SOME OF NEW ZEALAND'S “REGULARS": INSPECTION PARADE OF THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND ARTILLERY AND ROYAL NEW ZEALAND ENGINEERS STATIONED AT AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 25, 22 June 1907, Page 15

SOME OF NEW ZEALAND'S “REGULARS": INSPECTION PARADE OF THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND ARTILLERY AND ROYAL NEW ZEALAND ENGINEERS STATIONED AT AUCKLAND.

been destroyed. This body of troopwas under the command of the traitor generals. The position was a very strong one for the English could not attack the French without exposing themselves to a flank attack, and had it not been that traitors were helping the British, they had inevitably been defeated and overwhelmed. CLIVE ASSEMBLES HIS MEN IN FRONT OF THE FAMOUS MANGO GROVE. As the Inroe masses of the enemy poured out into the plain. Clive drew up his men in front of the grove, their left flank resting on a hunting box belonging to the Nuwab. In the centre he placed his Europeans flanked on both sides bv three six-pounders; on their

left ami right, he placed the native troops in two equal divisions. He detached at the same time a small party with two six-pounders, and two howitzers to occupy some brick kilns about 200 yards in front of the left division of his small armv. The French opened the battle by firing one of their guns which, well-direct-ed. took effect on the British lines. The English returned the fire with consi lerable effect, but the difference in numbers was so great that Clive resolved to give his men the shelter of the mango grove. He accordingly withdrew his men and parties of them bored holes for embrasures for the field pieces. From this new position his guns soon opened fire and it was noticed that several of the enemy’s gunners were killed or wounded.

ami explosions of ■ammunition were beard. No great effect had been made at the end of three hours, and Clive called his officers round him when it was resolved to hold the grove at all costs fill ni'ditfall. and then attack the enemy at midnight. A SHOWER OF RAIN THAT HELPED TO TURN THE FORTUNES OF THE DAY. While they were consulting, a heavy shower of rain fell. The English had their tarpaulins ready to cover their ammunition which in consequence suffered little damage. The enemy, having omitted to take this precaution, had their ammunition damaged, but thinking that the English would be in the same plight, they advanced on the Eng-

lish with Mir Muddin Khan at their head. They were met with a heavy grape fire, and in the attack their leader fell mortally wounded. This was the crisis of the day so far as the Nuwab was concerned. Realising the gravity of the situation he called Mir Jaffir to his side and asked the traitor to defend him to the. last extremity. Mir Jaffir promised to do so. but as soon as he had left the Nuwab he wrote a letter to Clive telling him how matters stood, and advising him to press the attack home. Another of the traitor generals advised a retirement behind the intrenchinents. and the Nuwab. after giving the retiring order, rode from the field and made his wav to Murshidabad. The way being now clear, the traitor generals at once began the retiring move-

ment. The French declined at first to leave the position they held, but being left without support of any kind they were obliged to retire along with the others. On seeing the retiring movement in progress. Major Kilpatrick, who was in command during I he temporary absence of Clive, decided to seize the opportunity,' take the tank and from there to cannonade the enemy. Clive, we are told, was very indignant that an important move of this kind had taken place, without his sanction, but on arriving at the scene of action saw that the new move of the British troops was exactly the right thing to be done. He also noticed that the body of troops near his right flank were inactive, and he concluded they were under the command of Mir Jaffir. His wav being clear

to carry the attack home, he first seized the hillock, then the tank, and later the redoubt. The possession of the redoubt practically settled the fighting, and from this point -all resistance on the part of the enemy ceased, and by five o’clock the English were in possession of the intrenchinents, and the enemy’s camp and the Battle of Plassey was won. LORD CURZON’S APPEAL. It is to be hoped that the appeal of Lord Curzon for a monument to the memory of Lord Clive will he responded to, and that ere long, both in Calcutta and in London, there will be some suitable remembrance of the deeds of the man who laid the foundations of the British Empire in India.

Woite. < ».< ,|i.. who iiijl' the inspection. i- the seventh from the left, front row. Sitting fifth is Captain Pilkington, in command of the artillery. Xext him is Lieut. Carpenter. Lieut. Symthe. ~! the Engineers, is sitting eight