THE ARMY'S "POOR RELATIONS."

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13982, 19 November 1917, Page 1

THE ARMY'S "POOR RELATIONS."

WITH THE SECOND LINE TROOPS .IN FRANCE.

CLEANING UP IN THE WAKE OF THE ADVANCE.

While the soldiers of the active Army fire engaged all along tho.front attacking, the Germans or defending the French positions against the frequent assaults of specially selected German ■shock troops (says tlio French correspondent of the American Associated Press), their "poor relations,'' com-, posing.the troops.'of the second line, are.kept busy removing traces of the destruction which marked the retreat of the Gcriimiw in March before the advancing French'and British. Dozens of bridges oVer rivers and canals, as well as many locks. which held hack (he waters of the ■ canals, were blown up by the Germaiiß as they hurriedly retired. Iu many instances the reaches of the canals have run dry, while the courses of the rivers.have been blocked by large masses of steel, reinforced concrete, and stone, which, if not removed, wo'uld cause the,whole surrounding- country to be flooded in rainy, weqther or in case of frost, thus rendering impossible the digging of trenches or the occupation of important positions.

In-order-to avert any such disaster special companies of. engineers were formed immediately after ( the battle of the Marne fropi among the. old soldiers of the .second, or territorial reserve, whose duty it was to follow in the rear of the advancing Allies and.to clear all obstructions from river and canal beds, They tod called companies of waterway.sappers, and the men composing them-were selected because of their, training in various trades-smiths, riveters, electricians, boatmen, divers, miners, and others accustomed to the handling,of explosives. .The Marne Freod of Obstructions.

Following the battlo of tho Mamo theso companies of "poor relations" did most excellent servico in clearing the Mamo and the lower Oiso of obstructions. Then for a long period they' worn engaged on other services, but after the Gorman retreat of this spring they wero set to work on the old task *? opening up rivers and canals and freeing them from obstruction. They nave in the course of the past two months done marvels in this direction. On the Aisne they have cleared away from the bed of. the river the debris of no fewer than nineteen bridges, and on'tho Upper Oiso five, some of them quite.solid constructs, "which when they wero blown up fell in a mass, right across tho 6trcam,

_ The correspondent was present at the removal of one of the broken bridges. , ; It had fallen in one piece of steel and concrete twenty yards in length and six. in breadth, weighing eighty tons, and; , it lay athwart the stream almost from. ' one bank to the other. The company j of engineers which was ordered to do, the work had to content itself with ''•■ very primitive tools, as no modern up-1; paratus was available, all being em-t ployed in the munition factories.-The I most powerful crane at their disposal ," l '<"ild lift only twenty tons, ami'' blocks, pulleys, and wim-hes were of even sum Her strength. Jt VRS there-f &»«' necessary to cut the great block [ lying under water by laying a cliar>e ' "f dynamite and melinite along its";' entire length in the centre. ' A'diver! ; plunged 'ami'.weighted the .charge,'! Which was attached to a rope,, with j heavy stones at intervals. Then a copper wire connected with a tiny port-' able electric battery was attnrlicd ,ro ' tbfi end of the .chargei The few uitfii en-!, gaged then withdrew ..to a safedist-j anco,'the current was switched on, and, i" a second a waterspout fifty yards in height told that the work of split-:.- ; ting the destroyed bridge had been accomplished, The. visit of a diver showed that the block had been split accurate-.' ly'in two pieces and (hat the ('.qiicui' "siim . had' separated all' the concrete, . so that "each portion weighed ;on]y I twenty just within the capacity " of the appaialns at h.lnd. In ,i ( t -ir horns the whole mass was lung on the side (|i the.mei and the anient had ' I a liec iJouiM?, 1 , | j On somcouasions these men Inn oto ' do then woik undei lut> ol the euenn 's guns, but they eniij out their niduous labour as Ihougli theie was no dangei. The.i have to be lontent with the knowledge that then woik is helping to w.iul iieton, while the moie bnUuint i deeds otrtheii lonmulcs in the actual' 'fighting line jiot tai ana} njo jenarded 'by- the granting ot decoiations. Howeui. theie is no jealousy .unoug thejn, The) are dojng theii 'best foi France 1 aud civilisatibn, M they do it well.' 1 A limited numbej of lieutenants,' ,E, J IuVO iccoUtlj been piomoted to ! lipliteJiaut-couiiuanileis ( tor. "specially «' iUpi;tpiiOusVenicq.in l ( 'the fleet,'.' In..'. e] ( ,ulle v tljii,tjie' list appeals the L uan|e of." Lieuteii^t' Gc-oige J D. ,vWilliams, I who in the floyal Australian? •Navy when' weie ousted >i 'ftoni their positions in'the Pacific.; Htfl was foimeily caplaju superintendent of 1" a Victorian tniu|ng^ship.' s j S