AN UNBEARABLE BLOW
' As told to another soldier, and finally related in the "British Australasian," the raconteur was.an inmato of a hospital at Home. "Wait till I tell yon about Andy Murphy. He was etretchor-bearer for the —- third. We had somo casualties— about 200 lyin' in advanced trenches, over which the Fritzies had put a barrage. Wo put up a protest, and the Fritzies promised to give us twenty minutes to get the wounded in. They cut it down to ten, the swines, and then 'they started to send the heavy stuff over. Andy was the only bloko who'd face it. For two hours he rushed in and out among the gas-shells, pickin' up xien here and there until we thought his hair would take fire at the pace he was goin'. "'For Gawd's salto take a spell. Andy.' tho CO. called out.' 'This isn't? a suicide club. Easy does it!' "But Andy rushed out and brought in Corporal M'Elthono, who wns sufferin' from indigestion and want of tobacco. Tho order camo to stop Andy goin' out again, but before it could bo put throueh lie was over the edge. Just then a telenhono operator camo rushing up with a face like dongh. ''"Ye hear the new-??' he shouts. 'Les Dnrcy just nejrgod out in America. Strike me mnk.'it's true! We just got it!' "Andy must have heard him. He came back clawin' the air. and collapsed under the sandbags. 'No use mo bnttin' in any more after news like that,* he said, when they brought him round: 'Australia's done for. Gimme me hat!'
"Andy ain't, been the same bloke since." ; ' •':.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19170927.2.41
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 2, 27 September 1917, Page 5
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271AN UNBEARABLE BLOW Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 2, 27 September 1917, Page 5
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