THE ANZAC FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 March 1917, Page 5

THE ANZAC FRONT.

CIIHEHFUL SPIRIT, r "X) "RADIO FIGHTIXG. London, Marfh 1. -\ir Russell, Reuter's correspondent at British Headquarters in France, wrote the following article for the "United Service" on February 20:— "Sir William Robertson, the Chief of the General Stall', is credited with the remark: Whenever I want cheering up, I visit the 'British front.' Living as "l do permanently at the British front, I ought to be pretty- cheerful, according to Sir "William Robertson's formiia, but whenever I want to court an outburst of higher spirits 1 go to'see my o'd friends the Anzacs, with whom,l was at Gallipoli. ''Yesterday I indulged in this tonic visit. The weather was cheerless, a hare thaw and a heavy grey inis f , coming _ to present the iSomme landscape at its worst. But nothing which the most outrageous conspiracy of the thermometer and barometer accomplishes damps the contagious cheerfulness of the warriors from down under. 'Cold? Yes. Blooming uncomfortable!' they admitted, and added immediately, 'liie health of the A.I.F. is never better than during a hard frost. Trench feet aro scarcely known, and pneumonia and bronchitis not above normal. Tho explanation, surely-, lies in the hardiness of the race, tfte excellence'iof 'grub,' the abundance of warm clothing, .pnd the skill in applying lessons of experience., "The momentary appearance of the' sun, dim and wan and watery, was hailed with merry derision.

"One soldier remarked, 'lf that's the 'sun, it ought to go back again until it's strong enough to be ' allowed outalone.'

•'Along the Anzac front the battle blazes Up from time to time, with frequent and _ considerable spells of quiet. _ 'Tlicre is much trench-mortar activity, of which preponderance is altogether on our side. The raiding system of warfare suits the Wallaby temperament, 11 n d is correspondingly execrated by the folios. I found here, as everywhere on the West front, nowadays, the",confirmed conviction tljat our army can go through the German lines whenever the timers opportune.

''The fighting east- of Gueudecburt in the beginning of February was the hardest of .the year for the Amines, and was mainly sustained by the QtiecnslanuerK and New South Welshmen. In one attack 'these killed GO Germans in the onslaught, and took ;>4 prisoners. In another the totals were 70 and .50. The enemy fought hard, but the most formidable of Ills counter-attacks was cut off by the Australian artillery and wiped out. "There were fierce bombing .contests, especially on the night of February 3. The Germans were always bombed out, and once an entire party was annihilated by a shower of hand grenades. It was a great fight—or rather a series of fidit*—in which the .glorious motto, 'Advance was realised. "There is much digging and improving of positions, and the pioneer battalions have advanced tile road construction Kpleii'iiilly, and tile great evil, mud, is steadily being overcome, "livery effort is made to beguile the tedium in ar.d out of the trenches. Cinemas and canteens are run liberally, and football matches occur daily. 'I am informed that the returning new drafts are arriving satisfactorily, and the new material is splendid. The Anzacs are training in every form of modern warfare. ' '

'"Visiting the scenes of last year's great Anzae battles is an unfailing source of recreation to newcomers, but tho battle, is becoming increasingly difficult to reconstruct, because Pdziores, iloquet Farmland the Windmill and Cemetery are now mere names, to which no material semblance is left to give meanipa. 1 '