TRIBUTES TO ANZACS

Nelson Evening Mail, 28 July 1916, Page 5

TRIBUTES TO ANZACS

GLORY PASSED ON TO LONDONERS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, July 27. The first Australian and New Zealand wounded have reached London. Fi<v are gravely wounded, the majority having slight injuries inflicted by the Garman machine guns. It is the unanimous verdict that the battle of Pozieres "was the worst of the whole war. The British and Germans alike fought like fiends. The Anzacs insist that a- great part of the glpry belongs to the Londoners. A wounded London officer, however, declares that the "Anzacs, who accomplished wonderful things at Gallipoli, had at Pozieres under conditions of unexampled "violence set the seat upon their fame. The British commander shouted, "Hail, Anzacs I" as the wound «*d were being brought to the British And there was not a soldier present whj did not echo the greeting. "The Anzacs are not ordinary fighters; they seem to be super-soldiers who do things without talking." the officer continued. "The assault at Pozieres was one of the most difficult essayed since the offensive began. The Germans had set their heart on retaining the village. Sir Douglas Haig's order was that Pozieres must be taken. When the word was given to chai-ge the Anzacs swept across the approach to the Ger man lines. There was no shouting cbattle crying. Each Tom. Dick, and Harry, with his teeth set firmly, went forth to slay in silence. When the Getman machine guns- opened', fire the bullets whizzed in all directions and seemed to be pouring from the skies.

"After the second line of trenches had been captured the British established themselves under cover of artillery, but the Anzacs would not be held back, and went forward Vmtil they captured the village street. Here the real carnage began. Some crack German regi ments were employed, but the Anza.-s went for their men and put in terrible bayonet work. After a fierce contest the Anzacs obtained the upper hand and drove the Germans out of the main thoroughfare. They captured a number of guns.

"It was the most horrible night any soldiers ever experienced. By daybreak on Monday we had a firm footing in the village. The fisrhting at Pozieres proved that the Anzacs would face a wall of iron and go through it."