TAKING OF BAPAUME

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 50, 27 August 1932, Page 15

TAKING OF BAPAUME

NEW ZEALAND VICTORY

ANNIVERSARY ON MONDAY

The fourteenth anniversary of one of tlie most important achievements of the New Zealand Division, the capture of Bapaumo in 191S, will fall on Monday next, and will be commemorated by a special recital on the National War Memorial Carillon commencing at noon. The evening of 2oth August saw the New Zealand Division established north and west of Bapaume. About that town, however, the German resistance had stiffened to a remarkable degree. Away on the right the 63rd Division was held up in front of Tliilloy and with it the- right of the Now Zealand Division. On the other ilank, after a long day of strenuous fighting, the left of the Division, i v co-operation with the 37th Division, had secured Favrcuil. JTJDSON WINS VICTORIA CEOSS. The next day saw no material alteration of the situation. Before Thilloy the C3rd Division was unable to move and our right in consequence made small progress. Hero during the day Captain (then Sergeant) Judson won the Victoria Cross. On the left a hard day's struggle ,took the New Zealand Rifle Brigade forward about 1000 yards. Next day saw a slight rearrangement of our forward troops, but as the 63rd Division was still held up, no attempt was made to assault Bapaume. The increasing degree of • resistance offered by the enemy about Bapaume suggested to the British Higher Command that the enemy's intention was to hold that place only sufficiently long to cover his withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. Iv consequence it was decided to maintain strong pressure on him by means of fighting patrols next day and to take immediate advantage of any sign of weakening. TOWN TAKEN AND LEFT IN REAR. During the night, 28th-29th August, the hostile artillery and machine-guns became noticeably less active. By early morning the German flares—in normal circumstances always numerous —were most infrequent. The two lead-ing-brigades, therefore, began to push out strong fighting patrols which soon occupied St. Aubyn station and the suburbs. By 8.30 a.m. the Ist Battalion Auckland Begiinent was pushing round tho southern outskirts of Bapaume, while the 3rd Battalion, New Zealand Eifle Brigade, had entered the northern portion of the town itself. Shortly afterwards the Ist" Battalion, Wellington Eegiment, had passed through the town and was pressing ou after the German rearguards. Progress on the flanks was again slow during the day as here resistance was encountered at. an early stage. But by 4 p.m. the Division was in touch along its whole front with the hostile rearguards with Bapaume well to its rear.