PERVERSITIES OF WAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1470, 9 November 1915, Page 4

PERVERSITIES OF WAR.

STRANGE WAYS OF FATE

PREMONITIONS OF DEATH

A perverse fortune pursues many soldiers, writes a corresdent from Anzac. A batch of Australian wounded was lying in front of the lines at Anzac, and volunteers were called to bring them in. There was the usual large response, and a dozen men were selected for the hazardous work, which was carried out under a severe enemy fire, with the result that several of the relief party were wounded themselves. One Light Horseman, however, came through without a scratch, although he took perhaps the greatest risk of all. When the last casualty had been collected he went off to his dugout to sleep, but he had scarcely laid down before a bullet ricochetted round the corner and broke bis leg. Then there is the story of a cook who came to an untimely end. He had been wounded soou after the landing, but came back to Anzac with reinforcements just in time to take part in the recent operations. At the close of the fight he was lull of admiration for his comrades, and decided to give them something special to eat by way of a treat, even if bully beef and biscuits were all he had to work with. The man built himself a camp oven out of a tin, and lit his fire, when suddenly there was an explosion, and he fell wounded, only to die shortly afterwards. It was discovered subsequently that by some mischance two clips of cartridges had found their way into the soil upon which the oven had been fixed.

Many ' touching scenes are witnessed alter an action, when the wounded aie being brought in, some of them too badly smashed to have any chance of life. One man with bis face tiigbtfully disfigured was lying in the sun and dust uncomplainingly, when a chaplain happened to pass. The soldier made an effort to speak, but failed. The chaplain, believing he had anticipated the poor fellow’s wishes, put his waterbottle to his lips, but the bandages would not permit of more than a few drops soaking through. But it was apparent that thirst was not the soldier’s worry. There was something else on his mind. Remembering many cases in which he had been enabled to convey last messages to dear ones at home, the chaplain knelt down and gave the man a sheet of paper and a pencil. This is what he scrawled ; “The beggars won’t face the bayonet!” A time comes in every battle when men are so worn out that they must sleep in spite of themselves. In the fiercest fighting round the Abdel Rahman Hills a soldier of the 14th Battalion was found in one of the most exposed positions surrounded by dead and wounded, and a stretcher-bearer commenced to search for his hurt. He turned the man over and over without result, until at last he opened his eyes drearily, and muttered, “Can’t you let a bloke sleep?” He was quite oblivious of the fact that fighting was going on, and went off cheerily enough to rejoin his unit when the position was explained. Before the new ridges were secured sufficiently to permit of men being regularly relieved, it was not uncommon to find soldiers standing with their rifles over the parapets and their fingers on the triggers, snoring loudly. Before the recent fighting I met only one officer who showed the slightest signs of apprehension as to the future. It was apparent that his nerves were in a bad way, but he ridiculed the idea of drawing out at the last moment. He continued to smile to the last, but as the column moved he shook my band and said : “I know this is the last. I can feel it. I hope I get a decent obituary.” I saw him twice later during the night, and on each occasion he was cheering his men on. At dawn a message came in that he had been killed while stooping down to give a wounded man a drink. Practically the same thing happened with a New Zealand colonel, who had an important command at Anzac. He remarked to a friend that he felt his work was finished, and his only regret was for his dear ones at home. A few hours later his head was blown off on the parapet of a trench where he was directing a charge.