BAPAUME BATTLEFIELD.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1918, Page 5

BAPAUME BATTLEFIELD.

WHAT THE AUSTRALIANS Dll\ ' / (Deputy Commonwealth Official Correspondent). London, March 27. An Australian engineering unit wit- , n&ssed and took part in several stages of . the Briteli armies' defence and retire- » ment actoss the Bap an me battlefield. " during the past five days. These engin- ; ! eers suffered some gas casualties in the preliminary German bombardment of the r battle zone east of Bapaurfe. Subsequently they saved and entrained useful army stores ahead of the German advance. Some of these men were probably among the last through Bapaume on Sunday. On Sunday night they as* ; - sisted in" digging a temporary defence line across tho old scarred field of Pozieres. Ahead of the retiring infantry they saved what stores and ammunition were transportable, and blew up many"' dumps which it wfe impossible to re* » move. They say that they accompanied!. tho British infantry, retiring under or-' ;l der, weary, but in good order and spirits. 'They were much cheered at tho sight of • , large numbers of heavy guns saved and travelling westwards. Bodies of our in-* ' fantry frequently stopped and washed ; themselves in shell-hotes and ate their tucker. The general greeting among them was: "We will catch the Bodies' soon on chosen ground." Enemy shelling was mostly absent. Occasionally it, was aimed at the roads ahead. * On Monday the roads leading into ; Bapaume carried massed German trans- ' port. Tho country between the roads; & ! great desolated open plain, was observed • to be covered with enemy troops- Thi» '■■! was a magnificent target for our airman bombing and machine-gunning. Australian aeroplanes participated. Every ' machine flying low loosed bombs and emptied bullet drams. There waa severe air fighting where the enemy 'piaaes interfered. One Australian alone sJidt; ; down tbrea enemy*nrachmes on Monday. Several others are also reported to«teuw shot down enemy fliers.