THE NEW ZEALANDERS

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17283, 26 September 1916, Page 6

THE NEW ZEALANDERS

The official New Zoaland correspondent at the British headquarters in Franco has given us a very brief outline of the operations in which the New Zealand troops have been engaged, but to-day we havo a full and thrilling story of tho advance from the pen of the "Daily Chronicle's" brilliant correspondent, Mr Philip Gibbs. Hero for the first timo wo havo something of the real business in which our men have been employed, and no one, wo think, will read tho account unmoved. When tho advance began tho British front ran from a point south of Thiepval east by south to tho Foureaux Wood, where it bent south-oast above the Delvillo Wood to Ginchy. Tho Canadians were in lino between tho Mouquet farm and the Bapaumo road, practically on the left flank of tho advance, while the New Zealanders were apparently at the Foureaux Wood, with tho rriad from Longueval to Flers on their right. Tho villago of Flers itself would bo a mile and a half north-oast of them. But ono does not need to plot the. positions on the map in order to appreciate the work that was done. In that magnificent advance on September 15 the colonials did all that was demanded of them and something more, and they did it with a dash and determination that won unbounded admiration. Mr Gibbs has told tho story of tlie Canadian conquest of Courcelette. We have it in brief this morning, but we should like to havo had the full despatch to be read with the thrilling narrative of tho victory our own men achieved. That it was. hot Aork against a determined enemy v>e know from tho casualty lists that are only now beginning to come through, and since thoso lists musti, needs be lengthy it is good to have tho journalist's vivid story of the fighting so that we may at least realise in what a groat charge the soldiers fell and how nobly they uphold tho honour of their country. When tho infantry left tho trenches there was a biograph operator at work right in tho firing line. Surely our Government will havo imagination enough to appreciate the value of the film to this country, nob merely for exhibition purposes—because private enterprise will satisfy our desires in that direction—but to be added to the archives of tho nation. It is a small matter, perhaps, but those who como after, us would be grateful for a glimpse oven of a corner of the battlefield on which New Zealanders won their victory and on which so many of them were to lay down their livc3 in the great cause. Wo have long since nerved ourselves to bear the shocks of the war - , and in these days when manly young fellows, whose names have been familiar to us in the annals of field sports, are falling in tho fight we need the sustaining help of noble sentiments and high ideals. We need, too, the support that is afforded, by a knowledge of how they fell, and that is why we are glad to have Mr Gibbs's stirring narrative, with its whole-souled note ot admiration for the spirit of iJio rvew Zealanders in tho great adventure.