NEW ZEALANDERS ON THE SOMME

Nelson Evening Mail, 25 September 1916, Page 5

NEW ZEALANDERS ON THE SOMME

STORIES OF A GREAT CHARGE. HOW FLERS WAS ENTERED. WOUNDED MEN INTERVIEWED: (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.' LONDON, Sept. 23. Wounded New Zealanders have arrived from the Somimie iron*, whither they w«re transferred from the ArmientiereiS sector a month ago. All stories confirm •the New Zealanders' splendid' courage on the morning of thie 15th, when they faced the 'greatest trial they have yet . excerienced. ! The father of a young family, who is gravely wounded, said : "When our hoys went over it was a magnificent sight. The first wave consisted of Otago men and Aueklanders. They stepped) out fearlessly despite a hurricane bombard 1 - ment, and the incessant whizzing of machine gun bullets. An onlooker might have thought ; by their, carelessness of danger that they were only sham fighting. , "Those whose sons and 'brothers were killed there can well be proud of it. It was a glorious' death. "They "were heavily loaded 1 and unable to run, caiTying shovels and equipment, unlike the raiders who go to return. It ■was a. moving day for tnese men, and things did move. They found a new place to sleep at that night, although there were many gaps as the result of those two first hour's' open walk in extended order across No Mans Land, dodging shell holes. ~ "The German dead were Jyang everywhere, the result of the enemy's earlier fruitless attack. "English regiments were co-operating on our" right, and' several 'tanks' were allotted to our front. We were vastly impressed by the new engines, and were delighted to notice the Germans funk when they realised their deadly powers. "When the first callied out fourteen German .bombers rushed out, thinking it was an ordinary armoured car, and hoping to stop it before it reached the trench. They threw scores of bomlbs, which exploded harmlessly, and the •tank'©' machine guns wiped" out the whole party. "The Germans quickly 'learned to respect the monsteTe, which, when they develop greater speed, will 'be even a more terrible menace to the deflenders of the trenches." , . . "We felt that -we were right into it this time," said another New Zealander. "Although we had lost several men, notably a number of Maoris, during the (previous three weeks 'by gas attacks arid Twmbaxdao&rJtis, i* was oils first, niraper action) on tSte. Soaflsne front.: /^tfh'en

we learned the magnitude of the operations and our important part in/ them a thrill' went .through all of us. Everyone was cheerful ,althoughi we knew that certainly many would not survive. "Our bombardment was 'beyond! description. The 'Germans declare that we do not know what shell fire is until we have been in their trenches. The German Ibomibardrnent is severe enough, and it caught many of our chaps before the advance. "The assault on the trencehs was qusick, rough work of a few moments. For the rest there was no time to watch the compass. The single thought in every mind was to get ahead. The result was that the New Zealanders entered Flers before the Coldstreamis, the Irish. Canadians, Scottish, and other English units. We .were all mixed' up in the finish. "The Otago and Auckland men took tfhe first, line and waited until the Rifle Brigade came up. Then they pushed out making the second! line by an overwhelmmf dash. Then all the New Zealand forces combined for the final push.. The 'Dinkuims,' as' the Rifles are called, proved themselves to 'be amongst the best. Sonne of our men got beyond ' the village and suffered from the madbjine guns.' A pioneer says it rwas laughable to watch the Germans surrender. They came into our trench running, rolling, limping, and crawling. A Hawke's 5 Bay inan with a broken arm helping to dirag a Dunedin comrade more seriously ,became indignant at se&'-vig a huge German carried on a stretcher, and determined that his comrade should be relieved! of his painful crawl. He saw two Germans, scared to death, runing to a shell hole, shoutinioi "Kamerad. The Hawke's Bay man shouted to them to stoo.. Tjut they did not comprehend. Then he picked up a rifle, and they quickly understood. They approached and dropped on their knees. A burly Hun carried the Dunedinite for a mile and a half! to the rear. The Pioneer Battalion suffered while digging communication trenches under a haitrage fire which was intended to prevent supports approachingBefore the battle General Sit William Birdwood again appeared unescorted in almost every trench, renewing his acquaintance with the Gallipoli veterans.

The Men speak in the highest terms of General Sir A. H. Russell . They express surprise at seeing a cinema operator in the front trenches on Friday mornr.ng coolly filming the advance. The men say it wt'dl do the people good to see .the magnificent steadiness of that .great attack. A Kaitangata boy who was badly hit in the jaw. speaking 'behind his bandages said.: cc According to Haig's latest out ohaps are still" #iere, holding the line. You bet -wour life they will stick to it as long as they are needed." The: Tvounded are concentrated at Brokenhurst and Walton. As soon as they are convalescent they will be sent to Somch-urch"and Oodford. Some, owing to tine .pressure ■were sent to isolated' hospitals, ibuit they were quickly discovered and sent- to the New Zealand ■hospitals, all of which are working smoothly. There are no complaints. The men especially anpreciate the New Zealand mutton and butter.