NEW ZEALAND CASUALTIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3984, 17 July 1915, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND CASUALTIES.

LIST NO. 119

DANCEROUSLY ILL, JULY 12

N.Z. Field Artillery— Grainger, Charles Andrew, 2/572, Gunner (next of kin, G. W. Grainger, Napier, lather). The following reported missing have rejoined:— Canterbury BaftalionTurner, Richard Barman, 6/106, Private (John Richard Turner, Woolston, Christchurch). DIED OF DYSENTERY JULY 7. Wellington Battalion Williams, 10/576, Private (Geo. Cnldiuini Williams, Rangitnpu. Waipawa). LACK OF DOCTORS. too WOUNDED ON ONE SHIP. Bv Tolegra ph—Special Correspondent WELLINGTON, July 15. "It was hell, that’s all about it,” was how Sergeant Whitley, of Carterton, .summed up his month of active service with the Armv Service Corps. "We were working under the very greatest difficulties, continually under lire and losing men by shrapnel fire. Every day out of m.v section of 16 only two were loft. When 1 went two were killed, ft seemed as if the enemy guns were concentrated on the beach where we had to land. We 'had to work the ammunition supply as well, with no transport and no roads out. Everything, rations, water and ammunition, we took up to the lines on mules. The A.S.C. did it all with a few Indians attached and the Indians did some great’ work for us. ”My heart went out in pity for the wounded the first day or two we were there. it seemed as if the lines of stretche's coming back were endless and the men had to lie on the beach unattended for hours 'Toe saddest part of all to me was the lack of preparation made for casualties —not enough hospital -hips and not enough medical stall. On the ski- S went hack in then* were «:;() wounded men and to fare for them there was one medical orderly and three doctors. 1.11 course the doctors couldn't look alter them although they worked night and day. Some of the men did not have their bandages taken off for three* or four days and a lot of the wounds became M'ptir. When we got to the ha - a ho -pit rf- wo were well looked lifter. i’ll, doctors were kind and s:y input hei i : and the -ister- they were just ai:of ■. g I: t.' "Fear? No. von don t get over it. The first time I was hit was by a bullet in the- chest. It must hate been nearly spent because the bundle of letters ami my payback that 1 had in my pocket stopped it and the millet just, penetrated below the mouider. The hurt was nothing but it destroyed inv nerve. Up till that time 1 had had no fear to speak of. But after that my nerve.-, w ere all gone. A\ hat scut me* bade was nut exactly a wound The point of a hurst shrapnel shell hit, my rifle, smashed it to pieces ;!1 my hands, and crashed the butt against mv hip. I had a bad bruise there but the skin w as hardly broken. It. must have damaged the siiatie nerve and now they say I have seiati • i ”

“THE VALLEY OF DEATH.”

FALL INTO A WELT.

Tim Turks were not the direct cause of the injuries to Private Dixon, oi "Whangs.!rei. He was a shoemaker m the A.but along with the motor transnort men. farriers, cooks and all the others he had to help with the ammunition -apply per mule pacn. This is about how he tells the story:

"At that- time our men were put holding on the line on our left wingYou could hardly call it a line. H Was so scarce that if the 1 urks had had tin' courage to charge they weua. have wiped our men out. We had iiist gone up to the line through a place we called ‘‘The Valiev of Death” because of the number of dead mules and men. There was no time to but a them. It*was the first time we took biscuits up, but au officer said. y\\ hat are you bringing that stuff for. - ' Go back for ammunition.’ GALLOP LIKE ——.” "Going back again with the ammunition I'"had three mules, on a leading chain and I got into a valley - had never been in before. It )p ls night time and I fell into a well The chain was round my wrist and the fall smashed up som.eining in my .shoulder. I haven't been able to use mv arm since. I lay in the stinking water all night before the ambulance men found mo and then in hospital } had a bad attack of rheumatm fever.” . , ~ Dixon is still very tar from we.i generally and his shoulder is by no means cured.

MEN WHO DON'T CARE.

NO FEAR OF DEATH

Strangely different accounts ate given bv the men of their own feolfngs in'warfare. Some speak of tie' lighting with feelings of horror that they cannot disguise, borne regard u as ‘just a queer experience, and some speak eagerly about it as a splendid adventure. The slaughter made some men sick ; others it made angry and. some simplv didn’t care. Private O. R. Lee, of Algsterton is one of those who didn’t car*,', flint awful eighth ot'Alay when most of tin* men got most, of their wounds is vividly enough impressed on his mind,- nut ho speaks of -it w ithout excitement ‘‘lts very rough and very hard and Y orv dangerous. But I didn t mind it much. Honestly I-didn't Going over on the ship was worse than the fio-hting. In- the fight von know what you've got to do and you do it and that’s about all t-liere is to it-. Ibe Now Zealanders fought- all right, out there. I don’t- think there were many amongst, them that were afraid, there were a few that were a bit weak m the heart at first but afterwards when thev got over this they wore often better than the rest Ot course i you turn back, you’ll get shot and that’s no good to any man. I thought at first it was a terrible thing to he killed, but I’ve seen fellows killed out there and when you see them it- seems nothing very bad at all. A man says •‘I think I'm done for. mates, ami he lavs down bis head and goes out. Dying doesn’t- seem to me such a bau .tiling after all.”

but possibly there were eight. Un-re was nothing to cause the house or the country serious alarm, and on* death rate was very favorable when compared with Australia. Neglect had not accelerated the- spread of the disease nr the death of the men. Meningitis was carried from man to man. Itdid not arise from the condition ot the camp, though the men getting wet might be more susceptible. Ihc existence of a base hospital would nothave prevented the disease. He would be pleased to have that question fully discussed. The medical profession had subscribed for such an hospital, but did riot approach him tor some time after. When they did approach him the plans were got ready in a’few days. He had never said he was not- going to build an hospital at Trontlia-m, but did object to a base hospital with -100 beds. .A ' PpA of 18 beds was quite sufficient D contract was let in A ay, and*aught to have been finished on the J7tn Juno. The contractor had been give notice that if it were not compkta in a fortnight the contract 'oud be taken over and completed at his ex P °The motion that- the reports hw<>n the table and be printed was the-i carried. .1 * ,