NEW ZEALANDERS IN THE FRAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1918, Page 2

NEW ZEALANDERS IN THE FRAY.

HOJj».L\<,: TIJE (JAi.' AT AiIU'EKJO.'. SiiDDEN UALL TO THE FUUNU- i LINE. j (.Sppfial Dispatch from the Now Zealand Ullii-ial War Currtspoiideiit, Captain lliilcojm KussJ. ; April 21. V/hilo sojiie of the Now Zeaiaiuiei-s have boon engaged in assisting i» stein i the Cerinan onslaught on Amiens, otheru ' of their comrades, including the entrenching battalion, cyclists, and some of the artillery, have- been hotly engaged ' in the northern battle. All these, though i some of them were not greatly experienced in active warfare—for they included reinfoKucmonls and even cooks— : have worthily upheld the traditions of E the New Zealand Force- \ For some time now there has been a i camp in France through which our rein- [ forcements Alter. Its eomraandant fought > on fiallipoli, and though lie limps about f with a rattier badly shatteied leg he is ■ one of our keenest soldiers. Therefore [ when the call came to bring up rein- \ forcements ho was in Jus element, his \ only regret being that lie would not be allowed to take a. command i„ the'field. The enemy was trying to open out the gap at iieteron, north of Bailleul, and f tiie New Zealanders had to he ready in [ six hours. They were brought up in t husos. At first they were employed \ digging at posts, and strong points I which (hoy did under machine-gun fire. I but there was not nmch shelling. Later, j - when the enemy, taking all risks, at- i : templed to push forward ijuicklv,' our j ■ men combined with the English 'troops ! :ind helped to stop Win rust/near Voi-v- j 1 en just as the situation was becomin" I •■ dangerous. Two <l avs later. j„, ( . : ° ; they wore on the point of m'akiii" a ii I • attack, they found that their fianlAvas j dangerously threatened, and they Jiad to , fall hack on a line previously selected, j One small body were cut off hv the one- ! my, and probably are all prisoners. All ' this time there was still fighting. ANOTHRR CALL ON NEW ZEALAND, j On April ]4 the situation fluid become j obscure and difficult, and another cull ! reached the camp, that more men were needed. Among the men left were some of the artillery reinforcements. The situation was explained to these, and they e), e erfully and unanimously volunteered to fight as infantrymen. ' Within threcriuarters of an hour thev were [ equipped as such, paraded, and given hricl instructions in musketry, bayonet 1 [ fiehtiiig, and outpost work. '.Some few I of the artillerymen who nonld not be I spared from the horse lines petitioned to (! join their comrades, and to the I action of others (including unlit men) volunteering to work double time and look after horses those artillervmen "'ad if then- wish gratified. Within* twenty- f tour hours they were, on their way to the Mefercn front. Arrived there, 'they ' found that the situation had so improved that their services were not re-' t i]U>red except for traffic control and such work. Their disappointment was keen. Hiiiing a hurried visit to the northern bntflefroiit I saw the English commander under whom these New Zealanders !"i'l fought, and found him enthusiastic * ■tnnnf. all thev had done- "For -several days," l, e said, "they fought ma<mifi. eeiirly. and they also dug fine (renclies. nicy killed an enormous number of Bodies." r The cyclists and some of the mounted men also fought in the battle and had plenty of shooting as the enemy came on through the open farmlands. FINE WORK OF THE GUNNERS. "Meanwhile. a little farther afield the New Zealand artillery was distinguishing itself under extraordinary circumstances in the same battle. Ravine- received word of an impending attack "they barrnged the enemy's front before his advance commenced. Later i u the day they suddenly foiind themselves without onv of their own infantry in front of them and saw the Herman waves a,], yiuieing ~,)„„ (}„,,„. <,„,, ~,,t (m, fi] . ed its guns over open sig'hts upon the enemy till the latter got within five hundred yards, and until it was almost snr | rounded. While some of the gun, were hr.ng right abend, others were slowed round until (hey were actually firing in jvar of the battery's il an k. ' Some of tie (.ornian machine-gunners were seen to advance and occupy a house. The New Zealand gunners promptly trained their g„,,s on that bouse and blow it to bits. Then thev dismantled (heir own guns of all the removable parts so (hat they could not be used by the enemy. By all the rules of the game the personnel of the battery should now I have bee,, taken prisoner or killed or " wounded, hut these gallant follows were not to be so easily got. They had in " 'he meantime halved some of the Lewi* l puns ami rifles, and now proceeded to li'/hT Iheir way back a* infantrymen, which they did successfully, but not ah together without loss. One would have thought that by this time they inHit very well have heen nromptod'io rest on their achievements. Not so. Before long they were supplied with new suns and within twelve hours thev were in action again with those. The other batlorics fought, a rearguard action back to the new positions without the loss of a. single gim, and the whole are still shooting with much success in a very warm comer of the battlefield.