CAPTAIN WALLINGFORD
N.Z. SOLDIER'S APPRECIATION.
Writing from Napier, Mr. W. H. Skinner says:—"l forward you for publication an extract from a letter written by- my son giving a well-merited appreciation of Captain Wallingford, who Las proved himself a hero, and time and again saved the situation for our men at the Anzac front. The incident occurred on Saturday morning, August 8, in tho attack on Sari Bair, ot Hill 971. !
"By this time the Turks must have rallied and- reinforcements must have poured in, though not) one could be seen on the slopes about us. Bullets wuisked in a continuous shower. The wonder is that any one lived at all. I la-y down in a little hollow in the steep hillside, and began to dig a bivouac. The hollow, lay in a natural lane through the scrub, which was picked ug by a Turkish machine-gun. In no . time they had bagged ten or a dozen of our men, as Ot'ago streamed back across it from' a position that was nothing less _ than suicide., It was here that Atkinson and Spottswood, and Anderson were killed, and Hendle and Captain Colquhouu wero wounded, and of Ota-go. I wa-s hit in the ribs by a spent bullet, which did not penetrate my shirt. ■ This has happened to me several times now, but generally as the result of ricochets or Shrapnel. I dug into the hill, and kiSi up the flank with sandbags, of : which there were many derelict. Wo each carried two whan we,came out. Then I had a very pretty dug-out, the best on tho whole hill, I think. I went out to bandage the wounded in the lane. Some had moved off, two wero already bandaged—the dead lay about. A man was shouting, and I wont down to him. Ho was shot through tho brain. Another fellow was busy on him, and I gave a hand, but as fast as we bandaged he tore it off. Wo had eventually to give it up, and leave him, as his case was hopeless. I got back, and settled in to doze. Before I could drop off, an officor walked up across the bullet-swept slope, waking up tho weary men, setting them to work on deeper dugouts and a communication trench and firing line. Finally he came into my camp, and stood gazing down the lane. I shouted at him to lie down. He did not move, but began to count the Turks on the opposite slopes, enthusiasm growing with the number: 'Ten! Twenty 1 Fifty! Hundreds! Then looking at me and my bivy: 'Who taught you to dig emplacements for machine-guns? Splendid! I am afraid we shall have to turn you out of this. lam sorry, but—"Bring up that machine-gun." - ' I ; humbly asked if 1 might retain one corner. 'I am afraid it will be wanted for ammunition.' Then he got astrido, and became' absorbed in the Turks. The gun barked, the Turks repliod, and I wandered off too tired to trouble. . It was Captain Wallingford,. the most ■ valuable man in the Expeditionary Force; a man for whom no military honour or decoration would be undeserved. He is now retiring with a strained heart, and with the rank of major."
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Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2627, 24 November 1915, Page 6
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537CAPTAIN WALLINGFORD Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2627, 24 November 1915, Page 6
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