“THE RIFLE"

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11223, 31 May 1922, Page 6

“THE RIFLE"

“AN OLD CONTEMPTIBLE” SPEAKS. (To the Editor, “N.Z. Times.”) Sir, —I am an “Old Contemptible.’* Yesterday evening, whilst reading your leading article, “The Rifle,” took me back to the early days of the war. It is not very often that the records of 1914 are published, but I can say this: That what sour paper (the “New Zealand Times”) stated, is in every way correct. From the commencement of the retirement, till we reached the German stronghold on. the Aisne, the Lioni rifle did grow I, but on the Aisne it roared. My division crossed the river Aisne about 8 a.m. on the morning of September 14th. We gained tho crest of the hill at 8.30 a.m. From that time till II a.m. our rifles roared at the rate of fifteen rounds a minute. Duriifg those two and a half hours tho enemy tried again and again to dislodge ns, bnt those rifles of ours would not go back one inch, they just kept roaring. It was then the message came along, that the enemy was falling back, and at 12 noon the enemy retired to the other side of the ridge, leaving ns in possession of the high ground, which was held by the Allies right through the war. That position was taken by means of the rifle —nothing else. After six weeks on the Aisne, we handed over our position to the French; from there we proceeded to Belgium. On arriving at Langeinarck, we heard that the flower of the Kaiser’s army (the Prussian Guards) were going to wipe us off the earth. We had. not many dayß to wait. After a heavy bombardment from the enemy, the Prussian Guards, each man over six feet in height, commenced to advance towards our trenches. On they came, shoulder to shoulder, firing from their hips, but that little implement of war, the Lion’s rifle, proved more deadly than any shells or bayonets in Franc*-. “Yes,” it roared there, as it did on the Aisne with the deadly effect. It was on this occasion that the Prussian Guards were told to ignore Britain’s contemptible little army, but as a captured German officer said, the Germans underestimated tho British soldier who can make his rifle a machine-gun. I could, 81 r Editor, mention ever so many moro places where the rifle proved itseif supreme, but no doubt you know about them. In conclusion, _ I should like to mention that there is not an army in the world than can compete with the British Army with the rifle. The rifle is a soldier’s beet_ friend, and as a general once it is the best cover to get behind. Ton are at liberty, sir, to do as you wish with mv letter.

A CONSTANT READER. Eketahnna.

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