GALLANT STRETCHERBEARERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2909, 23 October 1916, Page 3

GALLANT STRETCHERBEARERS

MOVING TALES OF HEROIC SACRIFICE.

Licut.-Coloncl M'Keazie, formerly the editor of the New Zealand "War Cry," and at present ono of tho Salvation Army chaplains at tho front, writes from France on August 20:—. "Our gallant stretcher-bearers have never onco refused to respond to the call of duty, and attend to their wounded comrades, though they havo had to pass through a veritablo inferno at times. Many of these devoted follows have been, wounded and others killed in tho performance of this mission of mercy. Only yesterday a fighting soldier was wounded by shrapnel on his way to tho front line. Two stretcher-boarora brought in a case to the dressing station, carried from an, advance front trench one and a half miles away, and told of this wounded man they had passed lying in the trench. Immediately two A.A.M.O. corporals (Smith and Stephen), with two bearerß, mado off to attend to him, and brag the wounded man down from a mile distant; they ran without tunic even, and had gone about 500 yards up the trenches when, one of those 5.9 shells fell right on them, and tho burst killed three, blowing Corporal Smith to fragments. I buried' the three a few hours later. It simply tears my heart strings to pieces to see 6uch'fme men fall and perish. They gave their lives in an effort to save their comrade. Who could help loving and living for such men?

"Let me tell you another, though I could speak of hundreds. Two bearers were carrying a stretcher case down the track to tho field ambulance wagon. The enemy started to shell the road, and they carried their charge into the beßt shelter and protection, they could find about. Then, taking off their helmets, and placing one over the patient's face, and another on his exposed hands as he lay on the stretcher, to protect him from shrapnel, the hearers sat down waifcing for a more favourable opportunity to carry their charge to the wagon, but, alas, before five minutes had passed a monster shell fell in tho vioinity, kdluig the bearers and also the already wounded man.

'Soma of my time in the trendies has been employed in burying British dead that have lain on the field for a fortnight or so. Going forth with a pick and shovel, I have sought to give theso heroes Christian burial. In doing this the other morning, just after daybreak,'l had occasion to go on to a ndgo in full view of tho enemy from two points. They started shelling, evidently thinking I was one of the digging party. Thoy sent over whizzbangs (7v's) and later big shells; these tell in close proximity. I had buried seven of these fallen heroes (all SusSe u wheli my guardian angel said, Get away from here quickly.' I obeyed instantly, and had got away twenty-five yards in a slanting iirection from the enemy's fire when a tag shell landed right on tho spot whore I had been standing a minute boforc. I only got a shower of earth! i

Commissioner Hodder, the leader of the Salvation Army in tliis Dominion, recently in a speech mado reference to the fa'ct that between 60,000 and £0,000 Salvationist's throughout tho Empire had gone to the front. Among this number are some thousands of bandsmen and .many officers. Tlie first New Zealand Salvation Army officer to fall was Ecginald Watkm6. MTiilo succouring the wounded as a stretcher-bearer he was fatally wounded by a fragment of a shell. Prior to leaving for tho front he did very successful service-as a Salvation Army officer amongst tho Maoris at Tau'ranga.- ■ ■. -