THE PHILOMEL MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2623, 19 November 1915, Page 6

THE PHILOMEL MEN

TRIALS OP INTENSE HEAT

THE LANDING ADVENTURE

A fuller account than has yet reached Now Zealand of the trials of tlif

landing party from tlio Philomel has been received by the Defence Minister. The locality is not disclosed, but it was in one of the' hottest parts of the globe.

Ilio story is a most stirring one ol lieroic devotion to duty.

The detachment formed a machine-gun section attached to certain land operations conducted chiefly by coloured troops. The officer in charge of t'lio detachment (Lieutenant Fitzadams Millar) received orders a littlo before midday to retire, and after about a mile had been retraced the men began to straggle.' The heat was very great, and the men showed the effects of it. Thera were halts of five minutes every twenty minutes for rest, but tho men could not be allowed to throw themselves down because of tho intense heat of the sand. On this account, tho lieutenant kept, on as long as possible in tho hope of coming on some ambulance camels or of reaching ——, now about two miles and a half away, where shado and rest could be obtained. They fell in with two riding camels and ono mule, and on these they placed five men and sent the guns on ahead. One man fell imconscious from the camel,

and ono able seaman had to be taken off exhausted, and theso were left in charge of an ambulance doctor who happened to come along. One of the two men died a few minutes afterwards.

Then Ablo Seaman Bruce Stanley Beagley succumbed to heat stroke, and ho also was loft in charge of the doctor, lie had given up his opportunity of riding on a camel to a comrade. He died a littlo later.and was buried.

When the little party reached a village they were all very done. One other man was missing, Leading Seaman Talmay, who had gone off the track about 200 yards to get shade, with a white soldier, and both were found dead. Tlie lieutenant and two other seamen rested at the village, and then, very exhausted, pushed 011, and arrived back at the ship with the guns, that aright. "The behaviour of the men was splendid throughout the whole day, and thero was uo word of complaint. A' description of the terrible effects of the heat indicates the suffering tho men must have endured. Victims seem first to suffer very great exhaustion and loss of physical strength, by which they are unable to get on their logs, and when once down the heat of the sand did tho remainder, anff their comrades found they had hardly physical power to draw them off the track. Some words of praise are contained in a letter of Colonel A. M. S. Elsmie, who was in command. Ho said that ho did deeply regret tlio death of the petty officer and tho two men of the naval detachment. Apparently in their keenness to get into the firing lino tlio men had doubled some distance, and this and'the long march had knocked them out. The whole detachment had homo its trials at this "abominable spot" so cheerfully, and all along been so keen to do their duty, that ho knew three excellent men had been lost. They had sot a magnificent example to the Indian troops in whose section they were living, and an examp'ftf lik'o that had a wonderful effect on the,lndian soldiers, who thus realised tho stuff of which the Britisher was made. Tho men would not give in till they dropped in their tracks.

Tho general officer commanding also added a, tribute to tho bravery of tho

men, and expressed his sympathy at the loss of "such fine fellows." Their loss was profiably due to their very ardour to bring their guns into play.