FROM THE FIGHTING FRONT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3172, 24 August 1917, Page 5

FROM THE FIGHTING FRONT

. • . — 4 - NEWS OF THE DIVISION EOURTH BRIGADE UNDER ' FIRE LETTER FROM GENERAL GODLEY Good news of tho doings of the New Zealand Division on the West front was contained in a letter from General Godley, dated Juno 10, read in the House of Representatives yesterday by tho Defence Minister. The letter runs:— ; "The Tunnelling Company did very well in the Arras Battle, and gained great kudos. Of tho other New Zealand/units besides tho division, our Army Field Artillery Brigado was also under my command, and did very well, and I am glad to say the 4th Brigade also arrived just in tine for tho battle. It was most useful iin supplying carry-' ing parties and doing road work, etc., during the first few days, and I then put it into a defensive bit of the line, from which it has since advanced a little, and taken 6ome German, trenches. A patrol from it did a very good piece of work last night, crossing a pontoon bridgo over tho Eiver Lys, penetrating into a villago and bringing back some prisoners. Altogether the brigade has excellently nudergoue its baptism of fire." "Well done, the Fourth Brigade 1" interpolated Sir James Allen. - Mr. W. H. Field: What reinforcement iwns that? Sir James Allen: It was the.now brigade that we foruiod out of surplus reinforcements., The letter continues:— "I am sony to say that Colonel Fletcher, commanding the 3rd Battalion of tho Wellington Eegimcnt, is badly wounded, but I hope.he may bo all right. Colonel Allen is, I am glad to say, almost ■convalescent. I also managed to get tho New Zealand Stationary Hospital up near here before the battle, so that it looked after many of our wounded from the'division, etc. "The squadron of Otago Mounted'Bincs of my corpß cavalry also did well, and was responsible for tho German statc- .' went that British cavalry had crossed the ridge, had charged, and had been repulsed with-great slaughter, few of them getting back. This was quite true, as it was only a few patrols of the Otago Mounted Bines which caused such -a commotion. They galloped a snipers ' post, helped towards capturing a couple of guns, and brought back some useful information. '..-.'• "Altogether. I am glad to say there ; were a good many New Zealand units besides the division engaged in the battle, and I am able to give you a good account of them all. Since I last wrote to vou wo have had a good deal inoro fighting, and I have advanced the front of my corps an: average distance' of about a mile on a front of about four miles. '■ Much of this (was done,' and done well, by tho division-." "I will write again, and tell you mora when things are more'settled down,''