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XXX Germany

News came that the New Zealand Division was to have the honour of forming part of the army of occupation, and that it was to prepare to move on foot and by train to Cologne, on the Rhine. Now this news was received with mixed feelings. Nearly all were agreed that such an excursion was most desirable, but all were of one mind that the best method of marching there was to go by train. New Zealanders, when put to it can march as far and as fast as most folk, but they have a rooted objection to doing more "foot-slogging" than is absolutely necessary. The idea of marching for the good of the health was never appreciated as much as it might have been, and the air always became thicker and of a more sulphurous taint when the line of march lay for some miles along the railway. The flesh is always weak, especially when the spirit is not willing. However, orders are orders, and the first part of the march until the German border was reached had to be done on "Shanks his mare." And really, once everyone settled down to it the march was the best of good fun. There was a most delightful novelty about everything. Every few miles almost was some famous town or interesting place. Bavai, Maubeuge, Namur, Charleroi, Liege, Tamines—where in 1914 the Huns shot 500 civilians in cold blood. Liege, with its forts not damaged so much as to be noticeable; Jemappes, and so finally through Verviers to the German border. Nearly every night the battalions were in fresh billets, sometimes good, sometimes the reverse—one night a railway station, the next a factory, then a huge chateau stripped of all its woodwork, and after that again a hospitable little place where nearly page 262everyone managed to secure a bed. One thing was always in evidence, and that was the joy and enthusiasm of the liberated people—French and Belgian—which in some places burst out into scenes of wild excitement. At Lobbes, the first town across the Belgian border, the "brave British heroes" had a wonderful reception. The population came out in mass. Small boys begged for the honour of carrying a rifle, the girls laughed and joked and blew kisses, madame wept for the joy of it, and monsieur with his hat off bowed solemnly to "monsieur le colonel" as he rode through at the head of his men. At Verviers the excitement was even more intense. Streets were placarded "Welcome, Tommy; we never doubted that you would come again." While the New Zealanders were not particularly flattered at being called "Tommy," yet they entered fully into the spirit of the thing. It is very pleasant to be made a fuss of—especially by a town-full of womenfolk —and a little flattery always goes down well, especially when you feel that you belong to the best regiment in the division, and that the division is that of New Zealand, one "tolerably well known in the war," to parody Danton.

Entraining at the little station of Herbesthal, just across the border, the battalions arrived at Ehrenfeld, a suburb of Cologne, about 9 a.m. on the morning of December 21st, and from here marched through Cologne, crossing the Rhine by the bridge of boats to Mulheim, and marching from there, 1/Auckland to Immigrath, and 2/Auckland to Berg Neukirchen. Here the main business was to be as impressive as possible, and in this the Aucklanders succeeded quite well. Guards were mounted with great state and ceremony, and the Germans appeared suitably impressed. It is probable, however, that the most lasting impression made by the New Zealanders was on the women and children. Children are the same all the world over; and brown-skinned "Abdul" who blackened "Mr. McKenzie's boots" in Cairo had many points in common with fair-haired little Fritz, who begged for chocolate in the streets of Cologne—and New Zealanders always have a soft spot for children. Elderly Huns, if by no means enthusiastic, were a page 263canny folk, and always took pains to be scrupulously polite. With the women the New Zealanders soon threatened to be as popular as they had been with madame and mademoiselle. Our men throughout the whole war displayed two qualities that made them much appreciated, whether as guests or as conquerors. In the first place, they never smashed the furniture just to show how pleased they were, and secondly, their mothers had taught them to be polite to women. Now such politeness is not perhaps the strongest point of the English Tommy. The average Frenchman, though exceedingly polite to you as a stranger, has only an elementary sense of the little courtesies toward women that the average New Zealander regards as the commonplace, while the Huns apparently regarded their female possessions as useful and sometimes ornamental chattels. If the further East one goes the less courtesy there is, then the Bolsheviks must thoroughly deserve all they have been getting the last three years. When "mein frau" and the frauleins found that the men in the slouch hats gave up seats in the tramcars, opened doors, placed chairs, and were not even above giving a hand to work the pump or do some little thing about the billet, they began to look on the "Diggers" with favourable eyes. Despite the strict orders against fraternisation, many men went to dances and other like social functions, and it was only the fact that demobilisation started quickly and proceeded rapidly that saved New Zealand the necessity of assimilating several German war-brides.