THE EMPIRE'S CALL

Otago Witness, Issue 3278, 10 January 1917, Page 38

THE EMPIRE'S CALL

NEW ZEALAND'S RESPONSE TWENTY-FOU RTII REINFORCEMENTS. NELSON AND MARLBOROUGH QUOTAS LEA MO. NELSON, January 4-. The quota from Nelson and district for the Twenty-fourth Reinforcements, raised voluntarily, was accorded a farewell by tfte Hon. James Alien early tins morning-. Ihe Twenty-fifth Reinforcements are also lull, and the Twenty-sixths are 30 men snort. BLENHEIM, January 4. The Marlborough draft for the Twentyfourth Reinforcements, raised voluntarily, will be accorded a farewell by the Hon. Jiimcs Allen this afternoon. The Twentyfifths are also full, CANTERBURY QUOTAS SHORT. CHRISTCHUROH, January 5. The Christchurch and North Canterbury quotas of the. 24th Reinforcements left for Wellington to-night. The Christchurch quota, consisting of volunteers balloted men, and men called up under section 35. was 74 snort owing to the fact that out of 189 men called up only 120 were- notified to attend the parade. Of tho=o notified live did not answer the roll call. , „ orv The North Canterbury draft of 80 men was four short. TWENTY-SIXTH REINFORCEMENTS. BALLOT PROCEEDING. WELLINGTON, January 8. The national shortage for the 26th Reinforcements, voluntary recruiting for which closed down on Saturday, is 1212. Two district*—Nelson and Bay of Plenty—escape the ballot, having raised their quotas voluntarily. The ballot to make up the shortage in the other districts is now proceeding. BALLOTED MEN REQUIRED IN AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, January 6. A ballot in Auckland city will operate for the first time to complete the 26th Reinforcements. MILITARY SERVICE ACT. DEFAULTERS TO BE PUNISHED. WELLINGTON, January 4. It is announced that all men failing to comply with the Military Service Act will ■be definitely brought to book. The authorities meantime are concentrating on the mobilisation of the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Reinforcements, and as soon as this is completed they will deal with offenders. GOING TO THE FRONT. Two sons of the Rev. Dr Pinfold, of Mostfiel, have enlisted in the 24th Contingent of the Expeditionary Force, and left Duneclin on the 3rd. A third son. Dr F. D. Pinfold, of Rangiora, will join the Medical Corps from Christchurch. On December 27 Privates Jack Gillespie and Harry Hunt, who were on final leave, were given a farewell in the Purekiroki Hall by the residents of the district. Mr James Sim presented each soldier with a well-filled purse of sovereigns. In doing so he paid a tribute to the departing soldiers' good dualities, and wished them both God-speed and a safe "return. Privates Gillespie and limit suitably acknowledged the gifts, and expressed their gratitude at the kindness shown them by their many friends. A pleasant evening was spent in Mrs Olsen's Tea Rooms at Waitati on the 2nd. A few personal friends of two well known families met to wish their respective eons, Horace Blacklaws and James Downes, goodbye on the eve of their departure for the front. Mr James Muir made a presentation of a wristlet watch and a gold mounted fountain pen. The evening closed with cheers for the guests and the National Anthem.

A very pleasant gathering took place at Hyde on Friday, 29th ult., when the residents, of the district met to bid farewell to Private Wm. Coster and Private Allan Ramsay, who wire down from Trentham on final leave. Mr T. Dowling spoke in eulogistic terms, referring to the high esteem in which both men w<tp held, and Mr J. Cnrvalho endorsed iho chairman's remarks. Mr Dowling presented Privates Coster and "Ramsay with a soldier's wristlet watch, assuring them that they were taking with them the good-will of the people, and he wished them both God-speed and a safe return. Captain Bannerman and Second Lieutenant Clapp. of the Eighth Southland Regiment, will go into camp at the middle of this month. These are the only two officers to go forward during the current month. A plea-ant gathering of friends took place in the Oreen Island Hall on Wednesday evening to bid farewell to Trooper T. Beath'e, of the Twenty-third Reinforcements. During the evening the departing trooper, who was on his final leave, was presented with several tokens of esteem, including a wristlet watch and money belt. The settlers and residents <>f Pnrakailiti and Tarara gathered on the 29th to bid farewell to Private ,T. B. Jeffery, who was visiting the district on final leave. Private Jeffery will go away with the Twenty-second Reinforcements. During the evening Mr John Ross, on behalf of the settlers, presented Private Jeffery with a luminous wristlet, wateh. Mr Ross said the district claimed Private Jeffery *s their soldier, ns ho was the first from It to be accepted for service.

On tho Ist nit enjoyable function was held in tho Waitati Hall in honour ofLancc«v>rr>oral W. M. Ferguson and Privates H. B'a'jklsiws, J. Downos, mid Dynes, members of tho Twenty-second and Twenty-third Reinforcement* who are on final leave. Mr W, Ames, on behalf of tho residents, ore sented each of tho guests with a wallet, suitably inscribed, and voiced the good wishes of the community towards them, and tho hope that they would all safely return.

Musical and elocutionary items were given by Missis Ilawcridge, Gristy, Thorn, and Messrs N. Sutherland. A. Sutherland, Ritchie. Banes. Chadwick, Irwin, and Hawcridgo, Miss MComeli danced a. Highland fling. Similar presents are being forwarded to Privates >). Lunain and George Stevenson, who were unable to lie present. At Pukotcraki on Friday night a farewell social was tendered lo Private David Heath, on have front Trentham Camp. A largo number of friends attended out of compliment to the young soldier. Air T. lOUison presided, and on behalf of friends in the district, presented Private Heath with a silver wristlet watch, with illuminated face and wire and leather guards. The evening was devoted to dancing and musical items, with an interval for supper, which was provided by the Ladies' Committee. Private Heath returned to camp on Saturday. THE MILITARY CROSS. Word has boon received by cable that Captain Ivan Stuart Wilson, R.A.M.C, has rec< &d the Military Cross. Captain Wilson is an "old boy" of the Otago Boys' High School, and passed through the Otago University, where he obtained his medical degree. Subsequently, while superintendent of Napier Hospital, ho took the degree of M.D., New Zcal-nd. Later on he went to London, and obtained the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons, and when the war commenced he was resident surgeon of the London Chelsea Hospital for women's diseases. lie was amongst the earliest of British medical men to volunteer for the war, and went to France with the British Expeditionary Force in August, 1914. He was wounded in the right lung on September 10, 1916. and is at present on convalescent leave in the South of England. . THE NEW ZEALAND DIVISION. MESSAGE FROM GENERAL RUSSELL (From the New Zealand Official War Correspondent.) January 1. New Year finds us still in a quiet part of tho line, with nothing special doing beyond the usual rather monotonous round of trench warfare. While a good deal of work and training are being done, time is also found for football, lectures, and entertainment. General Russell, in response to a request for a message to New Zealand, said he would like, above all things, on the eve of tho New Year, to let the know how largely the success of the division in the Somme battle was due to the efforts of the men themselves. His officers agreed with him that the Somme was a battle in which the individual qualities of men and the leadership of subordinate officers from company commanders downwards were the chief factors of success. Relatives in New Zealand should be proud to know that these splendid fellows from first to last had played their parts like men.

THE OTAGO PATRIOTIC FUND. THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES LIST.

BACK FROM THE SOMME. DRAFT OF SICK AND WOUNDED. LAND AT AUCKLAND. THE GREAT DRIVE. AUCKLAND. January 8. A t'other draft of sick and wounded arrived in Auckland early this morning, in charge cf Colonel Cowles. Though there were no cot cases among them, the men bore plenty of .signs of having been in the thick of the fray. Some, looked pale and tired, others limped painfully with tho aid

of a stick, but, notwithstanding their sufferings, all had a cheery smile on tilt ir faces. When the boat, drew alongside Ihe wharf one dusky warrior proudly exhibited a Gorman helmet Lakcn in the big push at the Soinnie. Two Gt rman sentries, apparently tiring of tiie strenuous business oi lighting, were indulging in a game of cards, when grim death overtook ihem, in the form of a number ol New Zcaluudcrs, who paid them u strictly business call, wherein the principal form of introduction was the bayonet. "What happened." queried a pressman of the present possessor of the helmet. ''Oh." was the laconic reply, "I brought this back alter pushing my bayonet through the owner," and beyond that he had nothing to say. Among the officers who returned was one wdio had been attache! to one of the much-talked-of ''tanks." The work of the "tanks" is already well known. "They absolutely struck terror into the hearts of the tiermans," said the speaker, "when they made their appearance. Nothing seemed to stop them. They were literally modern Juggernauts, and dealt death wherever they went. It was no uncommon thing, he went on, to see one of them nose its way half-way across a trench and then sit there and enfilade the trench on both sides. When it was finished it sort of casually wandered along to the next one and repeated the dose. An artilleryman who bad received a_ splinter of shell in bis back had something to say about the big guns and the manner in which they are located by aircraft. In one instance rive Taubes flew over his section. An hour later German shells commenced to arrive. They had the range to a nicety, and made no mistake about it. The inevitable queries as to what happened brought the strong reply, "Oh. we shifted the guns as soon as we saw the Taubes, and when the shells commenced to drop we were somewhere else." The speaker stated that, so far as the ,aircraft were concerned, wo had an absolute superiority over the Germans, anil flew over their lines continually, a fact which helped us very materially, and which was an indication of the striking progress we had made in this particular branch of warfare since the opening of the war. The southern men who returned left by the Main Trunk express to-night.

MORE MEN RETURNING. WELLINGTON, January 4. Tho following men are returning to New Zealand by the Ayrshire on the 12th inst.: NEW ZEALAND MOUNTED RIFLES. J. Carlyle, carpenter. G. Woods, farmer. . J COMPANY. Q.M. Sergeant H. H. Smith, commission a gent. T. J. Bradshaw, ironmoulder. FIELD ARTILLERY. Q.M. Sergeant D. J. Conway, second stewMACIIINE GUN SECTION. S. H. Forbes, coal miner. VETERINARY CORPS. A. H. Douglas, labourer. ARMY SERVICE CORPS. J. F. Mitchell, farmer. ANOTHER LIST OF RETURNING MEN. WELLINGTON, January 6. Tho nominal roil of the details returning to New Zealand per s.s. Navua, due at Port Chalmers on January 13 are approximately : OTAGO MOUNTED RIFLES. Francis Milne M'Diarmid, traction engine driver. J tunes Wallace, butcher. Henry Noble Wilson, draper. OTAGO INFANTRY. Major William Domigan, draper. Lieutenant Thomas Archibald Clark, labourer. Sergeant-major Andrew James YVjllocks, cheescmaker. Corporal Philip Gilbert Thomson, wheelwright. Robert Benson, labourer. George Balderson liournc, farmer. Walter Brereton, jeweller. James Bridgeman, barman. Edward Burns, bushman. William Docld, labourer. James M'Conville, tailor. Morrell M'Kenzie, farmer. William Alexander M'Nab, civil servant. Robert Maguire, farmer. Leslie James Meiklejohn, engineer. George Ernest Richardson, carpenter. Lindsay Hamilton Scott, mercer. Arthur Alexander Thomson, jeweller. FIELD ARTILLERY. Lieutenant John Barker, saddler. Lieutenant Harry Doughty, commercial traveller. Francis Joseph 11. Brown, butcher. John Cecil Tipping, soldier. William Harold Wallis, station overseer. Victor Bannister, mental nurse. Reginald Ivan Fletting, commercial traveller. John Patrick Fitzgibbon, driver. Joseph Francis Gillespie, station hand. Charles Henry Madden, butcher. Hedley Palmer, farm hand. Thomas Daniel Trussing, farmer. Edward Elliot Snowdall, farm hand. FIELD ENGINEERS. Corporal Edward James Les llogwood, school teacher. James William Cooney, clerk. Samuel Finch, miner. Joseph Osborne Owen, architect. V ETERINARY CORPS. Sergeant Michael Harry Bailey, clerk. William Kearney, teamster. ARMY PAY DEPARTMENT. Staff-sergeant Frank Victor 11. CouH, purser. ARMY SERVICE CORPS. Major F. 11. Lampcu. Reginald Charles Donaldson, farmer. Robert Hugh Garsidc Mack, butcher. Frederick Smith, driver. MEDICAL CORPS. Major John Craig, medical practitioner. Captain Arthur Georgo Harvey, medical practitioner. Captain William Gladstone Scannel, medical practitioner. George Myles Baldwin, dairy assistant. Malcolm Douglas, driver. Alfri d East, teacher. Walter Aim Ere. linotype apprentice. RIFLE BRIGADE. Lieutenant John Walter Snaddon, salesman. Corporal Augustus George Baddely,

Lance-corporal George Ernest Ncul, brewery hand. Robert John Asldey, cook. Edward Audrey Baker, fanner. Thomas Hughes Dradshaw, carpenter. William Cottingham, labourer. Alfred Onslow Daysh, fanner. Edward Donnelly, labourer. James Thomas Dungan, labourer. Albert Victor Darling, insurance agent. Henry Ellery, State school teacher. Henry Arthur b'indlay, telegraph linesman. John Henderson, baker. Herbert Waiwera Hitchen, dredgeman. Edward Lindsay, labourer. William Logan, blacksmith. Arthur John M'Allan. farmer. Richard Alexander M'Kay, railway fire-

man. David Malton, labourer. William Milligan, tailor. James Murphy, labourer. John O'Gorman. labourer. John O'Kccfe, labourer. Arthur Albert Rets, seaman. Alfred Leonard Savill, farmer, Albert Charles Schaeffer, hairdresser. Charles Edward Stuart, baker. Gilbert Leisen Whale, farmer. Robert Migmore, labourer. Eric Reed Mollidgc, shipping clerk. CYCLISTS' CORPS. Joint M'Laughlin, labourer. ARMY NURSING SERVICES. Sister Annie Louisa Mac Loan. nurse. Assistant masseuse, Ara Royd Garlick, masseuse. Staff nurse, Ivy Muriel Small, nurse. MAORI CONTINGENT. Joe Charles, labourer. Paipeta Wairuma, farmer. Captain Neil Oliver White, clergyman. PASSENGERS. Miss Haylock, Mrs Lampen and child, Mesdamos Pugh, Thompson, Wallace, and Weston. JOTTINGS. Wo have received £2 from W. C. and D. L. MacGregor for the Blinded Soldiers' and Sailors' Care Committee. During the Christmas and New Year holidays the " Bashful Boys' Band " (Messrs M'Ewen, Darroch, Lamb, Brugh, and S. Knarston) held two concerts atTaieri Mouth in aid of the Belgian Relief Fund, and were successful in raking £lB 5s 6d for that object. Last year the "Bashful Boys" collected over £22 for the same purpose. Lance-corporal John_ Samuel M 'Combo (previously reported missing, now reported killed in action on October 1) was the eldest son of Mrs Edwina M'Combe, 74 Duncan street, Duucdin. He was born at St. Bathans 21 years ago, and was educated at the Alexandra School. _ He served for two years in the bookbinding department of Messrs Wilkie and Co., and at the time of enlisting was employed as a locomotive fireman on the railways. He left New Zealand with the Twelfth Reinforcements, going into the firing line at the beginning of September. ENEMY TRENCHES RAIDED. GOOD WORK BY NEW ZEALANDERS.

INSPECTION BY GENERAL HAIG. (Special from Official New Zealand Correspondent.) LONDON, December 24-. While the whole world wad discussing the arrogant German peace proposals-, the New Zealanders were quietly planning a raid on the enemy's front line and support trenches. This they carried out with brilliant success, entering his lines in several groups, and killing and wounding 50 men and bringing back nine prisoners. This they did without preliminary bombardment at midnight with tririing loss —one killed and four wounded. The enemy trenches in many places were found to be in a deplorable condition, being badly smashed by our artillery and trench mortars and waistdeep in water, so that they cannot be iield except by isolated posts. Engineers who accompanied the raiders blew up a powerful pump and a section of tramway. One section of the raiding party threw 300 bombs, killing or wounding 20 Germans. The enemy sent up hares and star rockets, and opened with machine gun lire, but the latter soon died away under bombs from our trench mortars. Documents were captured in one dug-out from which the enemy lied. It is expected that at Christmas the enemy will endeavour to further the peace idea by attempting to arrive at a temporary cessation of hostilities. So far as the New Zealanders are concerned, any sucii advances are likely to meet with a hostile reception at the present juncture. December 23. General Haig inspected the New Zealanders. Ho rode past the troops in line, consisting of one brigade, one battalion from other brigades, and rcprescntativee of ali other units. Tho commanding officers were officially introduced. Tho long column then marched past to the music of bands, tho scene being an inspiring and memorable one. The men marched well, and looked remarkably fit. General Haig, addressing the corps and divisional generals, again referred to the exceptionally good work of the New Zealandcra at the Somme, and congratulated the commander of the division on having such a line body of men under him. He also expressed pleasure with tho excellent turn-out that clay and the arrangements connected therewith. RIFLE EPJGADE IN ACTION. NEW ZEALANDERS RUSH GERMAN TRENCHES. Private Gillespie, 4th Battalion, N.Z.R.8., has written to his mother, who resides at Green Island, an interesting account of his share in the "big push" in September. He says: '"What with the bursting of shells and the roar ol the guns you could hear nothing, and all I saw and went through that day I will never forgi I. The eround wc had to cover was swept by shot and shell, and how any one of us came through seemed a miracle. It was awful—men falling on all sides of us, and the shrieks of bursting shells but we still pushed on till wo got°near the German trench. Then we look cover till the artillery barrage lined forward, when we charged again. After a bit of a scrap the Germans came out and held up their hand-, crying for mercy, and some got it. We occupied the trench, and the rest of the brigade went over the top of us and captured three more lines of trenches. Wc had to hold on for 43 hours, after which we went back to the

reserve treiiohos for two days. We were in and out like thai for 27 days. iil! wo came in last night for u spoil, and I can tell von it was not before time. 1 lost about two stone itt the 27 days, and the night we caino out we were marching nearly 11 hours through sloppy trenches and over muddy roads, and it was pitch dark. But if was nice to know that we did some pood for all the hardships and misery we wont through. Our push is over three miles deep and over half a mile wide—not had for tho New Zealand boys:—but at what cost!" THE MILITARY CROSS. HOW THE REV. 0. HOUCHEN WON IT. Chaplain-captam (J. liouchcu, vicar ol To Kuiti, who was awarded tlie Military Cross tor gallantry and devotion to uuty in tending wounded under almost continuous heavy shell lire during tho Sommo advance on September Id anil XO, has given an account ol ins experiences in a letter to relatives in Auckland. " Xhere have been stirring times lately," ho writes on September Zi. "We are in tho big push, anu you will bo giael to hear tnac tne Kiile Brigade is very well spoken of. J-iie ioui was the day ol tne advance, and although our men uid splendidly and are heroes one and all, there was a very heavy casualty list. Boyle, our medical oiiicer, moved his collecting station well up, and 1 assisted him with the dressing of wounds. They began to come in in numbers, and soon there were so many that ■alter looking at a few of my dressings, ho let me alone altogether, and we went hard lor 56 hours, with snatches of sleep and a bite now and then. It was very diiiicult to get tiie poor chaps away, and we had as many as 150 men lying around, besides men who could walk back -from the zono of lire. 1 set two legs, ono a Bosche, and though the thing was most interesting, etc., the hard part came when we could not get them back to the advance dressing station. Then the nights were so cold that some of them died from exposure and loss of blood, in spite of the fact that I found nearly 100 Bosche overcoats and blankets in the dugouts which they had just left. Some of our wounded were being hit a second time. I had just dressed one man's, leg and. stood him up, and was starting on another when tho first called out, 'Padre, they have got mo again.' A piece of shrapnel had cut his facial artery, and tho blood was spurting from his cheek. I left my man and fixed him up with a held dressing before proceeding. Suddenly the M. 0., Bogle, was hit, and died instantly. Next day, after I had lunch (sandwiches) in a hole with Major Martin, I carried Bogle out to the back, and just after I left, Martin was hit. and though ho was hurried back as far as Amiens he collapsed from two wounds. For myself, I am as lit as a fiddle and, thank God, unscratched. Now we are back a littlo way in a trench and waiting for further orders; we mav go up again or we may go out. The battalion, in fact, the brigade, is a very different thing now from what it was when we came in. 1 have a list of ' next-of-kin ' that will take me somo weeks or months to get through." Writing on October 27, a month later, ho refers to tho hearty congratulations, given him by the rfficers and men of his battalion upon receiving the news that he had been awarded the Military Cross, and to the genuine pleasure that all ranks scorned to feel on hearing that their padre had "pulled it off."

Previously acknowledged £22 : 450 14 11 D.I.C. warehouse and workroom staff, for the Great Britain and Ireland Relief Fund 8 0 0 Waipahi Tennis Club ... ... A 1 2 0 Tarara Rural Mail Committee, per L. Rao Total ; A 0 9 0 £22, 460 5 11 BELGIAN RELIEF FUND. THE OTAGO DAILY TIM ;CS LTST. Previously acknowledged £27,645 6 5 " Anonymous/' per the Belgian Consul 100 0 0 Railway Traffic Office staff ... 7 1 0 Mrs Paterson 5 0 0 Per the Belgian Consul, for the children of Belgium— Kelso School, Santa Clans Fund £1 5 0 Waianaka'rua School 10 0 Main South Road School, Oarnaru, Santa Clans Fund 0 13 4 "Christinas" 0 10 0 Glenore School, Santa Claus Fund 0 10 0 3 18 4 Railway goodshods regular casuals 2 16 0 Miss Paterson 2 0 0 Mrs Sillars, Millers Flat, collected at Christmas dinner 1 0 0 Collected at Christmas dinner at Port Molvneux 0 12 0 "D. W." 0 10 0 E. Falconer and C. Russell Smith 1 1 0 Gilbert M'Caul 0 4 0 William Crozier 0 2 0 P. MSkimming and Son, Benliar " 10 0 0 Collected in Warepa and Puorua Presl»j terian Churches 11 1 6 J he I*. ramuv, Clirist* mas donation 1 0 6 " Lebie " 1 0 0 ' : Nemo " 1 0 0 Subscribed at Christmas, dinner at ''Hazel rvu'e," Lovell'a Flat 0 10 0 John Miller and Constance .Miller (Oarnaru), portion of prize-money Total 0 7 6 £27, 816 13 5 SERBIAN RELIEF FUND. THE OTAGO DAIRY TRY [ES LIST. Previously acknowledged ... . ,. £1771 3 1 Miss Paterson Total ..£] 1 0 0 1772 3 1