THE TROOPS THAT TOOK MESSINES.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1917, Page 8

THE TROOPS THAT TOOK MESSINES.

ADDRESSES P,Y THE CORPS GENERAL. (From Captain Malcolm Ross, Official Correspondent with the New Zealand Forces at the Front). France, .June IS. A fe\V days after some of our troops, tired lint victorious, came out of the line for a spell. The Corps Commander. General Godiey. took the opportunity at informal parades, of complimenting them r (><>;>. the feat ol' arms they had accomplished. I lis lirst address was to the Rifles. Ho said lie had come that day to tlianlc the ollieers, non-commissioned ollieers, and .men for what they did in the battle of Messines The part ihcy had taken in that battle had contributed in no small decree to the greatest defeat the Germans had had in this war. The British tioops had gained a most complete victory. and probably one that would have fur-reaching effects. He wished to tell them that the part they played in it was second to 110 other in tlio corps. They had performed their task with the utmost gallantry, and the attack made by them went from start to linisii without the slightest hitch. He had no hesitation in saying that 110 body of troops could have done better than the Rilles had done that day. What they had done bad led to the capture of further objectives later in the day. and., still later, to the pushing of outposts well to the south-east of Messines. Ho wished to say how greatly indebted he was to !ii;m lor llie part they had played in that battle, and also to say how proud ! lie was to have them under his command. It ivas his intention to write to his Excellency tile Governor of New Zealand and tell him what the New Zealand lliilcs had done. And he could hardly pay them a greater compliment than to fell his Excellency tliat they !y upheld the traditions of the British | Rifle Brigade, which, as they knew, had been one of the most celebrated regiments of the British army for centuries. He wished the/New Zealander.i the same success in any operations in which they might take part in the future, and he had every confidence that they would be successful. On the following,day General Godley addressed some 2000 ollieers and men of another unit. To them came the honor of capturing the key to the whole position attacked by the second army. In this they had succeeded when they captured and consolidated the foremost objective iii front of Messines. As they had been the original brigade to leave New Zealand he had asked General Russell to give them this to do, and they bad done it well. He was sure that 110 bodv of troops could have done the work better or more completely. Their dash and tl'.e manner in which they had attacked were absolutely all that could be desired, and he had 110 hesitation in savin" that the battle of Messines had set the seal upon what they had already done 'on Gallipoli and 011 the Somme. Their casualties testified to the severity of the lighting they had to do. lie greatly deplored the loss of their gallant brigadier, who was killed in the moment of victory at the head of the brigade he had so gallantly led to the top of the hill. He was a great loss to the force and also to New Zealand and to the Kmpire. There was no liner man. lie was sure they all felt liovv murh they had lost in his death and in the deaths of the other brave officers, non-com-missioned ollieers. and men who had fallen in that great victory. In conclusion ho would like, just to tell them how proud lie was to have had a hand in the raising of the first N'ew Zealand troops and in bringing them from New Zealand. l 7? was sure also that everyone in New Zealati'l would be proud to hear what had been once more by them. Personally he wished to thank them from his heart for what they had clone for the corps. . Following the General's address they marched past to the music of one of their own bands. The band was perhaps a bit ragged. There were some gaps in their ranks that had not yet been tilled i!]). They had been doing strenuous work for some time as a carrying party under fire. It is not all music with our bands when the guns begin to shoot.