ATTACK ON LE QUESNOY
FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY The 15th anniversary falls to-day of tho capture of Le Quesnoy by the New Zealand Division, an operation which was part of the determined onslaught by the British in the last stages of the Great War, ending in tho capture of Mons and the acceptance of armistice terms by tho Germans a week later. The New Zealanders stormed Le Quesnoy, which was fortified by ancient ramparts, more after the manner of medieval than modern warfare. Scaling ladders were employed and breaches made in the walls, but machine-gun fire prevented the attackers from storming the keep of the fortress. Tho German commander rejected the verbal summons to surrender, and the New Zealanders pressed forward on the flanks and broke through tho enemy lines. They captured 100 guns, forced the ramparts and captured what remained of the garrison. It is on record that the first New Zealanders to enter Le Quesnoy were Second-Lieutenant L. C. L. Averill, a son of Archbishop Averill, and SecondLieutenant H. W. Kerr.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19331104.2.101
Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21640, 4 November 1933, Page 11
Word Count
171ATTACK ON LE QUESNOY New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21640, 4 November 1933, Page 11
Using This Item
NZME is the copyright owner for the New Zealand Herald. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence . This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of NZME. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Auckland Libraries and NZME.
Log in