THE BRITISH OPERATIONS.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 15204, 17 October 1919, Page 5

THE BRITISH OPERATIONS.

WORK OF THE AUSTRALIANS

A HIGH TRIBUTE

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association!

London, Oct. 15,

A high officer from North Russia gives unreserved testimony to the bravery of the Australians, who fought for six weeks on the Archangel railway front with the Vologda force under General Turner. The Australians arrived on the front on July 21st at a most critical moment, owing to a Bolshevist attack, coupled with the fact that the Russian mutiny stimulated by the Bolshevist propaganda was in I full swing. General Turner's force | consisted of 10,000 men, divided into three sections. The central force was composed of British on the railway, and the right and left flanks consisted of Russians with a sprinkling of British advisory officers. The right flank on the Onega river unexpectedly mutinied. The men arrested their officers, sending twenty British officers to Moscow. Mutiny on other sec-tors was expected, but it was grappled with in time by the disarming of the Russians and threatening that every tenth man, would be shot every half'hour till the ringleaders were given up. The mutineers then disclosed the leaders, and these were promptly shot. Australians under Captain Newbolt, who served with the New Zealanders in France, hurriedly arrived with other reinforcements when the position was most gloomy, the Bolsheviki attacking the entire front. The j Australians immediately went in and took a great part in stopping the at#tack. It was a fine affair. The Aus--1 tralians quickly located a battalion of Bolsheviki hiding in a wood preparing a surprise attack on the British flank. The entire Australian force, which was only 100 strong, including machine-, I gunners, went out, and after a few minutes of outpost fighting a real bat:tle opened, in which the Bolshoviki were surprised and dispersed. During the battle the Australians feared they would be overwhelmed owing to the numbers of the Bolsheviki, but they killed a good many, and took a few prisoners, upsetting the Bolshevist plans and ending the mutiny among the Russians. At a, subsequent period the Australians holding the line took spells in carrying out reconnaissance. Much daring individual work was done, but the Staff regarded them as exceptional shock troops, and employed them with English units in the most important sector in the final attack on August 29th to facilitate the evacuation. The Australians, with a hundred English troops, stormed the Bolsheviki gun positions, capturing ten guns and 230 prisoners. During this attack Sergeant Pearce, a cousin of Captain New-bolt, cut his way through the wire in the daytime,, disregarding a most intense fire, and bombed a redoubt, for which he was recommended for the Victoria Cross. Sergeant Pearce received a bullet in the thigh, piercing an artery, ! and he bled to death before he could be reached. The Australian casualties throughout were under thirty. The Bolshevik? possessed an equal quantity of artillery, but less ammunition. ■ . . Doubtless Russia will maintain a successful defence provided the troops remain loyal. The British left all the [goods and equipment which the Russians desired.