CAVALRY IN FRANCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 166, 11 July 1918, Page 2

CAVALRY IN FRANCE

A NEW ZEALAND OFFICER'S

EXPEREKNiCiES.

• Th-e following is a. letter received! reently by Mr H. G. Berryman, Stan>ley Downs, from hiis son. Lieutenant \V'. O. Berryman', M.C., who, before the war, was a sheep-farmer at Oxford, and was the first New Zealander awarded 'the Military Cross, says the Christ church Press: 12th Lancers, 8.E., France, April 6. After some of the. heaviest fighting imaginable, my regiment is now out for a rest and refitting. 1 am not privileged to describe to vou m detail the. various fights- we were in. but could write pages on the events of each day of late.

I The whole attark burst on us like a, thunderclap and a flood, a.nd- each dav j we were occupied in stemming the flood at. each point as it broke through. A swift march to a point this morning followed by a few hours getting in to ; Position, digging strong points, etc., till I about midday— everything being very I quiet. Then, about.'l.3o V 2 o'clock, a sudden opening of Boche machine-gun fire from one of our flanks would break out and increase in volume. Then Boche shelling, aird suddenly, without any warning, you would find' that your 'lank or both flanks had gone, and you had to retiro to your horses, and still further under an intense machine-gun. and riflo fire (very demoralising, and inHicting casualties), and' thus you took up a new position towards dusk, from which you were relieved, and then "stood to" behind tthat position aill night till you moved off. probably before daybreak, to a fresh position, where the Boche -was assembling troops md an attach threatenedi So we went on for the first days of the attack. In some positions- one could hold on longer than others, but '<-- "■ succeeding day was- a repetition, of the last.

After a quiet morning, during wl:' the Boche- patrols of machine-gunners had sot into position, just after lunch i would rommen-ee -this demoralising ma- j fire, during- which his infan- J try and yours advanced, arid so you ■ h«Id» on. Being mobile troops.-to:©'.'-were aiwalys throwm into the apex of his attack each day. However, Fri+7. began k> tire after the first- week, and one j afternoon we had! out- first victory—small though it, was, it undoubtedly j saved' Mine of the most important j ground at present held' by us. j The Australians were going to attack, I and, we were to assist their flank j (mounted), but before they were in po- | sition, word came that the enemy was advancing, and had reached a most am- I portarat wood and out infantry was re- i tiring. The fog helped us, and we were 'up to that wood, and dismounted, and had our Hoti:h.kJ3s guns to work in no time, and to-' our joy Fritz turned 1 his back on- us, arid we soon cleared the wood. Up came the Australians for" the .attack, full of fight, and in an hour's time the position, had been taken and back we came, ready for another fight next day—of which I will tell you later. Before pij>oceeding, though, I must tell you how we admired the Austrn.liians. Their fighting discipline was splendid. They were fresh, of course, and full of fight. Their determination •and contempt of danger was unequalled. They, were very grateful to us, and two days afterwards the Australian Army H.Q. sent a special despatch to our brigadier, with reference .'to the work our regiment had done—a despatch that any soldier would be iproud of, and when it was read out on parade it brought tears of pride to one's eyes—rif you can imagine such a thing possible Its this war. I hope to enclose a copy of the despatch in this letter. . After that joint victory we were warm friends with the Australians, and parted, from them subsequently with greater reluctance. •The following day we were off again for another part of the Tme " which I had to be counter-attacked, and- a | ''murky" proceeding it was too.- Imagine, when you have had a good deal of fighting for eight or nine days continuously, what it must be like to be hauled out in the middle of the night nnd ordered to counter-attack a'.rain—cold and shivering enough on account of the elements, and thiis combined with the shelling all around and the Hncertainty of things in general made one properly agitated.. However, our. CO. drawing lots with the other C.O.'s for . position. had the .hick to be in neither of the first . waves— r very luoky for us, and after a while tilings 'lvcajne more or less normal. For. moments of tense excitement, those, whenOne draws has position in a counterattack take a lot of 'beatinc Yo\i may imagine the ominous silence which I verges during, thic proceeding. The | counter-attack, which has been described in the papers, was- a great success, makhip our second victory. The Hun: was now held, and- back we came (all that was left of- us), not to fight again for, a. few days, or longer we hope, as we are now resting where i shells and machine-guns worry us not. Except for two small pieces of lead in the forehead I am intact and fit and ■welfc and hor,e that, in- our next show we;will not have to "files about" for some time. Your affectionate son, WILLIAM. (Copy. —th AUSTRALIAN - INFANTRY KRIGADF. Brigade, H.Q, I beg to forwaixi herewith detailed renort of counter-attack and position carried out by —th Australian Infantry Brieade on afternoon of - March. .■Report on evacuation of casualties by-:-'' —th A.F.A. is also forwarded. The 3rd Battalion (Lieutenant-Colo-nel L. J. Marshland, 3>.5.0.) was- detailed to carry out the attack', and, w:>s supported, by . . . The assistance rendered by the 19*', Lancers, Cavalry Division, was invalu.able, and my officers and men are enthusiastic in their admiration of the work done by the cavalry. . . .Please accept the than Ira of myself and my brigade for your kind .letter of ap pre.f iation. ... - - - The 12th Lancers preceded .the Australian and reached the wood F-. pi Bois- do H about 4.15 p.m. (Th;s wood will in future 'be referred to as Lancers' Wood.) . . . It was a proud, privilege to be allowed to work wiilh such a fine regiment as the 12t'' Lancers. Their approach march instilled in the men the utmost confidence and enthusiasm. They (the V?' '■■ Lancers) lost no time in* effectively clearing Lancer Wood, and got there

just in time, as the enemy had ob-. ■taiited a, footing in tho iS.S.E..'edges' of tho wood. | The 12th. ■Lancer.'- protected the edges ahti.allowed^is-to move forward to the attack. On seeing tho cavalry the enemy shelled Lancers' Wood * very lieavily and chiefly with 5.9'5, laying particular attention to the outer edge? of the _wood. Fairly heavy casualties to the Lancers were inflicted, but th<» horses were soon led from the wood to a. position X. of Villers BretonneuxAubecourt road. The discipline during the heavy shelling was an object-les-son. Dai ring the attack the cavalry protected both our flanks—the left and "H.Q. 's- They withdrew at about p.m. All ranks- were eager to give every possible help to ns—throughout nit re was wholehearted co-operation. The experienced sr.iined in this, our first operation with cavalry was invaluable. One was able to judge of the splendid work they are doing for the army at the present time and they can not be too high.lv praised. ■.(Signed) LIE UT. -COL. M ATISHL AND. A.LB.