STORIES TOLD BY THE MEN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3983, 16 July 1915, Page 5

STORIES TOLD BY THE MEN.

WOUNDED COLONIALS SHAM DEATH. TO ESCAPE PROWLING TURKS. A TROOPER WHO LOST HIS VOICE. (Br Telegraph —Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 15. A narrow escape from death by a bullet, and then a narrow escape from death" at the hands of a prowling Turk, was experienced by Corporal J. R. Sullivan, of the Smith Canterbury Infantry, and formerly. Methodist minister at Tiiuaru. Relating how he came by his wound. Corporal Sullivan said that lio landed at the Front at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 25, and at 1.30 p.m. ho got a bullet through the corner of his mouth. It went dflwn his throat and was extracted from the back of liis collarbone. Corporal Sullivan has almost lost the use of his voice as the result of his wound and it was only in a husky whisper tlmt- iie could t-ell liis story. He lias been without the use of his voice since April 25, and 1 does notknow whethoi 1 * he will ever regain control of it, but hopes that an operation will set it right. “The bullet knocked me unconscious, and I don’t know how Jong 1 was there. Then an Australian tied mo up, and I rested under a shrub and went to sleep. When I woke up a Turk was at my feet and,' I slianuned death. He cut the laces off my boots with a long knife and made off with my boots. No doubt lie would have killed me had lie thought I was alive. Turkish atrocities were undoubtedly committed., but they have been isolated cases. Oho Turk drove a. bayonet through the tunic of one of our regiment, but his pockets were so full that the bayonet only grazed Ins chest. He shammed death just as I did, and that is how he escaped!. We did not realise the danger at the start of tlie fighting. I think,the shrapnel caused the most worry, because of the uncertainty as to where they were bursting. : It was a feeling of suspense, coupled 1 with one of real humor, at the start. that was before the bullets did soi ious business.

‘NO ADVANCE; NO RETIREMENT.”

“WE CLUNG LIKE LIMPETS.”

“The conduct of the boys was von derful The plateau which we held was covered with thick shrub and exposed to a strong artillery five. We could scarcely seo anything v yards in front of us, so, acting on the orders of an Australian bn^dier we simply clung like limpets to om position The orders us were;

‘No advance; no retirement; hold the ridge at all costs.' M e did tins until we hadn’t a man left to hold it any longer. “The stretcher-hearers particularly deserve every credit and honor for their work, ft is a pit- honor is not measured in V.GVsf for every stret-cher-bearer deserved one.”

Corporal Sullivan was then asked why he left the ranks of the ministry* to join the combatant ranks in the Now Zealand forces. Ho replied : “fn a fight for righteousness every man has some share, surely. Hen e I >\..s anxious to do my bit.” “YOU GET USED TO 13KING UNDER EIRE.” “Being under rifle fire is not too good at first,” said Private Paynter, of the 12th Nelson Company, who was wounded in the head on Hay 8, “but like everything else,” lie added, “you gel. used to it in time.” It- foil iiko a hick from a lior.se when lie got hit. Aiforwards lie was paralysed, all down the .side, ln.it recovered later. Private Paynter helped an Australian who was wounded in the leg down to the beach, and it took them about six hours to go five miles, fn the trenches under fire they fe-It all the time as if they were likely to go at any time, and there was a big .strain on their nerves.

_ Servant Wild. Hokitika. South Canterbury Infantry, was eight days in the firing line when a bullet struck him in the thigh. Jit; stood up and immediately his thigh was broken. At the time he was about 300 yards out in front of the trendies, and had to craw] back. “The only fear is while you are waiting.’’ said the sergeant. "Once you begin firing away you are as cool as a cucumber.” A GsSGC;RME MAN’S EXPERIENCE. LOOKED OVER THE ELM OF A TRTiXC 11. SNIPER HIT HIM IN THE SHOELDER. WELLINGTON, July 15. By Telegrapn— Special Corresponaont Private Frank -I. Price, of the Wellington Infantry Battalion, and formerly of Gisborne, who returned . by the Wi'locbra. was nine days in the firing ]j;:r -it tin* Dardanelles before he was compelled to leave with a broken shoulder, the result of a Turkish bullet. Private Price was on night duty when he receiv'd Lis wound. Taking a half-hour spell on guard, he was snppo-c-d to use a periscope in watching, bur the night was dark and he ventured to look over the rirn of the trench wh* n a Turkish sniper got him. Ueff iv landing at Gallipoli on April lid, py'.i was on the transport I ton us. and uin'r 7b wounded Australians and t vo New Zealand-.: s were brought on board. Before he got off he knew something about Red Cross work, so he assisted in binding up the wounds or his comrades in arms. “I didn’t feel too nice going into action immediately afterwards.'' said Private Price. ”1 was with a (one panv that stormed a hill close to the landing. You could not see a Turk till we starred to charge with, the bayonet. and then they got up and started t-o run. The Turks cot- text strong for us after a time, and we got back into a gully and dug ourselves in.” •Speaking of his wound. Private Price said that-. when he was shot itfelt as if a great big stone- or iron bar had hit him. He was down < n his back and up again in half a s -ond. One man Am each side of him was killed by shrapnel. Price saw Privates “Bert” ( ">en and Ales. MeLauehlan. of the ‘'Gisborne Times” staff, at the Front, a-id tkfv vi re b- E:

GHATS WITH GTKSR SOLDIERS. PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. WOUNDED IX .ACTION. (By Telegrapn — Special Corrc=j>onaezi.O WELLINGTON, Julv 15. Lieut. .J. \V. Fletcher, who went a wav as a sergeant-major of the N.Z. Permanent Staff, and who had been stationed at Helen-vllie for some- time before leaving the Dominion for tee Front, received his commission as w ii as two wounds at Gallipoli. He was shot through the wrist at Gaba Tepe on May Sill, at Cape Helles. whilst a second" bullet entered the right thigh and passed up through the hip. This bullet, although located, has not yet been extracted. “I was hit in the famous Daisy Patch,” said Lieut. Fletcher. “We had to advance straight across open country, the Australians and New Zealanders being placed in the centre and the French‘apd English on either flank. As we advanced we met a hail of lead, and most- of us who dropped found that the Turks took a special delight in endeavoring to finish us. Altogether the concealment of the Turkish trenches was very good. We did not see a single man—l did not, at any rate- —and yet all the while there came that stream of lead. Tne Turks were under German officers, who are born leaders and cannot be beat. I saw them on other occasions driving the Turks on, and it mace a deep impression. Their handling of the malieine gun is a credit to them, while as for their snipers, well, they are splendid shots. _ On some occasions we even found the snipers covered up as walking bushes. As for the Turkish however, it is absolute! v rotten or no class. I should sav there was marked superiority of ouV artillery over theirs.” Lieut. Fletcher pays a high tribute to the N.Z. stretcher-bearers. “The .stretcher-bearers,’’ lie caid, ‘‘"ere splendid, and ours and those of the Australians would have been a credit to any countrv. As for the New Zealanders as a‘whole, I have. not the slightest hesitation in saying that they are the finest soldiering material in the world. They are out on their own. 1 say that as an ex-sergeant m the Gordon Highlanders better men you could not wish to be among, and you can depend on them. ••As evidence of this I need quote only oilc instance. parties ot our men were sent to reinforce a particular section of the firing line. Only one of them got through.’ Lieut. Fletcher will join his wire and family at Mangaroa (Wairarapa) for the present. He may go into hospital later.

LOSS OF AX ARM. Lieut. Peake, of Cambridge, of the 16tli (Waikato) Regiment, is said-to be the only man on board who has been so unfortunate as to lose a lnnb. 110 was on shore for only a few hours. He belonged to the 16th Waikatos, who were on the left flank, where they were exposed to heavy rifle artillery and machine gun fire, and were subjected, as were all the others, to tlio attention .of snipers, who, knowing the ground, which was broken and coveted! with shrub, were able to make themselves an extremely unpleasant qU Lieuk' Peake bad been on shore only a very short- time when he received a bullet wound through the ri< T ht arm, just abov.e tlio elbow. Ho managed to get. back to the ambulance, but it was found necessary later to amputate the arm. By the afternoon of the same day Lieut. Peak© stated all the .officers of his regiment- had been put out of action. Lieut- Peake spoke feelingly of what lie described as the magnificent behaviour of the New nonooms. and men during tlieir first time wider fire. They showed the greatest resource and daring. There was no hanging back on the part of any to the Willochra’s trip,. Lieut. Peake said that not ahfe bad been lost coming through the Rea Sea. The heat was intense. tme night 130 degrees, was registered .out on the bridge. After that a-glof-yna-trip was experienced.