N.Z. DIVISION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3147, 27 July 1917, Page 6

N.Z. DIVISION

ITS FAIR FAME AT THE FRONT

BATTLE OP MESSINES

LETTER FROM GENERAL GODLEY

Gooil news of our division at the front was contained in a letter from General Uodley, extracts from which were read to the House of -Representatives yesterday by the Defence Minister. The* letter ran as follows:—

"You will have henrd long before this of the brilliant capture of Messines by the New Zealand Division. It was quite one of the best tilings that lias been done in this war, and I was very glad to have been so able to arrange the distribution of the units of my corps that the taking of Messines fell to my old division. The casualties, I am glad to say, ale not nearly so heavy as down on the Sonuno, and I was able to pull the division out again fairly soon. Our greatest loss was Brown, who had already proved himself a most excellent brigadier, and is a very great loss to New Zealand and to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He would have gone far. He, and Russell and Ralph Beetham were jtanding together quite close to Messines, when a shrapnel burst over them, killing Brown instantaneously by cutting his jugular vein, wounding Beetham, while Russell fortunately was untouched. But 'the latter was hit this morning by a sniper; while visiting his front. The bullet went through his steel helmet, but this fortunately deflected it, and he has only a comparatively slight scalp wound, which will soon be all right. I am very thankful that he came safely through these two narrow escapes. I am very sorry, about S. A. Atkinson's death. He had 'already proved himself an excellent officer,' and I should be glad if you would tell his relatives so. father M'Menamin is a great loss, too. Stewart, the Canterbury College professor, who commands the 2nd Canterbury Regiment, was wounded, but I hope not badly. Also Bob Allen, of Auckland, commanding tho Ist Auckland Regiment. "This Battle of Messines has been quite the greatest success of the war so far. Everything werit exactly as planned, and all the barrages and various stages exactly up to time-table, with the result that the Boche was never really able to make a etnnd when tackled by our mngnijieent infantry. Tho explosions of the mines and the violence of the. artillery bombardment were really beyond description, and how any living soul could exist through it is almost incomprehensible. But there is no doubt that the Germans are extraordinarily brave fighters, and we havo been very heavily counter-at-tacked during the last two days, and as T write wo j\re trying to dislodge two 'pockets' of them who are holding out in park of the captured trendies. "The battle is by no means yet over, and I am very busy with plans for the further exploitation of our success, so nu:st eton now. ■■.

"I cannot tell you how proud I am to have had command of the New 7/°nland Division, and to still have it with me. Ton may fell the people of Now Zealand with authority that there is no division in the British Armies in France which has a higher reputation."