WAR-TIME MEMORIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22145, 26 June 1935, Page 15

WAR-TIME MEMORIES

TWO INFORMAL TRUCES RAID BY AUCKLANDERS BRINGING IN THE WOUNDED "In regard to the recent article in the Herald Supplement dealing with the 1914 Ciristnias truce at Chapelle D'Armtntieres, it may be of interest to know that on two other occasions a period of truce—informal—was observed in fhis locality," writes Mr. H. Fleming, of Devonport. "One, known as 'Murdoch's Truce,' was on July 20, 1916, the day after the disaster 'to the oth Australian Division, opposite Fromelles. The casualties were extremely heavy, and the wounded lay thick in No Man's Land. The Germans allowed the Australians to bring in the wounded on their own side of No Man's Land, but on learning what was taking place the Australian commander called a stop, evidently fearing the enemy would use the incident for propaganda purposes. The dead still lay there when we occupied the sector some six months later, and on quiet nights our patrols often searched the bodies for papers, etc. Stretcher-Bearers Active "The Fleurbaix-Bois Grenier sector was the scene of the other truce, the only one of its kind I can recall in the history of the New Zealand Division. This was a cold, water-logged locality, typical of the low Flanders country in winter. At daybreak on February 21, 1917, the 2nd Auckland Battalion made their raid, the biggest 'stunt' of this kind carried out by the New Zealand Division, about >SOO men taking part. / Our company —Hawke's Bay, 2nd Wellington —on ,this date held the front line at the scene of the raid. We handed over to the raiders at 4 a.m. and retired to Jay Post. We returned to the front line as the raiders and their prisoners—numbering 44—retired to the rear. "Many wounded lay in No Man's Land and some stretcher-bearers risked death to bring them in. As the enemy did not fire, others went out. Then came German stretcher-bearers, and 60on quite a number of men were searching the shell holes and ditches for wounded. No one was allowed out without a Red Cross armband. A Unique Scene "The Germans, as in 'Murdoch's Truce.' allowed us to take only the wounded who were on our half of No Man's Land; those on their side they claimed as prisoners. The infantry on each side lined the trenches and watched what was, to us, a unique scene. The truce was purelv informal, but respected bv either/side. It lasted about half an hour. Then all heads disappeared and we carried on with the ordinary routine. "One man who held a conversation with a German officer was 'put on the mat.' I believe the German expressed concern at the intensity of our bombardment. Our guns and mortars had put over about 12,000 shells on a small front, so he had some cause for comment. One reason why we observed the truce was the fact that the raiders had about 60 men missing, many of whom lav wounded in the battered trenches and mud holes in the German lines, and it <*ave the enemy a chance to care for and evacuate these men, and no doubt he was also 'glad of the chance S to get his own wounded out in peace. V *T~Eave never seen afiy mention of £ this truce, in any official history, but no doubt' there are still a few exmembers of the 2nd Wellington who *: can "recall the. incident. The Germans £ were the 77th and 78th Landwehr Regtments and some Bavarians; the I rusl sians would allowed such , a thing to happen.