FINE FIGHTING RECORD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16881, 20 June 1918, Page 6

FINE FIGHTING RECORD

AUSTRALIAN ARTILLERY.

MANY deeds OF HEROISM.

(Commonwealth Official.—Copyright.)

LONDON, June 6. I'robadly few Australian fighting units have received so many general inspections in euch a short time as were recently paid in compliment to a certain Australian mobile artillery brigade. This brigade possesses a fighting record of which any regiment might be proud. They played a great part in helping to hold up the German advance north of Bethune. At the time when the German assault broke through the Portuguese south of Armentieres, this brigade was in action a considerable distance away beyond the scene of the German attack. They were ordered at mid-day instantly to go out of action and march to the support of the famous 51st Division north of Bethune I hey arrived at the end of the second day of the battle to find a gallant Scottish division extended over a very long J font, whose men are described as footsore with walking from flank to flank and keeping in touch with one another. How they kept the Germans at. bav the Australians say 16 a miracle. On one occasion a party of 15 Scots, steadily fighting a rearguard action against several hundred Germans not more than a few hundred yards away, realised from the nature of the firing that the enemy was growing short of ammunition. The 15 thereupon turned and chased back all these Germans 1 tillv half a mile.

When the Australian gunners arrived on the scene, the position thev meant to take up already was in the hands of the (re! mans. They we, ordered a little farther north. 1 hey clattered through the streets of a village under enemy fire, and going at a steady trot up the road to the north in perfect order, they dropped their tiaijs wd fettled into action. Some of their officers took command of British in--lan try , whoso officers were all casualties, hie Australian gunner officer temporarily commanded a battalion of the Black \Y atch.

The brigade headquarters of the most foi ward of the batteries escaped capture by a hair-breadth early on the morning oi the fourth day. The colonel's horseho.der outside headquarters fastened two horses by the reins to a fence, and was (seen firing his rifle through the hedge at I the Germans 300 yards distant. He then j put down his rifle, saying, " If the colonel is staying I had better be captured holding the horses than tiring." The colonel -nd others finally rode off from the yard as the Germans entered on the other side Meanwhile back at the batteries the gunners kept up firing with munificent . coolness. W hen the infantry in "front of them retreated they simply* fought to a bmsn the only men captured being wounded. Some gunners were sent out with rifles, and joining seven men of the \\ a r wicks hires, formed a little infantry line of their own immediately in front of | the batteries while the guns were limbered up. The artillery drivers a few hundred I yards back brought up their teams in . lend id order under machine-gun fire The time from the starting of the teams | to moving away with the guns was six I minutes.

There was a critical little moment at their going out. It was necessary in order to remove the guns from their "position | to advance 150 yards towards the "enemy i Swamps lay behind the position, and the I road out lay in front. The batteries made I for the road at gallop under rifle and Lewis-gun protection. The few gunners with the seven British infantrymen then escaped down the road, the rearguard following The fire on the road was severe and a. few horses were lost from the teams on they galloped out. but every gun was saved, and again came into action farther in the rear. The corps artillery commander, in thanking the Australian brigade for its splendid success, wrote, "I do not sav this because you are Australians, but because you are one of the finest bngades I ever had the honour to command.