OUR SOLDIERS' ENDURANCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2668, 13 January 1916, Page 6

OUR SOLDIERS' ENDURANCE

Mr. Philip Gibbs, describing in the "Daily Telegraph" how "General Win. ter" has resumed the offensive in. the trenches, writes: — [ But the, men are wonderful in en-, durance as usual, and even those wet trenches bring out qualities of unconscious heroism. The other day a sergeant was badly -wounded as he 6tood thigh-high in water. A bomb or a trench mortar smashed one of his legs horribly. Word was passed down to the field ambulance, and a surgeon came up, splashing to the neck in mud,witli his held high. The operation was done in the water, red with the blood of the wounded man, who was brought down, loss a leg, to the field hospital. He was put a little on one side, as a man about to die. What else could one expect after that agony -in the ice-cold puddle? But that evening he chattered cheerfully, joked. with the priest ivho came to anoint him, and wrote a letter to his wife. "I hope this will find you in the pink as it finds mo," he began. He mentioned that he had had an "accident," which had. taken one of his legs away. "But the. youngsters will like I to play with my wooden leg," he said, I and discussed the joke of it. The people round his bed marvelled at him, though day after day they see great courage. Such, courage as that of another man who had ,been brought in mortally wounded and lay next- to a comrade on the operating tablo. "Stick it, lad! Stick it!" he said, turning his head a little to look at his friend.