THE TROOPS THAT TOOK MESSINES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14391, 1 September 1917, Page 8

THE TROOPS THAT TOOK MESSINES.

ADRESSES BY CORJP& G-ENERAL,

(From N.Z. War Correspondent.) FftAUiCE., June 15. A few days after some of our troops,•tired but victorious, caihe out of tiie liiie for a spell. The corps contfrandeiy Greneral Godley, took the opportunity > at informal , parades, of complimenting j them upon the feat of arms they,, had ; accomplished. • . „ His first address was to the -Rifles. He said he had come 1 down that day to thank the ofiicers, noncommissioned olficers, and men' for -what they,' tUd .m. the Battle of Messines. r llie> part "ih^y had, taken m that battle had contributed m no small degree to the greatest defeat the Germans had had m this war* The British troops had gained a most : complete victory, and probably one that would have far-reaching ' effect^ He wished: to tell them that the part they played m it was second to th^t of no others m the. corps.. They had perf orriir- i ed their -task with the utmost gallantry, and the> attack made by them?. went from ' start to finish without the slightest hitch. He had no hesitation 1 m saying that no , body' of troops could have done Ibetter than the Rifles, had d(ine that day.. \piat : ". thay had dopeVi^d led t*> 'th© captuxe 6{ further objectives later m the, daji .^ad ', > still later,; to the pushing -.of outposts ■: well to the south-east of Meesines/; He ' ! wished to say how greatly indebted he was to them for the part they had played m that battle, and alßOtos^yhow- " proud he was to have them uftcfeiv his^ command.,' It was his intention /to- write jto His Excellency the Governor. of v New . J Zealand and tell him what the ijew) Zealand Rifles had, done. And he icould hardly pay them a greater Compliment than to tell His Exoellency that they had worthily upheld the" tradiiionsjof the British Rifle Brigade,., wtiicji, as 'they knew % had been one of the most- celebrated regiments of. the I^ritish Army for centiiriesi He wished the, New Zea. i landers the same success m any' operations m which they might take part m :the future, rtnd he had every oonfidencethat they would be successful.' ■On the following' day dienenal. Godley addressed some ?OIX) officers, and men. of ■ another unit. , .' To them ■ 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 foremost objective m front of Messines. As they had been the original brigade to leave New Zealand he had asked. General Russell to give them this to do, and they had dpne it well. Be was sure that no body of troops could have done the work better or more completely. Their dash and the manner m which they had atiacked were absolutely all that could be desired, and he had no, hesitation m saying that the. Battle t of Messines had set the seal upon .what they, .ha^, already done on Gallipoli and on, the ;. Spmme. , Their casualties testified to the severity of the fighting they had to do. ' He greatly deplored the loss of .their gallant brigadier, who was killed m, the moment of victory at the. head, of the brigade he. had so gallantly led to. the,' top of the hill. He waa,.^.; great loss to the force and also to ' New^ . Zealand and to the Empire. Tftere was no finer !man. He was; sure tliey all', felt how much they had lost m his death and m the deaths of the pther brave .officers, I non-commissioned officeis, and men who ihad, fallen m that great' victory. In j conclusion he would. like just to tell them how proud he was to have, liad a hand iin the raking of the first, New^ Zealand '. troops and m bringing- ,fthem . from New j Zealand. He was sure also. that every- ' one m New Zealand wowldL fee, proud to jhear what had been done once more by jthem. Personally he wished, to thank^ 'them fro,m his heart for T^h^b they had done for the corps. 1 ; i. ,' ...... Following the Generals Address they ■ marched past to the music of > one . of .their own bands. The band was perhaps a bit ragged. There . were some gaps m their ranks that' had not yet been , filled up. They had been doing streiiu- ■ ous -work for some time as a carrying party under fire. . ... It is. ..not all music ■with oust bands when : ihe -guns .begin to ; shoot. - . - - .■'■'■' '■' ■' : '■■ ■• ■ ■ .