SPLENDID TRIBUTE.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 February 1919, Page 5

SPLENDID TRIBUTE.

. t0 H£W ZEALAND DIVISION. •UNSURPASSED RECORD." Deaiwmg a special frame for itu% and a place on tho walls of overy bur rack room, drill hall, and school in Net Zealand tor all time I is the final divl sional order issued at Headquarters if France on December 9, 1918, on the ocea sion of the departure of the New Ze» land Division from the Fourth Arm; Corps, of which it formed part. The or der is as follows: VALEDICTORY. v ' Thi/fof'owing letter of farewell froa Lieut ?nans-General Sir G. H. Harptl K.C.P., D.5.0., commanding the FourtJ Army Corps, is published for genera' information: "As the New Zealand Division is leav ing the Fourth Corps I desire to plaa on lewrd my appreciation of the valu able KTvices they have rendered, and t» thank ail ranks for the magnificent fight ing qualities they have invariably displayed. "The Division joined the Fourth Corpt at a critical time on March 26, 1918, when it completely checked the enemy'* advance at, Beaumont Hamel and Colin* camps, and thus closed the gap between the Foi.vth and Fifth Corps. By a brilliant stroke it drove the enemy from the commanding ground at La Signy Farm, urd gained observation over the enemy'= lines which greatly assisted in his defeat on April 5,1918, when he made his laßt and final effort to break our front. Throughout the summer the Division held portions of the corps front with but a short interval for rest. Dur* ing this period I never had the least anxisty I'.bout the security of this portions of the front; on the other hand, by raid*, ihe enemy was given little respite, and identifications were procured whenever r.'qmed. In this connection I deplore the loss of that brave man, Sergeant Travis, V.U "It whs the ascendancy gained by tills Division over the enemy that compelled him to evacuate the ground round Rossignal Wood, •'At the commencement of the great attack on August 21, 1918, only a minor part waa allotted to the Division, but subsequently, on the night of Auguat 'l4, the Division was ordered to attack, una .twipt the enemy from Grevillors, LoupiKt Wood, and Biefvilleis, and gainoutskirts of Bapaume. Stubborn lighting was experienced around Bapaunia, hut eventually the enemy was overo'-.jm.ynnd pushed back to the east. "From August 24 till September U the division was constantly engaged, and drove the enemy back from Bapaume to the high ground west of Gouieaucourt, where very heavy fighting occurred at African Trench. After a short period of rest the Division was put in again on September 29 to complete the capture of Welsh Ridge and to gain the crossings over the Canal de l'Escaut. A night advance over difficult country, intersected by the trenches and wire of the Hindenburg line, was brilliantly carried out and entirely successful, and resulted in the capture of over 1000 prisoners and over 40 guua. On October 1 the Division captured Crevecoeur against strong opposition, and held it in spite of heavy shelling and several counter-attacks throughout the subsequent days until the great attack on October 8, when the division broke through the northern portion of the strongly organised Masnieres line, and penetrated far into the enemy's line at Esnes and Haucourt. "Going out to rest on October 12, .he Division was again in the line on October Z'i, and drove the enemy back from the outskirts of Romeries to La Quesnoy. Finally, on November 4, the division, by an attack which did much to decide the finish of the war, forced the surrender of the fortress of Le Quesnoy, and drove the enemy back through the forest of Mormal, the total captures by the Fourth Corps on that day amounting to 3500 prisoners and some 70 guns. "During the period the New Zealand Division has been in the Fourth Corps, they have captured from the enemy 2S officers and 8745 other ranks, 145 guns, 1419 machine-guns, and 3 tanks, besides much other material. "The continuous successes enumerated above constitute a record of which the Division may well be proud. It is a record which I may safely say has been unsurpassed in the final series of attack* which led to the enemy's suing for peace. "In conclusion, I wish to thank you and your staff for the willing support which you have invariably given, and the helpfulness Bhown in nil circumstances. "I send every man of the Division my heartfelt good wiahoa for the future."