DASH FOR A MAXIM

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2361, 18 January 1915, Page 6

DASH FOR A MAXIM

HOW CAPTAIN HAGGARD FELL'.

Corporal J.' Abbott, of the 2nd WelsM Regiment, who was wounded at Ypres, and has now returned to his home in Cardiff, tells the following story of the skill and daring of Captain Mark Haggard, who was Killed after the battalion, crossed the Aisne:—

Our colonel' told' us to push on to the village of Boul'by 10.80. My section was told off as a flank guard. It was raining in torrents that morning, and as we were going through a. 'field of wheat I saw on my left about seven or eight women and children, and I drew Captain Haggard's attention to them. Taking six men with him he went off to investigate, and spotted a body of Uhlans driving the women and children in.front' of them. We-could not fire at the enemy for fear of injuring the non-combatants, so Captain Haggard and the six men, at great nek, worked around to the Uhlans' flank and opened fire on "them. Thret were killed, and the rest were drive? to the rear of dur battalion, who finish ed them off. Our adjutant captures one of the officers' horses, and'he hai ridden it ever since.

As we advanced down the slope through a bit of wood Captain Haggard "spotted" a Maxim. We will hara that Maxim, at any rate," he, said, and taking rix of my men with him he Wont off on his perilous enterprise. It was a very daring thing to do,, but he was so full of grit and courage that he did-not mind, and the mon would follow him anywhere. Ab he was crossing through the wood they onfiladed us with very noavy rifle and shall'fire.But through it all Captain Haggard and the six men made a dash for the Maxim, and he received three wounds in the stomach. Lance-Corporal Fuller (since awarded tho Victoria Cross) very bravely fetched Captain Haggard back under a murderous fire, and took him to the hospital, but he died ,the next day. ■ His last words were: ''Stick it, Welsh," a phrase he always used to encourage us in times of danger ;and. on the march.