A MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY

Evening Star, Issue 19658, 10 September 1927, Page 10

A MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY

OFFICER’S DEATH IN HIMALAYAS GALL All! ATTEMPTS AT RESCUE The story of the loss of a gallant officer’s life while ho was climbing in the Himalayas, and of heroic attempts by a brother officer to rescue him is told in the proceedings of a special military inquiry into the death of Major H. 1). Minchinton,, M.C., Ist Battalion/ Ist King George’s Own Gurkha Rifles, while climbing near Dharrasala on Juno 3. Major Minchinton was one of tlio most, intrepid and experienced mouutaineors in India. He was stationed with bis battalion at Dliarmsala, and spent practically all hi? leisure in climbing in the'hills around. He was for many years a member of the Alpine Club, and bad climbed a good deal in Switzerland before he _ joined the army. In India his proclivities were not hampered by bis superior authorities, because the pastime was regarded as excellent training for a leader of troops, especially of Gurkhas, who arc mountaineers themselves. On June 2 Major Minchinton went up the hill from Dliarmsala with his wife for a few day’s mountaineering. They halted at Triund, intending to make it their headquarters while the major made mountaineering trips. Dliarmsala lies at an altitude of about 6,000 ft. Triund Rest House stands at 9,000 ft. • Above Triund is a .shepherds’ camping ground at a place called Lakka, at a, height of 10,500 ft. This is just below a pass into Cbaraba. To the soutii and right of the pass is a hill called Mount Mun. This rises to 1.5',500ft. and upon it the fatal accident happened. Major Minchinton went out with two Gurkha soldiers after breakfast oil Juno 3 to climb Mount Mun. With his two companions, Riflemen Ganjsing and Baghtir Thapa, he climbed the mountain, and all three then started the descent, being roped together. They were on a steep snow slope, slowly progressing by cutting stops for their feet, when Baghtte Thapa, according to his own account, slipped. The fop© held by the other two saved him, but as he was regaining his place on the cut steps be felt himself suddenly jerked off his feet by a pull of the rope and in an instant all three men were rolling down the slope at great speed. They stopped at last, and Baghtir Thapa then found that his officer and the "other Gurkha were too badly hurt to move any further. The officer could talk, and accordingly it was arranged that Baghtir Thapa should go for help. This he did, after settling the other two as well as he could, and he called to the rescue Licutemjut G l . F. Bain Smith. I.A 0.C., the first officer whom he met. MR BAIN SMITH’S STORY. Mr Bain Smith informed the Court of Inquiry that he and his wife walked up from Dliarmsala to Triund on the morning of June 3 and saw Airs Minchinton, who pointed out direction taken by her husband. The Bain Smiths went on to Lakka, and Air Bain Smith stated to the court: — “As we were about to return wo saw a Gurkha staggering along the path. Ho pulled himself together only enough to convey that Major Minchinton had had an accident. Ho said that Minchinton was about an hour's walk away. . . My wife went back to Triund to get help, and I took the tiffin coolie with me. The Gurkha attempted to come .with me to show the way r , but was left behind. “Having climbed 2,000 ft or 3,0001 t, I beard Minchinton calling, and saw him in the middle of a snow slope. As I had no ice axe or grass shoes it took mo till 4.30 to cross an intervening snow slope, which had a frozen crust on it. Kicking steps through the crust with stockinged feet was lire only method practicable.” Mr Bain Smith found Major Minchinton conscious and able to talk at intervals, though the only coherent information he could give was that ‘ we xnust have fallen ii thousand feet, and I cannot understand how any man can bo alive after it. I have been here three or four hours.” Air Bain Smith found the injured man badly cut about the head and face, and with his back twisted, but not in much nain. Ho gave him brandy and offered linn chocolate, hut ho could not cat. Air Bain Smith then took off Ins own coat, got Major Minchinton on to it, ami started to drag him down the snow slope. This caused the injured man great pain and he became delirious, and thus he continued while being dragged some 500 ft. The second Gurkha soldier meanwhile _ could not help, hut managed to get himself along in company with the other two. Air Bain Smith’s story continues:— “ The snow began to freeze over at 6.30 p.m. I found I could no longer keep him under control. I had been obliged to let my coolie, stay behind as ho could not tackle the snow slope. I went about one mile downwards and across the slopes, and got two shepherds to come and help me. On niy return Alinchinton reasonable to speak, but was conscious. IVe got him down another 500 ft. . . . Having reached rough and frozen snow, we could s gct no farther, and I sent one man down for more help. He did not return.” AFTER DARK. Air Bain Smith himself went for help and got four extremely reluctant shepherds. “ I sent these men hack to Minchinton. but as 1 was exhausted I could only follow by crawling.” When lig fjot back to the major he found biiu unable to recognise his rescuer. His struggles prevented him from bcnie moved, and the snow had now turned to ice. Tlie second Gurkha Air Bain Smith now seut on down with tlio assistance of two shepherds, rand then, “ I made repeated efforts to move Alinchinton: at sunset tlio shepherds deserted me.” The story continues: — “I stayed with Alinchinton, who was now completely unconscious, whether alive or not I ' cannot say, for about half an hour after dark, but soon realised that nothing could remain alive on that snow after dark. The wind was very strong and there had been intermittent hail storms all the afternoon. I got down In a fire below the glacier about an hour and a-half after sunset, ami found Airs Minchinton with some men whom she had brought. None oJ those ' was capable or equipped to tackle tlio snow in the dark. I sent Airs Alinchinton hack to Triund, and on. the arrival <if the first working party at 3 a.m., escorted them a short distance to point out where Alinchinton lay. “ In this evidence 1. have mentioned certain difficulties. These are merely mentioned to give reasons for the delay in moving Alinchinton.” 'Captain J. O. Fulton, of Majpr Miuohinton’s regiment, accompanied by Captain J. L. O’Ferrall, went out with a party of Gurkhas and found Major Alinchinton dead. They brought in his body. The surgeon who examined the dead man’s body found that his hack was broken, and considered that he probably suffered no pain after .his accident. For the same reason his life was doomed from the outset. None of the three British officers, who went out on the rescue work, had had previous experience of snow climbing, and the Court of Inquiry warmly praised them for their fine Lieutenantr»lonel H Holderness, officer commanding tho Ist Battalion, Ist King George’s Own Gurkha Rifles, in an official let.ter to*tho higher military authorities, pays a remarkable tribute to Mr Baiu Smith. Ho says : “After reaching an altitude of 10,500 ft at Lakka, Lieutenant Bain Smith had to climb mpre_ than 3,000 ft f-yther ,to get to the injured man. A*s far as Lakka camping ground there is a forest road in very bad repair, but above this tho sheep tracks were

of no use. and Lieutenant Bain Smith had to take to the open mountainside Normally speaking, no sane man would attempt to cliiub_ these mountains without properly nailed hoots and an - e axe Further, no sane man would go far from Lakka without companions and a rope. Lieutenant Bain Smith, who bad never been on a hill before, went alone without boots and without, an icc axe. His plain-soled shoes lie had to discard, as ho could not slant up in them, and he spent the- rest of ■flip, day and the night in his stockinged feet. , , „ . “From 4.3 d p.m., when he first leached Major Minchinton, till dark, which closes down soon after 10 p.m., Lieutenant Bain Smith climbed to the camping ground and up twice. I do not think anyone unacquainted with these mountains can realise the more physical effort which this entailed on a "man who had already climbed Iro n 6,000 ft altitude at Dliarmsala to 13,500ft,'which was approximately the height at which Major Minchinton was found, In addition to this Lieutenant Bain Smith had, as I have already pointed out, been in bis stockinged feet on rock, snow, and later, frozen snow since about 2.30 p.m. , “Clad enthely in cotton 'dollies, Lieutenant Bain Smith gave his .;nat to Major Minchinton, and from then onwards till 3.30 a.m. on the 4th ho was clad only in a shirt, a pair of shorts, and a pair of stockings in Hie bitter Alpine atmosphere. From 9.30 a.m. on the 3rd ter 3.30 a.m. on the 4tli he was entirely without food. When the first relief party arrived ho was on the verge of collapse, and both his feet-were frost-bitten.”