24/1865 Private William Ellis Williams, (1889-15/9/1916). "agreed to sacrifice the happy home"

Mr and Mrs Williams, Needle Street, Kaitangata, have just been informed by wire of the death of their eldest son, Private William Ellis Williams. The deceased soldier was a fine specimen of robust manhood and left with the 9th Reinforcements. He was born and educated at Kaitangata, and later worked in the local coal mines, but left this class of work to join the railway service. During his service of over three years Private Williams worked at Taihape and elsewhere in the North Island, and at the time of his enlistment he was in charge at Rata. Although engaged to be married the young soldier and his prospective bride agreed to sacrifice the happy home until he should return after the war, and the announcement of his death has been crushingly and severely felt both within and without the parents' home. Always of a quiet and steady disposition, Private W. E. Williams was much respected by a wide circle of friends, and his death is keenly felt. He was the eldest of four brothers who enlisted for service abroad. Two of these were returned after undergoing part of the training at Trentham, while the other brother, Private Jack Williams, has just arrived in England with the 15th Reinforcements and was looking forward to his meeting his eldest brother in France. A well-packed box of Christmas cheer is also on the way to France, having just recently been posted by the parents to cheer up the heart of the boy who, alas, now lies in the silent grave. Our heartfelt sympathy is extended to the stricken parents, brothers, sisters, and affianced wife of the deceased soldier. Private W. E. Williams took a keen interest in lodge work at Kaitangata, having filled offices in the Loyal Pride of Kaitangata No. 38 (Orange). He was also a member of local Oddfellows' Lodge. On the date of his death Private Williams was 27 years of age.  -Bruce Herald, 12/10/1916.

The Regiment in Action.

The weather broke fine on the morning of September 15th. Zero hour was fixed at 6.20 am., and by 6 o'clock all ranks had breakfasted and were fortified by a stout issue of rum. In order as far as possible to conceal from the enemy the hour of attack there was no increase of our artillery fire immediately before the assault was timed to commence. Shortly after 6 o'clock three distinct lines of troops of the 2nd Battalion of Otago, which in conjunction with the 2nd Battalion of Auckland was to open the New Zealand Division's attack, had formed up in front of the new Otago Trench at intervals in depth of about 50 yards, and a fourth line was in Otago Trench itself.

Zero hour, 6.20 a.m., was the common signal for a mighty effort on the part of infantry and artillery. An intense and hurricane-like barrage of field artillery instantaneously broke out along the line; the great howitzers in the rear, hitherto firing but intermittently, now burst forth in extreme violence, and the anxiously awaiting lines of infantrymen stepped forward as in one accord and moved straight to their task. But the advancing waves had not proceeded far before officers and men began to drop from the ranks, for heavy machine gun fire was coming from the left and from the front of High Wood. It had been strongly impressed on everyone that the leading waves must hug the barrage, but the pace of the barrage and the pace of an anxious infantry barely coincided, and even before Crest Trench had been reached two distinct halts had been made to allow of the barrage lifting. During these intervals men took snap-shots at machine guns which were observed on the line of Crest Trench. When it was possible to move forward again not a few in their eagerness worked their way through gaps in the barrage and were caught up in our own fire. On the left the 140th Brigade was temporarily held up outside High Wood, the result being a considerable and dangerous gap on our left flank, and from this quarter enemy machine guns and snipers enfiladed and swept our advancing waves with disastrous effect.

On the right of the Battalion the position was quite secure, and close touch was maintained with the 2nd Battalion of Auckland, which in turn was in touch with the 122nd Brigade of the 41st Division on its right. Thus, with Otago and Auckland Battalions attacking on a combined frontage of approximately 950 yards, Crest Trench was stormed and its garrison quickly dealt with. Those of the enemy who chose to remain in it and confronted the Otago men hurled bombs and fired their rifles at the advancing infantrymen almost up to the last moment, and then threw up their hands and called for mercy. Two hundred or more of the enemy had previously elected to turn and run towards the shelter of Switch Trench in the rear, and a considerable number of them were shot down by our Lewis gunners in the third wave before they reached it. Crest Trench was in point of fact thus left lightly held, the leading wave quickly rushed it, fiercely brushed aside the enemy's foolish presumption of mercy to be bought so easily, and when Crest Trench was finished with there was a grim significance in the fact that the only enemy left alive in it were two stretcher bearers and two wounded men.

Sections from the fourth wave, now up in line, were left to mop up the trench, and the three leading waves swept on towards the more formidable Switch Line, a distance of about 250 yards ahead. Up to this stage the Battalion had suffered severely from the machine gun fire from the left previously referred to, but the 140th Brigade had now come up more into line and the trouble from that quarter diminished accordingly. On arrival at Switch Trench the four waves, according to programme, had merged into one, and when they jumped into the trench there was not much work left for the bayonet. Switch Trench had been strongly held by machine guns, but the speed with which the attack was delivered, and the manner in which it was pushed forward, prevented the enemy bringing these weapons into action once the barrage had forced him to run to cover. It was a case of point-blank rifle fire, a sudden rush, a liberal use of the bomb, and Switch Trench was clear of the enemy and in our hands. This was at 6.53 am., or half an hour after the attack had opened. The only prisoners taken were four German officers. Our slightly wounded were left as guard over deep dug-outs which, although already well bombed, possibly still contained lurking enemy.

The Battalion, in company with Auckland, then went forward a distance of 70 yards, and the siting and digging of a new line in front of Switch Trench was at once commenced. Major W. G. Wray and Captain D. E. Bremner, although both had been wounded, marked out the line along Otago's front. By midday, as the result of desperately hard work, the new line had been dug to an appreciable depth. The enemy's artillery had now determined our line of consolidation, and commenced shelling it with most destructive precision. This continued until well after dusk, and in places the new trench was completely blown in, necessitating a great deal of re-digging; but our men, working with extraordinary vigour, had by evening dug into a depth of six feet over all. Following upon the capture of the objective one company of the 2nd Battalion of Canterbury came up and commenced the construction of strong-points and otherwise ensured the safety of the refused left flank from the possibility of attack from the direction of High Wood; while the placing of four additional Vickers guns along the front gave still further security. During the night this Canterbury Company continued its task and connected up with the line of the 140th Brigade to the left.

For the purposes of the attack our artillery barrage in its various phases had proved wonderfully accurate and effective. The enemy's wire was practically smashed up all along the line, whilst his trenches were almost entirely demolished and in places quite obliterated. That the Germans up to the point when this avalanche descended upon them had lived with some degree of luxury was evidenced by the discovery of hot coffee, wine, and good cigars in some of the deep dug-outs — all spoils for the victors. Thus the first objective in our first attack on the Somme was carried and held. But our casualties were heavy. The Battalion went into action with 20 officers and 816 other ranks, and the losses for the day in killed, wounded and missing, were 15 officers and 445 other ranks; but the advance had been magnificently and determinedly carried out from start to finish. -Official History of the Otago Regiment.

KAITANGATA NEWS.

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. 

A POPULAR PREACHER, Mr N. G. NOBLE FAREWELLED.  (excerpt)

Just before the social was brought to a close the Mayor moved a motion of condolence and sympathy with the parents of two fallen soldiers — Privates W. E. Williams and Private F. H. Hitchen; also the wife of another fallen soldier — Corporal Jas. Hector. The motion was carried in silence, all present standing.  -Clutha Leader, 17/10/1917.