HIGH PRAISE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 8 March 1928, Page 5

HIGH PRAISE

FOR AUSTRALIAN TROOPS. BATTLES OF AUGUST, 1918. LORD RAWLINSON’S TRIBUTE. HV OABIjB - PRBBB ASSOCIATION -COPYEIGH'I Received 9.35 a.m. to-day. LONDON. March 7. L-" f i Rawlinson’s war journals dealing with the attack on August 8, 1918, savs: —“It was a most anxious business marshalling fourteen divisions of infantry, three of cavalry, more than two thousand guns and 450 tanks "on a tenmiles’ front without giving the enemy an inkling.’’ but on August 9 General Raw’iinson was able to write: “We have had two splendid days. The Canadians and Australians have done splendid work. The surprise was complete and the tanks were up all the time. Some -if the armoured cars surprised a German kendo uarters at breakfast. Nearly tweritv thousand prisoners were taken. Everybody did splendidly, but I think the spirit of the colonial infantry was rrcbahlv the decisive factor. I am.veyy • >id to have commanded so megnlucent an army in this historic t)attie. Under date August 14, General Raw--linso n says:—“l visited the Australians and heard • many extraordinary stories.”. He gives a sample: “A company of Australians under an officer, V G. Gaby, was held up on August 8 by a German strong point. Gaby crawled through the wire, jumped on. the parapet alone, and with a revolver compelled fifty Germans and four machine-gunners to surrender. ,Alas, he was killed on August 11. . We must <M ?i, him a posthumous Victoria Oioss. ” Of the night of August 30 General Rawlinson wrote: “Second and thud Australian divisions are determined to vet hold of Mont St. Quentin Per on lie. If they can do it quickly I sba'ii be delighted, but I doubt as to the Posche giving up so important a position without a stiff fight.” ■ The next entry, August 31, reads: ••As 1 was dressing this morning a message was received that the Australians had captured Mont St. Quentin, tt is .indeed a magnificent performance. No praise is too high.”