TALE OF THE AUSTRALIANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 March 1919, Page 5

TALE OF THE AUSTRALIANS.

' BROKEN BATTALIONS MUTINY. OVER A BUNGLING ORDER. (Received March 5, 10.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 5. 'The Sun's London representative reveals an hitherto untold story of how eight battalions of the Australian army refused to comply with an order to disband, oipanised themselves under elected commanders, and sustained themselves until the officers were restored and fresh fighting began. It appears that towards the end of September, after victoriously battering the German lines on a twenty-mile front, the corps felt it urgently needed rest, which was promised after all the important offensives agdinst the Hindenburg line, but the men keenly resented the order to disband eight battalions, whose numbers were terribly thinned, and possibly could not muster five hundred all told. Tho thinned battalions wera lined up and ordered to report to the other units. The men refused to obey, left the parade ground, and returned to camp. The officers were withdrawn. But the mutinous units ctuld not be arrested, as time was pressing and the corps was due to stem the battle. Arguments failed, except with one battalion, which was unable to resist the appeal of ftigadier-General Elliott. It defied authority until the time arrived to leave their packs to march to battle. Then they paraded obediently. The strike of the remaining units continued for several days. The divisional staff stopped all supplies, yet the men lacked nothing. Every camp was well supplied by sympathetic units. The men elected their own officers and organised drills and maintained perfect discipline, until the authorities, realising they bad bungled, ordered the officers to return to the broken battalions, which had fought so well against the Hindenburg and the Beaurevoir lines.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn,