A Koputaroa Soldier

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 November 1916, Page 2

A Koputaroa Soldier

DESCRIBES '-THE BIG PUSH." Mr H. McMillan, of Koputaroa, , whose son was wounded while on active .service, has reecived the following interestl.n.g letter from the Walton-on-Thames general hospital, dated 28tli September A lew Lines to let'you know that I am over here now and am getting on first rate, although there are still two or three bits -of shrapnel in my body. The biggest one went through my left shoulder, and is st.ll embedded in the wall of my ehcst. ] expect to undergo an operation soon and have it removed, as it is the one that is is causing me a lot of pain. I wM.'l now tell you something of our experiences prior to,going into battle on the loth. Well to start off with : The last place ( f any importance we were in was about fifty miles behind the firing Jine. We were at this place for about a fortnight going through bayonet fighting and attacking in open order. On the last day oif August wo moved up to the firing lino; it took just a week to do the fifty miles. Wo were then given a week's rest at a town which was taken by the British about a. month before. •Of course the whole place was all 'in ruins so everyone lmd to shift for himself and fine 1 ; a place to sleep in, as there was hardly a house with a roof on. Tt was a rough seven days, hut anyhow it was safe as it was out cif the range of the German guns. On the 14th we went up to the trenches to be ready for. the big push the next day. Everybody was excited that night, for we all knew that at dawn the next day we would be face to face with the enemy. We also knew that we had to kill with the bayonet. T can teil you there was very little sleep for most of us that night. Well, at four o'clock next morning our artillery opened up all along the line and ten minutes later we were out of the trenches and mover 1 ! right up to within sixty yards of where our shells were dropping and there we took cover 7n shell holes. We lay there for nearly two hours while our big guns pounded away at the Germans'® first line of trenches. At six o'clock to the minute the artillery lifted their fire on to the enemy's second line. Now camo the infantry's part; with a cheer we were up and at the Germans with fixed bayonets. I shall never forget that mora'ing. 'How we did' scatter them. Only a few of them showed, fight and that was when we were at a. safe distance. But as soon as we got up to them they all surrendered]. There were six.of tliera them with a machine gun right in front of my section when we charged. Well these fellows worked their guns 'unt'.l we got right up to them, and they then jumped, up and held up their hands and cried out kamarad (comrade) and mercy. Well, we weren't having any of that; they had got too many of our chaps; so we just got into tliem andi finished the lot. This will show <you what d'.rty cows some of them are; they fight until conic red, and then drop on. their knees and cry for mercy. It 'reminded me of a lecture wo had from a Scotch major at one of tlie towns we were billeted in. He saidl that most of the Germans when they surrender will put their arms around your nock and tell you he has a wife and ten kids. ''Well, boys," he said, if you come across any of them they are the one's to kill, for if you don't <io that lie will go back to Germany after the war and help to breed ten more." AnI other thing he told us was that there was only one good German, and that was a dead one. Well to come back to the fight: When we had taken the first line our suport came up and took their secondi lime. W r e rested for a few minutes and then started to strengthen the position we had won. My platoon was sent back to the rear to bring up ammunition. Well we all got safely back had a snack and then came back with 500 rounds of ammunition per man. We had got back about half way when the Germans started to shell us with li.'gh explosive shells. The one, that knocked me out landed not more than five yards away. It killed three and wounded five of us. I was very lucky for if the piece that hit my shoulder had gone four inches higher I would have got it right through the neck; and another hit my steel helmet muling it three or four chains away. : iLuekily I did not have niy chin strap down, otherwise I would have had; my head pulled off; so you see 1 have been very lucky to come out of ,it as I did. We lost very heavily. The ground! we had advanced over was covered with dead; not only ours but Germans who had been lying out there for weeks. I hope I will never see the like of it again ;it nearly made me sick. The sti.nk was awful. Those of our boy 6 who are out there still' will have a bad time of ,it. Well, this is all I hare to tell you. 1 was kept in one of the English hospitals ill France for nearly a week, as I was too bad to be moved about; then I was brought over he»re to one of our own hospitals. I have no donibt I shall be hero for some considerable time. I will, of course, let you know when I am sent to some convalescent home. Aroha and kia ora.