THE LAST POST

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 89, 13 October 1915, Page 2

THE LAST POST

HOW GALLANT NEW ZEALAND OFFICERS DIED. Extracts from a stirring letter from General Sir A. Godley, telling of the gallantry of New Zealand officers and men, were read in the House of Representatives by the Hon. James Allen last night. The letter, which was dated 14th August, was as follows :—: — " Both our brigades covered themselves with glory/ and really to a great extent bore the brunt of the battle, and to the greatest extent were responsible for our success as far as it went. Our Mounted Rifles Brigade formed the covering force and cleared the front for the advance of the assaulting columns on the night of the 6th. On the i night of the 7th our Infantry Brigade gained a footing on the ridge, and held it throughout the Bth and 9th, when completely exhausted they had to be re-" lieved on the night of the 9th by troops of the new armies, who unfortunately lost it on the morning of the 10th. I cannot speak too highly of the conduct of officers and men, and am desperately grieved that they should have suffered such heavy _ casualties. LieutenantColonel Bauchbp was desperately and, I am afraid, mortally wounded while most gallantly leading his men to the assault on the night of the 6th, under the most extraordinary difficult conditions, and in a country where nothing but the most gallant troops could possibly have succeeded. I saw him after he was brought down, and, though he was hardly conscious, ali he said was, " I hope we did what you wanted," and " It was glorious while it lasted." Lieutenant-Colonel Malone similarly was killed at the head of his battalion at the very top of the ridge overlooking the Dardanelles, and is buried in a Turkish fort, which only a leader of most exceptional valour and courage could have captured. I can imagine no more fitting resting-place for such a gallant sou]. Colonel Finday and Major Overton, of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, also Colonel Chapman, of Auckland M.R., fell in the most gall lant manner, and both Moore and Moir, of the Otago Battalion, were splendid in the way they led their men. " The last lot of reinforcements (tho sth) arrived while the fight was actually in progress. As they arrived to join the brigade they were at once despatched to capture a Turkish trench, which they did most gallantly, and without the slightest hesitation, and held it to the end of the battle. They were Auckland men. " The Maoris were heavily engaged, and fought as I expected they would, in. a manner fully worthy of the traditioDs of their race."