An Officer’s Adventure.

Manawatu Herald, 9 January 1902, Page 2

An Officer’s Adventure.

Recent South African advices bring particulars of an exciting incident that occurred with Lord Methuen’s force in the Western Transvaal a few weeks ago, of which Captain H. C. B. Phillips commanding the 13th (Shropshire) Company Imperial Yeomanry, the exEnglish amatenr heavy-weight champion boxer,* was the hero. Captain Phillips, it seems, was going his rounds; visiting his sentries on the outskirts oi the camp when in an isolated position he was suddenly confronted by three Boers, two of whom were armed. They made him prisoner, and at once proceeded to divest him, in the usual fashion, of his personal property, uniform etc. They had got possession of pretty well everything except his spurs, which they ordered him to remove. He declined, at the same time telling his captors that if they wanted them they must take them themselves, whereupon two stooped down to unfasten the straps, Captain Phillips being covered by the rifle of the third man. No sooner* however, had the two men got into the kneeling position than Captain Phillips, with two welldirected blows, bowled them both over and seizing the Mauser of one, which had been ihcautiously laid on the ground, felled the Boer who was covering him with a tremendous blow on the side of the head with the butt end of the rifle, putting him out of action—not before he had fired, the bullet passing uncomfortably near the gallant officer’s head. Captain Phillips then turned the tables by making two Boer prisoners, and marched them into camp.