COVERED WITH GLORY

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9173, 13 October 1915, Page 7

COVERED WITH GLORY

OUR MEN AT GALLIPOLI

HOW GALLANT OFFICERS DIED,

An interesting letter from General Sir Alexander Godley, dated A Mac, August 14th, and describing some of the lighting that occurred on Gallipoli between August 6th and and 12th, has been received by the Hon. James Allen. Minister for Defence. Extracts from this wore read in the House last night bv Mr Allen.

"Both our brigades covered themselves with glory,” says the Now Zealand commander, “and really to a great extent boro the brunt of the battle and to the greatest extent wore responsible for our success, as far as it went. Our Mounted Rifles Brigade formed the covering force, and cleared the front for the advance by the assaulting columns on the. night of the 6th. On the night of the 7th oUr Infantry Brigade gained a footing on the ridge and hold it throughout the Bth and 9th, when, completely exhausted, they had to bo relieved on the night of the 9th by troops of the now armies, who unfortunately lost it on the morning of the 10th. I cannot speak too highly of the conduct of the qfllccrs and men, and am desperately grieved that they should have suffered such heavy casualties.

TWO .GALLANT COLONELS. “Colonel Bauchop was desperately; — I am afraid mortally—wounded, while most gallantly leading his men to the assault on the night of the 6th, under most extraordinarily difficult conditions, and in a country where nothing hut the moat gallant troops could possibly have succeeded. I saw him after he was brought down., and though ho was hardly conscious, all he said was, ‘I hope we did what you wanted,’’ and Tt was glorious while it lasted.’ Colonel Malone similarly was killed at, the head of his battalion, at the very top of a ridge overlooking the Dardanelles, and is buried in a Turkish fort, which only a a leader of most exceptional valour and oourago could have captured. I can'imagine no more fitting resting place for such a gallant soul. Colonel Findlay and Major Overton, of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, also Colonel Chapman, of the Auckland Mounted Rifles, fell in the most gallant manner, and both Moore and Moir, of the Otago Battalion, were splendid in the way they led their men. THili! sth AND THE MAORIS DO WELL. “The last lot of reinforcements, the sth arrived while the fight was actually in progress. As they arrived to join'the brigade they were at once dispatched to capture a Turkish 'trench, which they did most gallantly and without the slightest hesitation, and held on. to the last of the battle. “The Maoris were heavily engaged, and fought, as I expected they would in a manner fully worthy of the traditions of their race.” ( -