THE NEW ZEALANDERS IN FRANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 October 1918, Page 6

THE NEW ZEALANDERS IN FRANCE.

ANOTHER SPLENDID ADVANCE SCENES IN THE CAPTURED VILLAGES. (Cpccial Dispatch from the Official New Zealand War Correspondent.) October 23. The New Zealanders have made an-> other splendid advance in a battle which was recommenced by the British annies this morning. The Canterbury and Otago troops assembled across the Selle River, just south of Solesmes. and after waiting for a short initial advance by an English division that had been holding the line they went forward at 8.40 a.m., following a destructive barrage that made hundreds of the enemy take to flight. Prisoners soon began to come back. They were a mixed lot, and very dejected. They had been told that Germany had agreed to all om; demands, and they wondered why we were still fighting. Passing on, the New Zealanders crossed a small stream, and, still meeting • with slight opposition, readied their first objective shortly after noon, forward and to the right of the village of Vertain. Ahead lay an obstacle in the 'shape of a stream of considerable size, named St. Georges. There the bridges were blown up, but the troops, making light of difficulties, reached the other side with but few casualties, and after an hour's pause proceeded to exploit A'hsir success towads another stream—the River Kcallon, with steep banks and a considerable flow of water. Ahead lay Etaudignies, and beyond that Quesloy, with its old wall fortifications. In nil we have advanced today 0000 yards, and the battalions that took the first objective arc still strong enough to go on again to-morrow. It lias been a line day's work. Other divisions which were engaged in the battle have iilso done well, and there lias been a big haul of prisoners. DEVILISH BRUTALITIES REVEALED The weather, which lias been dull and wet, cleared last evening. This morning the battlefield was veiled in mist, but later the sun shone out, and everyone was in high fettle with our success. Continuous streams of traffic, unhindered by the enemy's shelling or aeroplanes, poured along trie roads, and regimental bands, stationed at intervals, played stirring tunes as the troops marched to victory. Our New Zealand artillery did excellently. They were in a position to the south-east of Soiesmes, and, having fired from there till (1 a.m.. they limbered up and dashed forward to shoot for an advance on the next objective. For this shoot the battlers had three hundred and fifty rounds of ammunition already dumped. In Solesmes one found ample evidence of the devilish destruetiveness of the Hun. Houses had been looted, and much which could not be carried away had been smashed. A large number of civilians who were left behind an gathered in groups to-day, and they are somewhat dn/.ed with the sudden change. They have watched for hours our troops and traffic streaming past, and some of them recognised among the returning prisoners German officers and men who, but a little while before, had treated them brutally. Some of the civilians could only with difficulty be restrained from using violence upon one man who, only a, few days back, had kicked a little girl in the street because she did not get out of his way. But the saddest incident of all was that of a gendarme, returning to his own town. He had bad no news for four years of his wife, who lived there, but to-day ha learned that before the German departure her two children had been locked in a room while she was gagged and outraged by German soldiers, .and as a result of her ili-lreatment she was already dead. When I expressed doubts to some civilians who told m? this story, they took me to the doctor who had attended the woman, and he confirmed the statement in its entirety. He did his best to save her life, but failed. Fines •were imposed on civilians for trivial and even imaginary offences. The treatment of British prisoners was brutal, and they were made to work at trench-digging and wiring tinder shelllfireA HEAVY BLOW. Oct. 23 (midnight)'. The enemy has had a heavy blow today. The Otago and Canterbury troops, continuing their dashing advance this evening, secured the bridgeheads of the Ecallon River intact, and they have detachments across the river, and are advancing on to the high ground to the eastward. Oct. 24. Further details of yesterday's fighting add to the admiration of the splendid feat of the South Islanders, who advanced so far, and eventually, under cover of. darkness,., stormed the Ecallon bridgeheads. In addition to the artillery, the Canterbury and Auckland ma-chine-gun companies greatly helped the infantry in their advance. In front of the. Ve.rtigneu village, which wc captured ep.rlv in the day, our machine-gunners drove their limbers right up into action, and in very quick time had their guns off the limbers and were firing a barrage in front, of the advancing infantry. They were absolutely racing, and their perforannce was particularly brilliant. Later thev made a further advance to ; protect our right flank, which was in the air; our infantry, at one time, hold- ; in« 2000 vards beyond their boundaryA "famous "division ort our left, kept well nhcad of the New Zeaanders, the Gordons espeeialv distinguishing themselves The Canterbury and Otago men, moving forward to the high ground ahead, still ,vet with opposition from the German machine-gunners on the right, but one company was swung round to keep the enemy down while another, on the left, kept'advancing fill it reached the outskirts of Beaudignes. on the banks ot the Ecallon River ahead. Here they were held up bv machine-gun fire. Later on wo secured the two bridgeheads, the enemy having u cen driven off. , A BRAVE MAN'S DEATH. Then the enemy camo back again, and here a very wave New Zealand soldier was killed.' In the gathering darkness ho saw some men, and not being quite sure about them, he called upon them to surrender. A German, drawing a revolver, fired and shot him dead. The enemy were, however, soon driven off, and the Otago and Canterbury men went on and held the high ground beyond the river. More machine-run -hnncwitioti Was met in t-ho 'Witness from the top of the plnrie, but this morning our men went for rV rf -»„. i pffor luflietinir r-c-nHi"". dvoyc him nfT wc rnfir'e'., ThiriT"li"u!v the •far yThc-n-rf ■woto ;;•;;; jnj^yats^lrat* not !n largf ■'

numbers, as there were none in our lino of advance. Last evening the groom of an Otago battalion commander banded over one small batch he had rounded up, and this morning a batch of over 80, including three officers, who were hardly pressed, hoisted a white flag and came in with packs up. X-ast night the Otago uiou captured battalion commanders, huskies machine-guns, our captures for tne day included one battery of 5.9 guns, one of 4.2 guns, and one (1-inch gun. A Ger man intelligence report was captured giving the positions of the divisions in our line. It specifies the New Zealandcrs as a tired and worn-out division.