BRAVE AND DEVOTED.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1918, Page 5

BRAVE AND DEVOTED.

SPLENDID AUSTRALIANS. FIXE STORIES FROM FRANCE. Official Correspondent with the A.I.F. London, June 19. Many stories are told of individual bravery and devotion of Australian officers and men during the last advance of the Australians along the ridge between the Ancre and the Soiume. To understand the particular dangers through which the company and platoon leaders were called to guide the men in that twilight attack, you must visualise a heavy accompanying shrapnel barrage through which men, accustomed to patrol work at night in No Man's Land were liable to rush forward too hastily, and also the heavy cover of grain crops hiding enemy machinepuns, which were most difficult to scotch without severe losses. The West Australians, on the left attack, tell of a one-armed captain who went out to the attack carrying only a walkingstick at the head of the advancing wave. In order to kec-p his men well up !o th? barrage, and at the same tim? to prevent them from running into it, he walked ahead, often with his hack to the enemy, regulating the line with his stick like the conductor of an orchestra. He brought through the company on the smallest of casualties, and was himself unscratehed till the following day, when he was wounded by a sniper.

RUSHED THE GUN. During the same company's advance a machine-gun untouched by the barrage, resumed firing. Three men—a sergeant, a corporal, and a private—rushed the gun from the flanks, and by this prompt manoeuvre saved many lives. To the right were the Queensianders, on whose front the German machinegunners fought to the last. One crew of desperate men brought up a nmcliine-gun in the open and fired on the Australians through the 'barrage. plainly seen through the shrapnel curtain. A company leader turned to his sergeants. "Queenslandev?/ lie said, "arc you game?'' They understood and nodded, and without further words three rushed through the barrage direct on the gun All were wounded with the flying shrapnel, but they destroyed the gun and crew. One of the sergeants later died of his wounds. An officer with a bad gasli in his shoulder continued to lead his men. He could no leave them through the next day's heavy enemy bombardment, and only went to hospital 36 houts later, when the wound, not properly attended., wa9 growing dangerous-

FEATS BEYOND PIUrSK A South Australian battalion on the right of the attack tells how a private, often in trouble for petty delinquencies' led the attack up a strong German trench when the platoon officer was u casualty and the platoon non-coms. fell. This man himself led the way up the trench, where the enemy stoutly resisted with bomb and bayonet, sometimes firing his rifle from the hip. He drove back the German defence over a hundred yards of the stillest hand-to-hand fighting, killing himself at least ir> of the enemy before they were routed. He led the platoon to the objective line, organised it, and stuck to it for the two following days. There are no words fit to praise men like these. The whole battalion rings with it. These actions show up against a background of the extraordinary devotion and enthusiasm of every man engaged. People beyond sight of these divisions, find it hard tn believe, perhaps, that after long experience of the wan these men are still eager and almost exultant at the prospects of making an attack. The only explanation is the high moral built up on the confidence and affection for the commanding officers, and the universal pride among the men in their country, their reputation, I and their individual battalions.

BOLTED FROM SOFT JOB. A Queensland private was detached and held a soft job at the baths. He heard that his battalion was goini in to the attack, and he absented himself without leave, joined his battalion, and took part in the assault with his comrades. A corporal of the same battalion who was away at a training school went away without leave and readied his battalion, to find, to his intense disappointment, that the attack was over. An officer some days before the battle was hit on the head with a piece of uas shell, and was sent to the base hospital, He heard that his battalion had gone over the top, and begged to be allowed to return, as his wound had healed. The hospital refused. Thereupon, knowing that an Australian airman was flying to an aerodrome near the front, he escaped from 'hospital, joined the airman, and flew with him to the Australian area, there he rejoined his battalion.