the lines flinched. Ar officer told me afterwards that even the men whom one thought might be wanting in courage in such a great trial went ealmiy forward like the bravest. Whatever one says about artillery winning the war, one cannot shut one's eyes to '.he fact that it is the infantryman that bears the real heat and burden of the < fight. To clamber over the parapet in broad daylight and move slowly across the open, hugging the somewhat uncertain creeping barrage of high explosive and shrapnel; and then to dive into a trench where the foo may be waiting for ycu with rifled machine gun, bomb, and bayonet, requires coolness and superb courage These qualities the 'New Zealend infantry displayed in a marked degree en the Somme. fn this particular instance their gallant bearing was so great that thev even straightend up their line as if they were really on the parade ground, with the result that some actually got into their own barrage. But, still undaunted, they marched gallantly forward." The Canterbury's got up without difficulty, and dugi in on a new line just ir. front .of the Gird Support. Less fortunate, the Aucklanders came up against barbed- wire that, in a sheltered position, had escaped the destructive fire of our artillery. Here an Auckland infantryman, when his portion of the line was held up by the barbed wire and the German machine gun fire, rushed right up in the open in front of the wire, and calmly began throwing bombs into the enemy trench. His action helped to save a critical situation. A sergeant of the same battalion went through heavy fire both ways to bring grenades up to the trench, grimly sticking to his work till the trouble was over. A sergeant of the Canterbury's, though twice buried by earth from German shell explosions, stuck to his work manfully. There was another Canterbury sergeant, who gathered about him the only men left of his Lewis gun section, and gallantly pished forward right up to the German vire, where he brought his gun into action, and was chiefly instrumental ill breaking the enemy's resistance at thai point. Then there is the stirring story of a .'.corporal in the.Otagos. When they were being badly cut up by heavy artillery and machine gun fire, he volunteered to go forward to get information. He went through a hail of machine gun bullets to within sixty yard' of the enemy's front line, and returned with the information required. Later he went out again, Finding one of our Lewis guns near the enemy's line, he returned with this information, then went back once more, took charge of the partv, and held on for thirty-eight hours until relief came. There was a private in the Canterburys who. when high ground could not be found from which to fir- his Lewis gun. knelt down and allowed it to be fired from his own back until his company was able to advance. The team had both its guns put out of action. This man then picked up a German rifle and bayonet, and went on with the first wave'of our advancing troops. After the enemy position had been captured. ho voluntarily went through the German barrage for pick? and shovels, and also to. carry messages. He made several trips backward and forward, and crowned bis daring work by helping an exhausted linesman into safety. When the Aucklanders were held u|* in front of this wire, officers and men began to fall,'but -through the lines of dead and wounded, other waves went unfalteringly forward. Eventually they gained their object, and rug in .on the Toft of the Canterburys. A company of the Otagns bombed up-Boose Alley, and succeeded in driving the Germans back to its .junction villi the Gird Trench There tiiey hoped to meet men of their own battalion, but these had not succeeded in getting up. so the Otagos put a "black" in the trench, and held on. A company of the Wellingtons was then sent up in support, and the position consolidated. •
Monmvliilr the other companies of this battalion had moved across the open, but litre again officers and men had fallen in considerable numbers under heavy artilirry and maeliinc gun fiie. ami so had been unable to reac'i tb (iinl Line. For some time tin- situation at the junction of Goose .Alley and Gird Trench remcincd obscure. Fighting continued on ratlrr unsatisfactory lines so far as we were concerned, and the -(■[•ond and fourth battalions of the Rifles were placrd with the Brigadier under whose orders this attack was born;; carried out. Finally, the situation was cleared up. fresh enmiuunicatioi; I lunches were dug to counteract an adlvar.ee still held bv the enemy, raid on the night of the 2Stli-2!)tli the Brigade (in which the casualties had considerably increased) were relieved. Some time was now spent in consolidating tlie positions gained, and here, for a time, operations remained stationary, preparatcry to another attack on the German lines.
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Taranaki Daily News, 18 January 1917, Page 6
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2,260NEW ZEALANDERS AT THE SOMME. Taranaki Daily News, 18 January 1917, Page 6
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