NEW ZEALANDERS AT THE SELLE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14738, 18 October 1918, Page 5

NEW ZEALANDERS AT THE SELLE.

ENEMY RETsljst .SLQWS. DOWN. SCENES IN RECAPTURED TERRI- . TO*RY> i ' • WARFARE: NOW. QUITE OPEN. * (By r Cable.) (Special from the Official War Corre- - tfpondent.) ; , , . ,', Oct v i 2. ! In the area where tjhe New Zealanders- are fighting * the German retreat' ;has alowed down beyond the Selle? river. Wellington troops are still m the line ■and improved . their, position slightly this morning, , and captured a few prisoners. ? Yesterday they held m ajcklitjon to their front a flank of ,3000 yards, and on this scwne hundreds of- the enemy were seen m. two lines as if ready to attack. Our men got their Vickers guns on- to them, and .then , the forward section fired steadily at them. Nothing came. -of the' kupposed attack. .' , „ , „ Tci-day.^his. flank was.. reduced by half, and the ppsition made*, more secure, but the enemy holding, the ridge, ahead was shelling the,. positions jvahad /won from the, direction of Solesmes.,. M Last,. nigh fc i,bp shelled fine of ouc regimental, .aid posts out of a farm, north ,of , . Veisloy. Thi& moaning, we passed them digging m under the \bank of the road leading^ to. the front. , - '• . ■»'.'■ r. The ; w.arf are is now* quite open.. You can,. walk for miles aiid see no sign of any trenches or barbed wire— a unique experience m this war. Great craters have been blown m the roads and railways. These our engineers were filling m. For many miles the enemy had de-. stroyed his telegraph lines, 1 sawfrig /down prwts and breaking wires. ' \ # . Civilians liberated f from: bondage m the forward villages are still unfesy^ined m their joy. Strangd to say, they knew some days ago that, the New Zealariders were coming. They had heard the German soldiers talking of their advance. Everywhere the Hun has looted .freely, and has left behind a trail of destruction. The inhabitants had continued to cultivate «ome .fields^ and flowers and vegetables are growing m their- gardens. '■' Our men are enjoying an abundance of; vegetables, -which for weeks have been, very scarce with us. There aye fields of' sncjar beet and turnips, and winter wheat is pushing its loavos above the soil. Our men are tirod, but still arc cheerful. They arc duo for a spoil after their long advance.