The Fighting in the Dardanelles

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 July 1915, Page 3

The Fighting in the Dardanelles

a DARING .NEW -ZEALANDER. SWIMS TO BULAIR AND LIGHTS FLARES. (By Malcolm Ross, Official War Correspondent with the New Zealand Forces). Ist June: One of the most extraordinary and daring feats in the war has been accoiuplifched by a young New Zealander, who, \ however, is not serving with the New » Zealand Forces. Many people in tho f Dominion will remember "Tiny" Freyberg, who, as a schoolboy, 'was a cliam-

' pion 6wimmer. He is now a full-blown major, has been wounded three times, I and has been twice mentioned in des- € patches. Ho was evidently born to be a I soldier. Some timo ago ho went out to Mexico and offered his services to Huerta. Huerta did not want him, so he ■B went and fought with Villa oil the opposide. Returning to England lie join<H?d tho Naval Brigade; fought at Ant-was-wounded; received his capm taincv, and was mentioned in despatchc«. Afterwards ho came out with J the Brigade to the Dafdaiiclles. When k an attack was about ti> be delivered I further down the Peninsula, it became I necessary to make a demnionstration j opposite the Bulair lines, so that reiniorcements would not be sent from that quarter. Jt was decided to despatch f three boatloads of men ashore to light flames on the beach, so as to draw the fire of the enemy in the Bulair lines, and engage their attention while the marines landed at Cape Helles. Freyberg was to command the landing party He, however, pointed out to Major-Gen-eral Paris that this meant sacrificing the lives of the men, not one of whom would be likely to return alive, and lie suggested that he. himself, should be allowed to perform the mission by swimming ashore. It -was therefore arranged that on the 4th April lie was to go in the destroyer Kennet and make a reconnaissance. This was done, the destroyer being tired at by the Turkish held batteries aud maxims. On the following evening three cutters and twj picket boats were loaded with men as it for a night landing, and Freyberg having had his skin painted Khaki, got into the Kennet, which was to drop him in the sea about fi&lf a mile from the shore. Bv this time night had fallen, but there was faint moonlight. In tlie uncertain light is was not easy •• to judge distance, and young Freyberg found that he was in for a swim of two miles, with three old flares and two Holmes lights, which lie carried in a waterproof bag, with sufficient air in it to support the weight in the watej He also carried, attached to a beit round his - waist, a small revolver, and a sheath knife. He was put into the water sometime after midnight, aud he judged that it took him an-hour and a. half to swim ashore. He had co dodge the ordinary landing-place, where there were barbed-wire entanglements, and landed on a rugged bit of beach. From there lie crawled inland for a quarter of a mile to a place where oil the previous day he had noticed sonic trenches, and he could hear the Turks j - talking and see them striking matches to light their cigarettes in the lines higher up. The water had been bitterly cold, ami he now felt symptoms of cramp, so lie crawled back to the beach lit one of his flares, and dived back into the sea. The alarm was at once given ir. the Turkish trenches, and firing commenced. He swam further along the beach, landed again, aud lit a second flai'e. He repeated tlie performance a third time still further along the shore, the Kennet meantime having opened hre over the other lights with her 12 pounders and maxims. Having safely accomplished his mission, Major Freyberg started to swim back on a line

due south, as arranged, steering by a compass on his wrist, to a spot where it had been arranged the Keiinet would

pick him up. r lhe Kennet, however, was not there, and ho lmd to float auout for nearly an hour. The day before they had seen a shark following the boat, several of these brutes having no doubt been attracted by the dead bodies from the transport .Vlauitou, which met her late in these waters—and when a great porpoise rose before him about half 'way across, lie admits that he got an awful flight. After Boating round for about an hour, and all firing having by that time ceased, he started to swim in the 'direction in which he thought the Kenret might be, and, presently, in answer to his 'cooees,' the destroyer came along and picked him up. This uncertain floating round in the dark—tho moon having gone down—was the worst part 0/ the whole adventure. Subsequently Major Freyberg wat sent for by the General who thanked him. and told bini he woidd hear more about his very plucky action . In the fighting at Antwerp young Freyberg was wounded in the right arm and after this last adventure he was twice wounded at Capo Holies while leading his men. One bullet entered his forearm and came out near the elbow, severing the medial nerve. He '-was also hit in the leg. Such was his story, quite modestly told. Wlienj-saw him he had lost the use of hand, but he was off back tiJuHvurilanellcs by the first steamer. In company with him was "Sammy" Chrystal, whom recent Christ's College boys will well remember. Chrystal as out in Africa when the. war broke out. but he promptly threw up his job, joined the Naval Brigade and came out to the Dardanelles. He also was wounded at Cape Helles. By all ordinary laws of direction the bullet should have gone through his stomach, but it cut a,track from one side right round the front of his body and came out at the other side. Chrystal was also convalescent and was again en route to the Dardanelles to look for more'fighting. It was in this

same "show" that young Lieut. A«quith, the son of the Prime '"Minister j of England, was wounded wliilo fighting under Major Freyberg, tho young New Zealandor. Colonel Richardson —formerly Master Gunner Richardson, in Wellington—is -the D'.A.Q.M.G. of the Brigade, and has done splendid work. He has proved lrimself a clever organiser. He, also, has heen mentioned in despatches and his promotion has been rapid.