FOUR GALLANT ENGLISHMEN.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1912, 21 November 1913, Page 4

FOUR GALLANT ENGLISHMEN.

I | HOW A BRITISH FORCE WAS < CUT UP. t —■ t WILD DERVISH ONRUSHES. . ( A thrilling story of cool and unflinching gallantry, worthy of tho highest traditions of the British Empire, is tinfolded in the prosaic pages of a Blue Book on SomalilaJ.sd affairs, and dealing principally with the reverse to the Sumaliland Camel Corps, which, on August 9, was cut up by dervishes at Dul Slndoba, about fifty miles from Borbera, on tho African coast of the Gulf of { Aden. . Tho gallant feat of Mr. Geoffrey •. Archer, the Acting Commissioner,, in j going out to the relief of the survivors - of tho Camel Corps with a mere handful of men, gains added lustre from his ! own modest reports oii t'itd incident. ] But with his must be ranked the names ] of the three men who defended the . zfli'eba or fenced enclosure- of tho Camel * Coi'p-s against the on'riishing hordes of ' dervishes: ~ Captain Summers, of the King's AM- ] ean liiflea, , Mr. Dunn, of the Camel Constabulary, and < Mr. Gorneld, tho Commandant of the < Came! Corps, who was killed. •) Penalty With His Life. \ "It is evident," says tho Colonial « Secretary in a dispatch to the Ac'tini-B Commissioner, "that the whole responsibility for this ill-advised action must rest with tho late Mr. Corfield, He. has paid tho penalty with his life and I have no desire- to dwell on this aspect of the matter. But I am eompelled, if only in justice to the other officers concerned, to record'my opinion that the disaster was due to his complete disregard of the instructions - issued by his Majesty's Government, by Mr. Byatt \ (Commissioner for Somaliland), and by yourself.". In view of the Government's policy to * withdraw its forces entirety from the interior of Sonmliland and concentrate ] on the- coast, Mr. Archer had expressly ' warned Mr. Cbriield—who had been moving between Burao and Hargeisa ; since January, pacifying tho. tribes— i from employing the Camel Corps against : small parties of dervishes. ' ; In otte of his dispatches to tho Colonial ' Office reporting the reverse (it was not ] published at the time) Mr. Archer says: "I feel it my duty to say that the Coin- ' mandaiifc of the Camel Corps was gravely indiscreet in his- action in following . and engaging dervishes in face of all ! instru'etioiis arid also against military ad- : vice given by Summers." Atid in Cap* tain Summers's own report of the- light he tells how Mr, Coriiekl disregarded ] his advice not to engage tho dervishes and even ignored his suggestion to form . a square. But both Mr. Archer and -Captain ' Summers pay high tributes to the com- ■ , mandant-'s bravery, "A rash aet has , .* , involved tho Government of tho Protce- ' torate in a severe set-back-," writes Mr. ' Archer in one dispatch, ''and in the cur- ] eumst'ances in a politically disastrous ': withdrawal from Burao, For this Mr. ' i Cm-field, who hlid previously done such ■ i excellent Work, has paid tho Penalty ■ , with his life. It can only be said that ho allowed-his attribute of great personal bravery and the complete confi- ; denco ho had in the men under his cpm- • maud to outweigh his bettor judgment. The action of Dul Madoba should never, i . have boon fought." , Captain Summers says'that it is with : i the utmost regret that ho has had in his report to criticise Mr, Corfield's ' tiotis, and "But I take this opportunity of adding that he faced ultimate events with characteristic courage and lost his life in the thickest .- of tho light, directing, operations with tho utmost coolness awd bravery." 2000 Dervishes. After a- discussion with Mr. Cbffield, ' Mr. Archer ordered a strong rceonnais* sanco in the direction of Bar, and iii- ; s-tru-cted Captain Summers, who had ae- . corapanicd him from Berbera,, to go ; with tho force, with a view to advising [ Mr. Archer later on the military situation.. The Camel Constabuiary—ll6. ' rank and file, with Mr, Corfield as com- ' mandaiit, Mr. Dunn as assistant com- ■ [ numdant, and Captain Summers attached —moved out of B-urao at 8 p.m. ■ on August 8, and that evening arrived ■ within four miles of Idoweiha, where the Dervishes' fires were seen to be. ii- ; luminating the sky. Scouts sent for- | ward reported that the- enemy were assembled in force, and estimated their • numbers at 2000, with 150 horse. "Had tho commandant," says Mr. J Archer, "at this jmicturo--fallen bach ' and reported to mo on tho.situation, a valuablo service- would hatfe been rendered, ovon though some risk had been incurred. . . . Contrary to orders, bow* ever, the- commandant decided to engage' the tiervishes and to place his force in such a position as to intercept on tho morrow their lino of retreat- with their stock into the Ain. I need scarcely comment on the hazardous nature of , such an undertaking with the force at ; his disposal." Mr. Corfield was, however, elearjy determined to operate against the Dervishes. At 4.30 a.m. on August 9 tho Camel Corps stood te arms. Scouts reported that- the Dervishes were already moving ■ directly oh Kirrit. At the break of dawn the Darnel Constabularly moved off, about 300 Polbabanta tribesmon with them. At 6.45 a.m. the Camel CoMtabiilary was halted, a.ml formed into skirmishing line with tho friendly tribes-mim on the loft. The. bush was very, dense, , and view • could scarcely be- obtained, beyond 100 . yards, Tho Masim gun was mounted ' in the centre of the line. Mr.. Corfield . took up his position near it. | Captain Summers says ho thinks Mr. Corfield meant to move further on to a . more, -open plain, but he received bii formation that the. dervishes werie a'dL Vancing towards him. "I volunteered •■ the advice that he should forfii his force into a square, as, oiying to the numbers of the dervishes, the flanks of 1 his line would doubtless bo enveloped : '■ and lie would probably -also bo attack" I oil in the roar. He did iiot, however, , [ appear to think this nccessaTy, ana ; i observed that by doing so the volume of \ i iiis fire would be greatly diminished. ' The Camel Constabulary were thus ' committed to an action in an irregular ' skirmishing line in dense bush, without ' fe-sorvo or flank protection."' ; The friendly tribesmen fled at tho | first shot. The dervishes advanced in a , series «f detcrnihied onrushes aud -en- ; ' vektped tho right flank. The Mashn , gun was soon put out of action by rifle i. lire. Mr. Corfield was shot and died ; i instantly at about 7.15 a.m. The rank • and file showed regrettable want of : I .yie-admPßs. On the first retirement of ' the dervishes they rose to pursue them, i ' and it wasonly with difficulty that Mr. ' ' Dunn got them back to tho main body, j "About 10 ii.in.," Captain Summers i i says, "Mr. Dunn and myself and our ! [ few remaining nkni found ourselves sur- i ■ rounded mi all sides by dervishes, but l I we had contrived to construct a small ' Karelia of dead ponies and'camels. At , noon tho dervishes, who had run out ( i of ammunition, retreated," Captain | ■ Summers was wotmded, and nl! the re- , sponsibility iu tho final stages of the [ action, ho says, devolved on Mr. Dunn, - . who also made all an-fingci'no.nts for re- ' moving the wounded aiid retreating on ■ Burao. j i About eighteen miles from Burao tho ' : remains of the column fell in with Mr. ( , Archer with water and supplies. Tho ' casualties aiuoiinlorl to Mr. Cor&M and j : 82 rnnit (Hid filn killed) Cuptniii fjum-- c niavii and || wen wounded, air* DuurJ

says that the rushes of tho dervishes brought them right into the zareba, ono man getting so near as bo lay His hands on the disabled Maxim gun, while Captain Summers shot another right inside tho lines. "Twice 1 anticipated that nothing could save tho situation, but on both occasions the dervishes retired at the critical moment. Had they brought up their spearmen nothing could have sav* ed us." Tho London "Gazette" contains tho official announcement of Mr, Archer's appointment to be a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George.