AT ROSSIGNOL WOOD

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 11, 8 October 1918, Page 7

AT ROSSIGNOL WOOD

TRYING EXPERIENCE OF A BRAVE WELLINGTON RIFLEMAN The Official War Correspondent of Now Zealand, at the end of- July, doscribed tho capture oi' a member of tho Now Zealand Hiflc Brigade by the Huns, their unsuccessful a-ttempt to get- information out of tho wounded man, and tho retreat of the Huns on learning that they were oppesed to ■New Zealanders, and, finally, the soldier's painful passage back to his own lines. It appears that the soldier in question was ltiflcman William .("Tonga") Haigh, son of Mr. G. Haigh, of Wellington, and brother of'ltillenian Norman Hnigli (now at tho Officers' Training Collego in England). In a letter to his father Norman relates what happened to hie brother:—

"1 have been down to Brockenhurnt to see Willie. Ho said he had written home, but I guess it wasn't much with that hand of his. I will give you his story as near as I can. His company went over and made a small advance on July 15: He got through and got a very good watch and pocket knife as souvenirs. His section was put out in front of the new line as an advanced post that night. About 4 a.m. on tho 16th the Huns started a counter-attack. The post Willie was in was short of bombs, so some of the chaps went back to get more, leaving Willie and one other chap there. They were firing away at the < Huns, when a hand grenade exploded right alongside them. The other chap was hit on tho head, Willie in both legs, the right, hand,- and wrist, and the end of his left thumb. The Huns jumped in on top of him and took him prisoner. They carried him back a good distance straight away, bandaged him up and put him down one of their dug-outs. I think tlieir idea must have been to get some information out of him. For some reason or other they left him there alone. Their counter-attack was a failure. Willie lay in the dug-out all that day. He tried once to get out, but did not have tho strength. The next morning lie found some water in a Hun water-bottle, and a bit of black bread, which mado him feel much better. About noon he managed to crawl up the steps and back to our lines. It took him some time (30 hours, crawling sideways on one knee and elbow). When he got there he was put on a stretcher and taken to a cleanlier-station. He was onerated on on July 18, and arrived at the 6th General Hospital p.t ißouen on ;the 10th. He arrived at liroekenhuist on the 28th. A sister in 'Tonga's' ward told rao that he would get all right again, and that he might get sv trip to Now Zealand. If he doesn't ho ought to stand a good chance of getting into flic Boyal Air Force."

In ii letter to his mother Rifleman William Ilfiiprh said:—

"I was hit in. six places, two in the right; leg, above thn knee, two bolow the knee in the left leg. nlso one through, the right hand, and the nail blown,off tho left thumb. When I came round the others had left the post., so I thought I would get out of it. I was making a start when a German came up, and pointing a revolver iu my face, said: 'Hands Unl' I was helpless, and there were a lot of other Hilns behind him. They took mo buck to a dug-irjt and bandaged me up, ■then cleared out and left me, because mir chaps had got going and put thn wind up on them. After a while I managed to get out and crawl half a mile back to our lines. The Germans treated' me very well while I was there, but I would sooner be here than in' Hunlaiid." ;