Levin Man on Active Service

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 December 1915, Page 3

Levin Man on Active Service

SERGi. STUOKEV'S EXPERIENCES IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Mα* A. W. Stuekey, a Levin man who lias ibeon resident in South Africa for a few yoars, has returned here to roouperate after his trying experiences on active 'service with General Brits's column that operated against the Germans in German South-West Africa. Jn the course ol an interview with Sergeant Stuekey, a Horowhenua Chronicle, representative heaird many interesting facts about the campaign against tho Germans. Sergeant Stuekey was one of the machine gun section that worked ahead of the column and successfully encountered the hardships oi a torced progress through difficult country to the big lake outside the German fortress at Namutoni. This column diid its work so well that nono of the outlaying patrols of the Germans were able to warn tho mam body, and in tho end the Union tho fortress and its defenders, securing huge quantities of warlike material and pro'riisio'ns. to this advance ~the rebels in the Union had been put down, aud the end of the movement was the complete subjugation oi the Germans in South West Africa. As an aftermath of this victory, 'Backed by the political support accorded to General Botha nt the general elections this year, the South Africa Union now i* organising a force or about 20.1)00 men advance on German East Africa, where the British arms were unseccessful in the early stagee of tho war, in consequence of being outnumbered. The column of which Sergeant Stuckoy was a member hnd a most trying time. Its inarch was through waterloss country and sandy waetea; and to make matters worse, the Germans had poisoned the wells in-JJie oases. Fortunately the poisoning was "unm'stnkable, the slieep-dip andi powders used having giren a bright colour to the water that left no propect of mistake being made as to whether the water *ns fit or unfit for drinSing. A belt of sand 130 miles in length hadi fo be passed through, and the hardships ot this stage were exceptionally severe. The horses oil gave out, and the men Ji.'id to be carried on the motor oars. Tho difficulties encountered during the Boer War, in tvliich Sergeunt iStuckey participated., were of a Jike nature, but less severe, than those experienced in this advance. When Namutoni surrendered, a lot ot British prisoners were liberate.!. Tho Brits column found) them in the happy position of having made captives of their captors, who had realized the fact that defeuce was futile against the Union invaders. The Germans operating in German Scuth West Africa were under ColoneJ Franke, who surrendered at Otavi with las muu~about 7000. .tie had arms end accoutrements for 30,000 men in his possession; a fact that clearly demonstrates the Gorman belief that BritM. South Africa would rise in rebellion accept German aid. At Narnuirni the advance party or motorists captured 200 men. Some of the prisonens held by the Germans at Namutoni had been held foi nine months, and they had been treated badly; so there were'great rejoicings at their liberation. Nearly all of them were Union soldiers! . Scrgt. Stuekey has some interesting trophies in his posession. One of these i-> a. revolver used by a German officer. .It is contained in a wooden holster, on which it may be mounted in a way' that turns the weapon into a miniature rifle. It is sighted up to one thousand, yards, and fires ten rounds automatically. Some of the German officers havo a revolver even better than this: a weapon that may be similarly mounted and that fires htteen rounds without the need for anything more than jiimin-g from first shot to the fifteenth. Another trophy is a "German bayonet, the back of which is doubly serrated—a most lethal weapon. Lieut. .Snow, an old resident ol Levin, wa<* in the motor section of wiiich Sergt. Stuekey was a member, and i. u- noteworthy that these 'two were the only New Zealanders in General Brits's whole column. tSergt. Stuekey found the younger Africanders well satistted with -, Britisu aulo. Amongst the older people there still is a remnant oi racial animosity, hut even amongst the lioers there is evident a fading out oi the old) bitterness, and by all appearances there is no chance loft for any successful attempt by Germany to stir up antagonism in any part ot the South African Union.