£2 FOR EVERY OFFICER SNIPED

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2431, 9 April 1915, Page 6

£2 FOR EVERY OFFICER SNIPED

Lieutenant-General Sir Henry MacKinnon, speaking recently at a dinner given in Manchester, told a remarkable story of a German sniper who was a source of much annoyance to a British infantry company to which a relative of the general was attached. Eventually the hiding place of this sniper was located, and he was shot. When his body .was brought in an order was found on him deputing him to snipe British officers. Ho had in bis hook particulars to show that ho had shot no fewer than 50 officers. Apparently it was the rule of the German War Oflico to give a reward for each officer killed, after each claim had been officially scrutinised and allowed. The sniper was required to state tho exact position where the officer was shot, and give particulars about his regiment and other details. No claim was allowed until it had been tostcd by roforence to tho casualty lists in the British newspapers. In tlie case of tbis particular sniper only 2o claims had been allowed, for cach of which bo bad rcccivcd a, reward of 60 marks (£2).