A WELLINGTON MAN AT MESSINES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3175, 28 August 1917, Page 8

A WELLINGTON MAN AT MESSINES

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE "GASSED" CAPTAIN ATKINSON'S DEATH A Wellington eoldier, who was "gassed" at Messines on June 7. .rites interestingly to a rela.tive:-"Tho 7th or' June will long live in my memory, as il. was just hell. 1. knciv before of the weight of our gun--, but I nover knew it was to be ns it whs. \Vo went into oiip v trenchoj Isle on Waducsday night, a.nd wnitod till just nbout dawn for the attack. At •" a.m. torn - mines were blown up under the low n. the guns opened, and we nttfiuked. il: was awful! We captured Fritz's first lren:h (which was full of German dead), and then rushed uphill and through, tbo town, killing every German about. ■Wβ got beyond the town, and there dug in. The'screeching of tho shells was terrifying m the extreme. The la»t battle on the Sommc was nothing to this. One could heal* no orders. It was just a. case of follow on and kill. We bung on to our last trench, till 12 o'clock, and then another lot of Anzacs went on and captured some more ground. Prisoners were taken here in hundreds. We made up our minds beforehand to take no prisoners on account of some ugly rumours we heard about Pritz, but it is him! to kill even our enemies, so hundreds were' taken.nnd sent back.

"About 3 o'clock in the afternoon I was sont back with a. party for water, and on tho way 0. gas shell exploded alongside, me, aid I was too late with my gas helmet, and feot a dose of it. I did not mind at first, but after a. bit. 1. started to vomit, and hod terrible paine ill the head, throat, and chest. I kent on until 1. dropped", and ivoko tip in tho ambulance. I was taken and examined and then pent, to this hospital. I am dohttr all Tight, and iim ordered complete rest, with no excitement for some time to come. I had a horror of gas, Md. I can tell you the pains were awful. •Tliev say the vomiting saved me somewhat, and α-s I am strong I will soon throw off the effects and join up witli the lads again. Good old New Zealand has made a name this time. T cannot find words to describe that terrible dawn of tho 7th, but sometimes T can still hear tho thunderous ioar of the guns. "On the Tuesday before tho battle wo made a raid on Fritz's line, in broad daylight, too, and blew up some of his due-outs. Captain Atkinsou, of Wellington, our captain, was killed in that littlo fray. At dark of night three others and myself 'went out ;ind brought his body in. We had to hunt to find him, as ho had crawled to a shell holo to die, but I was pleased wo did ilud him, as he waa a bravo and good captain."