OUR NEW ZEALANDERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16020, 11 September 1915, Page 4 (Supplement)

OUR NEW ZEALANDERS.

WHAT THEY HAVE DONE AT f \-' ■:; ; •'THEJ^RONT^^^i; The best- > force that * New Zealand? has ei|er got together, either for peace parade. manoeuvres, or war, is the contingent now on the Gallipoli Peninsula,. which in facing difficulties, has made a record tfiafc, win be an everlasting credit to the Dominion, writes the- , military correspondente of the -Morning Post.; Various descriptive accounts have referred. to the work of the Australian force, and it may therefore have escaped > many people's notice that this contingent includes the New Zealanders. Despatch writers and' censors sometimes use the word "Australian" when 'they really mean "Australasian." In the same way-the words "colony" and " colonists"' are wrongly used when speaking of Oversea Dominions and their people: probably . both writers and censors in such cases are men without official training, who do' not regard looseness in expression as ' reprehensible, but, after all, a, New Zealander is no more a colonial than is a resident of Tootine Bee. '

The New Zealand, Division does not 1 mind its . identity, being swallowed up under the Australian title, for its 'work is admirably recorded ■in the Dominion newspapers, from which source one -is able to appreciate the magnificent .things that officers and men have done. T They left for Egypt. under the command of Major-General Sir Alexander. Godley, the Irish Guardsman who won fame:" inside the defences of Mafeking, and he has with him some admirable. leaders whose work is well known in the "New Zealand military districts.' . In the landing at Gaba Tepe the New Zealanders had a terrific fight to establish their position, and the rough climb up. the hills took «heavy..toll of their men. The subsequent fighting proved the soundness of their peace training, and quite a good feature was the leading of, the men in ■ repeated assaults . upon ' the v Turkish "positions.' They would much rather, have been employed against the .Germans, and. were somewhat disappointed, that they' did,, not get to France, but they realise the importance of the work in : front s of t them, and that the south-east corner of Europe may even ... be the vital area. The physique of the men and % their endurance are unsurpassed, and whether in fire.delivery or in bayonet charges they are equally k « efficient, " and; have repeatedly destroyed the Turks immediately in their front and driven them from successive positions, i ------ - — -.

Fine -Marksmanship. New Zealand troops have always been famous for their marksmanship, and competitors at Bisley like Macknight; Loveday, 1 Marenzi, Cox, Drummond, Hawthorne, Irving, Chaytor, Roots, and many others who have shot under National Rifle Association rules, the standard of merit of the New Zealand force. Their fire, tactics have been more than the Turks bargained for, and'their machinegun work has been particularly effective. There hare ; been many -cases of gallantry, several of which have yet to be officially recorded. Rescues under fire have v been numerous, and t the scouting/ parties? have carried out ' dangerous missions and obtained information :by attacking large bodies> of the i' enemy?'; The | mounted;- riflemen of *: : Otago*-- arid other districts have performed (excellent service,/arid-the Canterbury ,* Mounted Regiment has also done well. "Both "these 'corps: have/ had senior officers//wounded in recent engagements. The men ';! from -, the Auckland and Wellington *. Brigades may be .-■ mentioned as worthy of praise, but indeed all. the' regiments are alike in that respect, including ! those of Waikato, Manawatu, Southland, kelson,, Hauraki, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, I Ruahine, South Island, and North Island. |--j. "*_ ~--..-* - - ■ *— - • -*■.- *■• - 1■" -C-'" Makers or the Force.^v-i/"" '

' ; Many men from; Home* have i helped %to form New. Zealand : forces, -and among the -names are ;; those f : of Kirkpatrick, Braithwaite,: : . ; ; Moore,"' Pinwill, Grant, CWtcMey-Salmohspn,* Robinson, Hamilton, Ed wards,"; Wright, Macdonald, ; s Gibbon, and ; Saxe. With I this assistance the officers of the New Zealand Staff Corps have trained their own men and developed their system, ; which r in- the Dardanelles has proved most creditable to those:*' concerned, . • - , '. i X >* .