HEROISM AND INITIATIVE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16876, 14 June 1918, Page 4

HEROISM AND INITIATIVE

BRAVE NEW ZEALANDERS.

PLUCKY WAIKATO OFFICER.

Several acts of individual gallantry in connection with the resistance by the New Zealanders to the advance of the Germans at tho end of March and in the early days of April are recorded in a recent issue of the Chronicles of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Perhaps the finest exploit was that of a captain of the 16th, Waikato, Company of the First Auckland Battalion. He has been identified by private correspondence as Captain Vercoe, of the Rotorua district, who was formerly with the Pioneer Battalion, and is stated to have been recommended for the V.C. When his commander, Major N. A. Duthie, "who has since received the D.5.0., and who returned to Auckland this week, was wounded in the attack opposite Serre Road, Captain Vercoe took command. What then happened is thus described by the Chronicles :—

" The company was hung up by machine-gun fire, but an advance of 40vds was made into a depreseion, where they renewed their attacking formation. The machine-gun fire at this time was terrific. Just before the moment of attack the captain climbed out of the depression, and walked along the top, calling to his men to take no notice of " those damned things"—meaning machine-gun bullets which were thudding into the ground all around him. His puttees were cut by some of the bullets. The men, inspired by his splendid leadership, went forward with great dash, and won their objective. He himself rushed forward to one machiregun position, and killed ,-,. German effic - who was escaping. "in-, Sew ZeaJan.i officer and his men hf.-i been travelling foi five days with only about two nights' sleep, and had marched 30 miles—the last 10 miles immediately preceding the attack.

" On the following day the officer discovered that some of his men were lying out wounded, whereupon he crossed the railway line, which was swept by machinegun fire anc". bombed by trench mortars, and. taking one. of his wounded on his shoulders, carried him back over the railway to a place of safety in the support line. Fifteen minutes later I.e. came back again, and carried off arother man. On the third day several of his men were buried by the burst of a bomb. A a t ; ;...'. wh- : i,.-: r iri'-ated himself, ;ai)T.-3 hi-- officer digging -jut the others with his hands. He hid already dug out one. and was working away with another — here pn'v.te correspondence adds that 11 ,s \> :, a pressman f- -n Takapuna— whom he succeeded in clenrii..,. He thtn superintended their evacuat vi, and afterwards returned to the front line to see that his company was all right. All this time the locality was being swept by-machine-gun fire, an 1 bombs were bursting clcse."

The same article mentioned that Captain Gordon Coates, M.P. for Kaipara, also of the First Auckland Battalion, had again distinguished himself in the MarchApril operations. After wearv marches, with little rest or sleep, he led his company into action in splendid style, and when several of his men were killed or wounded by shell fire he went, under heavy machine-gun fire, to their assistance, and on his o-ivn broad shoulders carried one out to safety.