Exservicemen's Corner A GUNNER'S MEMOIRS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 159, 6 July 1940, Page 5 (Supplement)

Exservicemen's Corner A GUNNER'S MEMOIRS

THOSE now enrolling for ser--1 vice overseas with the 2nd New Zealand Division will be interested in Gunner's" short description of the last few days that the 2nd New Zealand Artillery Brigade was in action in France in 1918. "The brigade at the beginning of November was in position supporting the infantry north-east of. Beaudignies. On the morning of November 4, the attack that enveloped Le Quesnoy commenced at 5.30 a.m. The batteries of the 2nd Brigade had put 500 rounds of ammunition per gun on the battery positions with smoke shell in addition. The Gei mans had been nervously awaiting the attack for some time and it looked as '*5 there were a greater number of flare pistola in the front line than usual. The barrage map gave the British artillery their barrage course in a curve round Le Quesnoy, care being taken that this town, immediately to fall into our hands, should not be damaged. "The advance went well, and Le Quesnoy was surrounded, though it was stoutly held by an enemy garrison who were not overcome until later. The 2nd Artillery Brigade party reconnoitring an advance went forward from the batteries at 9.30 a.m., and chose a position 3000 yards east of Le Quesnoy, and the batteries were that afternoon brought up this position, a movement that entailed care being taken to see that the

Tough Days At Le Quesnoy

batteries did not, on the move, expose themselves unnecessarily to tlie machine- , gun fire from <iie walls of Le Quesnoy. That afternoon then, the field artillery following the infantry, were well ahead of Le Quesnoy, while that town still held out behind. "The following day, November 5, saw the batteries on the move again after firing a barrage from 5.30 a.m. onwards. The day was one of pouring rain and the advance was through the Forest de Mormal. The forest was partly standing and partly felled, with great piles of cut-up wood, and artillerymen in particular will appreciate the difficulties that day of the batteries in the bush with the rain pouring down and the roads destroyed at all important points by the retreating army. Finally a position was occupied about 4 p.m., almoet in the centre of the forest. Shocking Weather "On the morning of November 6 our battery fired barrage fir<> for some time from 6 a.m. As the rain had not ceased for a moment and was still pouring down, the conditions were, if anything, worse than they had been the afternoon before. The unfortunate gun teams wrestled continuously with the problem of getting some sort of firm ground from which to fire. The bright spot was that the enemy battery on the left flank had

been captured or had retired during the night; at any rate, it was not in evidence in the morning. "Moving forward during the day we had, with others, to build a makeshift bridge over a stream that in dry weather would be merely a brook, but which that day was a raging torrent. The bridge had, of course, been destroyed by the enemy. Finally we got a bridge thrown over it consisting of lengths and pieces of wood and branches of trees all lashed together with such ropes and cordage as we could lay our hands on, and over this ramshackle structure we managed to get our guns. One section of the battery had gone forward earlier by some other route, and the two other sections crossed this bridge in column of route guns to the front. "We got our four guns over while the bridge was rapidly disintegrating. Two ammunition wagons followed, and then the next wagon went over the side of the dilapidated bridge into the water, team and all. The drivers scrambled up leading their horses, and another wagon was brought on to the bridge. It also failed to get over, sticking half way, with the bridge no longer usable at all. The guns, with the two ammunition wagons that were over the stream, went on, and the remaining wagons, and, unfortunately, the Cape cart with the rations, were left on the wrong side.

"Finally the battery came into position at seven o'clock that evening in pitch dark on the eastern edge of the forest. It was still raining without

signs of a break, but some elielter was got that night in houses of a little settlement there, whose inhabitants were overjoyed at the arrival of the Allied 'forces. We got five guns only in position that evening, as one was 6tuck in a mudhole and could not be shifted even though we put 12 horses into it and used man-power on the drag ropes as well; the horses were too cold and wet to pull. "The rations arrived in time for breakfast through very fine work during the night by two cooks. They had gone to the officer in charge of the wagon lines and demanded from him a six-horse team and drivers, and with this enormous team they brought the Cape cart (normally a one-horse vehicle) by some round-about way through the bush, eventually finding the battery in time to put on for breakfast the night be fore's dinner of fresh meat and 'doings' generally. On that day, November 7, another brigade went | through the 2nd New Zealand Brigade as advance guard artillery, and -that morning was the last time that our battery was in action." The spirit that overcomes hardships and difficulties in surely as strong now as ever it was. The soldiers of the last war look to the young men of to-day not to waste time in building up a division that will rank with the old Ist Division in spirit and fighting ability.