PASSCHENDAELE

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 88, 11 October 1932, Page 9

PASSCHENDAELE

NEW ZEALAND DISASTER

ANNIVERSARY TO-MORROW

To-morrow will be .{he fifteenth anniversary of the third phase of the Battle of Passehendaele, in which the New Zealand Division met with its —fciiy disaster in > the, Great War, being held up in. mud and slush against uncut barbed wire- whilst subjected to, intense machine-gun and artillery fire. The anniversary will be commemorated by a recital on the National War Memorial Carillon, Buckle street, commencing at noon, when the carillonist, Miss Gladys Watkins, will play the following, programme:—(l) Westminster Chimes (on the big bells with the striking of the hour on tho five-ton Bourdon bell, "Reo Wairua,'.' which means "Spirit Voice"). (2) Sounding the " Passehendaele ''' bell (2 tons 8 cwt) six times. (3) "The Bailiff's Daughter, of Islington" (English). (4) "How Can >I Leave Thee" (Thuringian Melody.). (5) Maori Ballad ("Haero Mai Ra"). (6) "Robin Adair" (Scotch). (7) March, "New Zealand" (G. Watkins). (8) "The He'd Sarafan" (Russian). (9) "The Garland of Flowers. (10) "Passehendaele" (sounding the note six times). (11) National Anthem on the big bells. The early operation by the New Zealand Division in the Battle of Passchondaele on 4th Oe.tober was a success, won dearly under the terrific fire of machineguns and the hardships created -by a sodden, shell-tossed terrain that had few recognisable features. Two English divisions next went in and on 9th October achieved a partial victory, but they set a terrible problem for the New Zealanders—the .evacuation of, their wounded, whom, for some inexplicable reason, they left oa>the field and about the regimental aid post 3 and advanced dressing stations. It may have been that they wore so badly shaken that only the unwounded could get out.

But all this was only a foretaste of the-disaster -'of 12th October. The situation was obscure after 9th October, but it soon proclaimed itself to the men who were to make the assault. They found themselves in. a morass through, which they had to flounder blindly in the darkness to the battle positions. The artillery was wtihout half its guns. Some were In the mud, sunk out of sight; those that were in. position could notv be kept aligned.' ■

The Germans had fortified Bellevue Spur with a series'of mutually-support-ing "pill-boxes" fronted by belts of wire, in some ' places 30 yards to 40 yards wide. The artillery bombardment of the defences was greatly hampered by the V mud-ana slush, ana was ineffective. Under the concentrated fire of the enemy the advance was checked, but Passchendaele added a gallant page to New Zealand's war history. It was not until some time later that the Canadians, after a first check, captured Pagschendaele by an. attack from another direction.' The operations were part of the design to clear the Belgian coast of the enemy