ANZAC SUCCESSES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15198, 19 April 1917, Page 5

ANZAC SUCCESSES.

VILLAGES CARRIED WITH RUSH. HUNS AND THEIR PRISONERS. (From Captain C. E. W. Beau, Australian Press Representative with the Commonwealth Forces, Copyright by Crown.) LONDON, April 12. The capture of Hermies, Demicoure, and Boursies yesterday morning involved really stiff fighting. It so happened that just as the Tasmanians were going out to attack the Germans counter-attacked them with the view of regaining the ground lost by them the previous night. The Tasmanians were driven back somewhat, but they attacked quickly, and regaining the starting point, duly launched their mam attack. They were fighting all day, oen company having the Germans in the raer as well as in front, of them. The New South Wales troops carried Hermies with a rush. The Germans in places stood up well, fighting boldly. Nearly the Avhole garrison of Hermies, 200 strong, was surrounded and captured. These German prisoners will probably eventually become some of those well-fed, well-clothed, cheerful-faced gangs one sees daliy working on the roads 20 or 30 milfs behind the British line. In dreadful contrast to this there are at the moment, lying at Anzac headquarters, two English soldiers who two days ago escaped from a prisoner's gang working behind the German line. I have seen and spoken with these two men. They are shrunken and weak, as if after a long illness. They were forced to work on rations barely sufficient to sustain life, without cessation, unless they absolutely dropped. They were exposed to the winter cold without an overcoat unless they managed to beg one off a French civilian. Filthy conditions, due to want of baths, had brought these men almost to death. Despite this, they and 100 mates, including two Australians, were still being ruthlessly slave-driven on the roads. I should never have believed they could have got to the condition I saw them in.