FOILED GERMAN RAIDERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 May 1917, Page 7

FOILED GERMAN RAIDERS.

EOW THE NEW ZEALASiBBRS STEMMED A 2RBBH. IMMEDIATE AWAKDS TC>R VALOE. (From Malcolm Ross, War Correspondent with tho N.Z. Forces in the Held). Northern France, March 4. About a week ago, shortly before dawn, the enemy suddenly opened a fierce homhardment upon the front and support lines of some trenches that the New Zealanders happened at o moment to he holding. A few machine-gun-ners, some men with Lewis gun;, and a few infantry were in that particular sector. The bombardment lasted for an hour, and there could be no doubt that it presaged a raid. It was just after 5 o'clock in the morning when the strainin? eyes of our look-outs saw between ninety and a hundred Germans following their bombardment across Nd-Man's Land. But out of that lot only six ever reached our front line, and of those six, one, mortally wounded by our Jlre, was taken prisoner. The enemy had come over for identifications, which iio probably got. But the New Zealanders stood , their ground with a gallantry, endurance ' and devotion to duty worthy of the highest praise, and while the Germans got their identification we also succeeded in getting ours. Among t/ose who stuck it out during the severe bombardment and showed the greatest gallantry was Pte. Leonard Ross Dickinson. He was with a Lewis-guu detachment on the left, and it was his lot that suffered most from the bombardment. Out of five men three were killed and one wounded by a minuenwerfer that exploded near the gun position. slMckiuson, who was the. remaining man left, stusjc to his position throughout, and was largely instrumental in driving the enemy back. With the utmost disregard of danger he continued firing until his magazines ran out.

William Elliot Gordon, a Lewis gunner, was the first to see the enemy approaching across Np-Man"s Land in dim light. Immediately he gave the alarm, and at once turned his gun on the enemy. Throughout the whole bombardment and attack he displayed great courage, initiative and devotion to duty. John T. Clearwater, who was in command of a night poet during the raid showed great bravery and coolness. /When a few of the enemy entered the trench he checked their progress and drove them back, showing an utter contempt of danger and setting a fine example to his men.

Pte. Frederick Andrew Brill kept his machine-gun in action throughout the j raid, and, after two of the men had been [wounded, repelled a bombing attack from the rear. He it was who shot the German who was taken prisoner, by means of which the identfteation of the attacking regiment was obtained. All these men were recommended for immediate reward, and each of them has received the military medal. "YOU'RE A DAMNED PINE LOT!" The other day, during a visit to the, front, I saw eom6 of the men who were in this encounter. The General Was having a look at their dugouts, and, learning that they were the men who had behaved so gallantly, he called up a corporal who was standing by. "You are the men who were in the raid the other night," he said. "Yes, sir," replied the corporal. "Wpll, you did splendidly," added the General. "We're very proud of our machine-gunners', sir," was all the corporal said. "You're a damned fine lot," remarked the General, as he turned on his heel and went his ways. As the corporal saluted I could see his eyeß become moist at the compliment he had received from his General, and, as I followed along the trench, I could hear the corporal proudly repeating to the men of his platoon the Genoral's last remarks, with, if anything, a little more emphasis on the adjective. It was but a little incident in a three hours' walk at the front on a pleasant day, (but there was something intensely human in it, and the compliment rang so true that it fixed itself in the memory of those who were privileged to hear it. OTHER (AWARDS.

The system of immediate awards, which, of late, our army has instituted, is, without doubt, an excellent one, and one that will help us on to victory. Not only is it an incentive to further gallant deeds and devotion to duty on the part of tho recipients of the awards, but it is an Incentive and an inspiration to tho Whole of the unit concerned. Three other instances of similar awards may well he mentioned. Corporal John M'Quillan* during a heavy bombardment, and in' spite of minnen*erfer toombs and shrapnel Are that was bursting about him, kept his trench mortar in action for 45 minutes', and fired over a hundred rounds into No-Man's-Land on an advancing enemy attempting a raid, thus assisting materially in their defeat. This corporal, in the words of the official recognition, has shown great courage and fine powers of leadership. Sergeant Walter James Murray, with a rifleman who was afterwards -killed in tho bombarAmentj opened Are on an advancing raiding party that was .on the point of wmihg over the parapet, and, at great personal risk, continued till they turned and fled. He had already done gallant work in a raid on the Somme, in September, and his»courage has always been an inspiration to his men.

Sergeant Adrian John Mason', when the Battery to which he is attached waa under heavy fire, did a heroic thing. Three men were wflunded, two of them seriously, in a billet close by, He went alono to the billet, bandaged the wounds of the three men, and got two of them away. The thiud man he carried on his back, a distance of three huhdred yards to safety. He undoubtedly saved their lives. He has been conspicuous for acts of gallantry on other occasions as well.