“NELSON’S OWN BATTLE”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 15 October 1941, Page 6

“NELSON’S OWN BATTLE”

SERGEANT HULME TELLS HIS STORY FAMOUS BAYONET CHARGE A vivid account of some of the fighting he took part in in Crete was given by Sergeant Hulme to a “Mail” reporter when he arrived back in Nelson in July. One of thes. engagements was a bayonet charge on the village of Galatos. This he described as “Nelson’s own Battle.” A Nelson oificcr, Major 11. 11. Thomas' ~ was in command of the battalion which made the attack, taking over from Major Leckie, Dunedin, when he was wounded in the leg early in the action. It was C Company of the battalion — known as the Nelson-West Coast Company—which made the actual assault. The company at this stage vas reduced to two platoons, these being led in the attack by 2/Lieut. “Sandy” Thomas, Motueka, and 2/Lieut. Rex King, who was a West Coast Rugby League representative. When the attack was launched the Germans were in well fortified positions in the houses in the village. Their chief defence was dropping hand-gren-

adcs out of windows on the advancing troops. The Huns were chased out of the village inside an hour, said the serj geant, leaving behind well over 100 of I their number dead. During the battl(f many of the women and children of the village lost their lives. They occupied byC the | Germans and also in the cellars under tlio houses. Casualties among the New Zealanders were fairly high in this action. “It was all for nothing, however,” 'added the sergeant, “because only three ■hours later, while we were preparing defence positions around the village, j 1 we received an order to withdraw.” WRESTLED IT OUT d Sergt. Hulme was a keen amateur o wrestler in Nelson some years ago, and if he believes that his knowledge of this it sport saved his life on one occasion, r The unit he was with was being machine-gunned from the air and he ! | made a dive for cover behind a large p olive tree. He had just reached it “ j when a Hun, who had been sniping ’'from up in the tree, dropped to the i ground behind him. The German had l ' , dropped his tommy-gun, or spray-gun as they called it, so made a dive on Hulme from behind, and they started j to wrestle it out. The New Zealander , saw the German open one of the many d zip-fastened pockets on his uniform c and guessed that lie was trying to get e hold of his Luger pistol. Hulme caught ,1 , him by the wrist and twisted his arm v ' round, the German eventually being ii forced to pull the trigger on himself. ~ ; PRAISE FOR MAORIS Sergt. Hulme highly praised the p ! work of the Maoris in Crete. He said they had frightened the life out of the Germans with their bayonet charges, and he was sure they were the finest soldiers in the world. They had proved that the ' t i bayonet was still an effective i weapon. To the Hun it was the ■ most terrible weapon in the world. The attack on Crete, although it was J expected, commenced with dramatic ! suddenness, said Sergeant Hulme. The _ 1 trooDs guarding Malemi aerodrome 5 were about to commence breakfast 1 when enemy dive-bombers came over - and Hell was let loose. When the - planes had dropped their bombs they ■ - | flew low down, their machine-guns and ; cannon blazing. Then transport ; ! machines came over in hundreds and < » | the air was filled with parachutists. The : . I parachutists were exceedingly well j trained and well equipped. They had . ’ | certainly been doped with heroin, and ! ‘ most of them carried a quantity of the ] ’ | drug and a hypodermic needle. USE OF ENEMY WEAPONS < i Most of the Germans’ equipment was , 1 | dropped by parachute in special con- . i ■ tainers, and much of this was capturued In fact. Sergeant Hulme said, the 1 • . New Zealanders did most of their fight- : ■ j ing with enemy weapons. Tommy-guns. ; ; machine-guns, trench mortars, trench 1 j mortar bombs, grenades, “stick” ] : bombs, portable wireless sets and small j i arms ammunition were all dropped. ( : A red flag 20 feet by 10 feet, with a t j large white circle with a black swastika jin the centre, was captured. This was ! ■ ; intended to be laid on the ground as a J i signal to the transport planes to drop ‘ 1 equipment, and the New Zealanders 1 j made full use of it, obtaining both 1 equipment and food from the enemy, j Nurses were landed by parachute the ! second day at Malemi. added the serj geant. He saw 16 dropped from one I plane, but that was the only occasion j he had heard of them being used. They j were dressed in long red cloaks, and ! I wore fair wigs which hung down to : their waist, floating around in the j ! breeze as they descended. A few shots 1 j were fired at them, but when it was i seen who they were it was quickly sup- j pressed.