AHEAD OF ADVANCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 245, 16 October 1944, Page 6

AHEAD OF ADVANCE

PARTY OF ENGINEERS

NEW ZEALANDERS' 'RECORD'

(X.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent)

ADRIATIC, Oct. 15

The New Zealand engineers have a reputation for keeping up with the forward troops, but during the present advance one bridge-building party unwittingly created what must be some sort' of a record. Shortly after the advance started an engineer company receiver" orders to throw a Bailey bridge across the Fiumecino River Reconnaissance and working parties piled on to their trucks and after travelling by r. circuitous route through muddy lanes found themselves on the banks of a stream. Everything was quiet, not even hostile shelling, and after inspecting the stream there was little to do except wait the arrival of the bridging trucks with heavy gear. The men therefore, lit up and took things easy They saw a movement in the fields behind them and discovered men in full battle order advancing in sections, while one covered the other. It Avas as pretty an exhibition of classic army manoeuvre, known as fire with movement, as anyone could wish. , ... "It's a hell of a place for battle practice," commented one engineer as the helmeted figures approached. "What are you blokes up to," he asked. " , "We're not just mucking about, replied a Bren gunner as he flopped behind cover. "We've got to cross that creek, that's our objective." The engineers then discovered that they had been ahead of the advance by some hundreds of yards, and by the time they had thrown their bridge across a couple of hours later the enemy had convinced them that they were in a very forward area.