GENERAL'S WAR DIARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19891, 9 March 1928, Page 9

GENERAL'S WAR DIARY.

BRITISH ADVANCE IN 1918.

FINE WORK OF AUSTRALIANS.

A. and N.Z. LONDON. March 7. The late General Lord Rawlinson's war journals have been published. .Dealing with the British attack on August 3 he wrote: "It was a most anxious business to marshal 14 divisions of infantry, three of cavalry, and more than 2000 guns and 450 tanks on a 10-miles front without giving the enemy an inkling." On August 9 Lord Rawlinson was able to write: "We have had two splendid days. The Canadians and Australians have done splendid work. The surprise was complete, and the tanks were up all the time. Some of the armoured cars surprised the German headquarters at breakfast, and nearly 20,000 prisoners were taken.

"Everybody did splendidly, but I think the spirit of the Dominions' infantry was probably the decisive factor. I am very proud to have commanded so magnificent an army in this historic battle." Under date August 14 Lord Rawlinson says: "I visited the Australians and heard many extraordinary stories." He gives one example; "The company under an Australian officer, A. G. Gaby, was held up on August 8 by a German strongpoint. Gaby crawled through the wire, jumped on the parapet alone with his revolver, and compelled 50 Germans and four machine-gunners to surrender. Alas! He was killed on August 11. We must get him a posthumous Victoria Cross."

Of the night of August 30 Lord Rawlinson wrote: "The Second and Third Australian Divisions are determined to get hold of Mont St. Quentin and Per on lie. It they can do it quickly, I shall "bo delighted, but I doubt whether the Germans will give up so important a position without a stiff figlit." The next entry, on August 31, reads: "As I was dressing this morning a message was received saying the Australians had captured Mont St. Quentin. It is indeed a magnificent performance. No praise is too high for them."

General Lord Henry Seymour Rawlinson died on March 26, 1825, at Delhi, while he was Commander-in-Chief in India. He saw service in Burma, the Sudan, and the South African campaign, and at the outbreak of the Great War was a majorgeneral. He greatly distinguished himself in the Somme battles of 1916, and was appointed British representative on the Versailles Council of War. In March. 1918, he was recalled from that post and given command of the Fourth Avmy, and the task of reconstituting it. This was done, and the attack commenced. The recapture by the Australians of \ illersBretonneaux, under his orders, was one of the happiest of strokes after a period of gloom. On August 8, 1918. co-operat-ing with the French on his right, Rawlvnson fought a masterly battle, in whicn the Canadians and Australians of his command broke the enemy in front of them on the Hindenburg line.