ODDS OF THREE TO TEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16924, 9 August 1918, Page 6

ODDS OF THREE TO TEN.

AUSTRALIAN HEROES. GALLANT ENTERPRISES. (Commonwealth Official.—Copyright.) LONDON, July 28. Every day prisoners are brought in by the Australian divisions, both on tho Somme and in Flanders, despite the firmer resistance of the Germans. .It was the Queenslanders and West Australians who made the advance near Merris on the day when the British took Meteren. Since then the South Australians have patrolled the whole country behind the German lines on their particular front. i'j The following story is typical of these adventures >—A younger from the Northern Rivers, who happens to be the son of a British war correspondent, went out to locate a German post seine way before the lines. Finding no movement therein, he went up and found the Germans had left the post during the daytime. In the post Jay a number of German grenades and also some captured British Mills grenades, ihe youngster carefully went through tie Mills bombs and took out the detonator from each one, and then left them, but took all the German grenades away with him. Towards dusk he crept out again with a sergeant and four men, and lay near the post waiting for the Germans to arrive to garrison it for the night. As no Germans arrived he cent the sergeant with two men to try to get into touoh with the enemy. While the sergeant was away he suddenly heard men approaching Jrom the German garrison, and raw 10 m? en °° min ? npon them from behind. Here were only three Australians against ten Germans, and it was a case for an immediate fight. The young officer with his two men shot four Germans dead and the rest ran. 'The boy then obtained from the dead Germans their papers and all necessary information, and returned with his whole party safe. This fine officer lost his life a few days later. „ Another officer, just promoted "from the ranks, was going out with a party on the night Meteren was attacked, When the man beside him slipped over the wire and dropped the bomb which he waa carrying The pin was out of the bomb, but the officer dived for it, caught it, and lay hoidmg it in his hand. It immediately exploded, blowing off his right hand, but this action saved the lives of tho other men, who were not scratched.