INSPECTED BY THE CORPS COMMANDER.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17076, 1 September 1917, Page 3

INSPECTED BY THE CORPS COMMANDER.

On the morning of the 21st June the Corps Commander inspected a representative parade of officers and men of one of the brigades who took part in the Battle of Messines. Addressing the troops,, he said:—

Officers, non-commissioned officers, and men : I have come here to-day to thank you and to congratulate you on what the brigade has done in the great victory which we have just won over the Germans at the Battle of Messines. The brigade had a very difficult task to do. As you all know, it'was. on the left of the original avssault, and you had to do what was; in many ways as difficult a job as any other troops in the whole attack had to do. And if everybody had not known exactly what they had fco do and how to do it, and had, not thought a lot about it, and studied and wor!;-^ hard,, he success would not have been anything like what it was. It was to those troops that went first over the parapet and on to Messines. of which this brigade was in the van, that we really owe, in a large measure, the victory. After that iihe brigade was sent forward to a farther line, and you had a very diilicult time and a very arduous time during the consolidation of that line. It must be a very great satisfaction to all concerned in it to know that that line is now firmly established, and a great many of you have,seen for. yourselves that tne Germans have been driven right across the Lys, and that we are in close touch cf Warneton and Frelinghein. To this brigade especially is due a very large amount of the credit for that.

I remember well when the brigade was first formed, only about eighteen months ago, after the troops had come back from the Peninsula. I was confident then that it would not be long berore the brigade would prove its wortb to rank with those who had covered themselves with glory at Gallipoli. The anticipations then formed have been more than justified. Not only on the Somme, where it has established itse 1! as second to no other, but also now in this great Battle of Messines, its record is one of which any- commander might be proud. For my part lam very proud to have the brigade in the corps, and in any fuure operations I hope I shall always have the good fortune to ha.ye it in my command. Once more 1 thank you from my heart for all you have done, and I feel sure that the people of New Zealand will be pro:i to hear of the deeds of' this brigade, which they can look upon as second to no brigade in the forces of the Empire. The brigade afterwards marched past to the music of one of its bands. It looked remarkably well, the troops having made a wonderful recovery from the strenuous ordeal through which, but a few "days before, they had passed.