TRIBUTE, TO NEW ZEALAND INFANTRY BRIGADE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14391, 1 September 1917, Page 3

TRIBUTE, TO NEW ZEALAND INFANTRY BRIGADE.

fP*r Prc<!s As«orintion.)

WELLINGTON, last night. Tri the House this afternoon the Minister for Defence read the following address issued to .the First New Zealand Infantry Brigade by General Godley on June 15, after the battle of Messines : —

"To the First New Zealand Infantry Brigade came the honor of capturing the key to the whole position attacked by the Second Army. In this they had succeeded when they captured and consolidated the back line forward ft{ Messines. As they had been the original brigade to leave New Zealand he had ■'i-sked General Russell to give them thY to do and t they had done it, well. lie »ira»s sure that no body of troops could have done the- w^ork better or more Completely. The clash of' the Brigade •Mid tbe ; manner m which they had rt-, + a.ck'ed were absolutely all that could' desired, and he had no hesitation m saving that the battle of Messin^es had 'et the seal on what, they ha,di already -lone on Gallipoli and the Romme. Th^'r, •"iminltie 1 ? testify to the severity of the' fi.flchtin.ff they had to do. He greatly deplored the Ws of their gallant Brigadier •vho wa* killed -at the moment of victory -vt. the-hen-d of his briVade, -wlrch he had ="'» ffallantly lead to the tot>. of the hill. **■* wa« <v rrent loss to the force nnd to N" ft w Zealand *>.nd the Emoire. There -"As no finer man. He was sure they all Vt. how much they had lost m his death •>.nd m the death of other brnve officers, nor" -commissioned officers and men -who I''nd fallen m that creat victory. In -"MiHimon, he would like inst 'to tell ♦beni how proud he was to have had a '•wvl ; n th<* raisincr of the First Brigade ~'td m HHusfhinr it. from New Zealand, wns sure j>lpo that pvervono \ n New "' : «v'iflTid would be r>roud to hear wlijif '■"•■^ heen r^onp on^ft irore by the origina 1 Pftvoo.nn.lly -h<* wi^ed tn th^.nV lV( "n from hip heai+ for what they had 'lone for the corps."