MISTAKEN FOR AN ENEMY.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 2 November 1917, Page 1

MISTAKEN FOR AN ENEMY.

XE\Y Z MALAX D ER'S KXPERIJkXCE. A New Zealand .soldier at the front, in :i letter to a friend in Auckland, describing tlie taking ot .Messhtes. relates the following incident:—"A few of Hi vere standing in a trench, just, outside ««ur headquarters • lug-out. waiting for the carder to move. Frit/, was getting over the tiist rade shock of" the raxiies, etc., aiwl was getting to work on our trenches with, big gucns, and it was decidedly interesting waiting if that trench. We were keeping well clown to avoid the- flying pieces. I was a ya»t in- two away Irom my mates, when sud denly, ott the jKirapet directly übove iu> head., there appeared a British officer wit:: a i-evolver in ins hand, and a private with a fixed bayonet. As soou as the officer 'iugW of mo he me -with his

revohvr und pulled the trigger three or four times, but, fortunately for me, it was either not loaded or would not <*o off. I could see at once that these two were completely lost, and imagined themselves in the German trendies. Being still somewhat dark, and a lot of smoke and dust about, they could not see that thev were amongst their friends, not foes, I tried to make myself heard, above the terrible din oi '■P'lß and bnrsting shells, but with nc ' ffect. It was the private who first real ist'd their mistake, and tried to couvinc-t the officer; but he <lid not seem to be al all willinj; to believe it, and still fcopt m< ■ :>vered with that revolver. An unpleasani itx to be in. With the terrible noise ] iouW not let my males know what .w;u the matter. At last he seemed satisfkt ■that'l was not and started of stgsin."