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Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 249, 20 November 1914, Page 3 (Supplement)

I I/mil " Hill " Hereford canic upon a I "inin v who had got ;i Iwd attack ot funk and was cowering Mimd a rock. Hereslon! looked at tiiiu, and then said: "Your jmnir. dear old nioth.T would lie proud it ,sht> could mv you, wouldn't IN TIIK LKADIXC fcUTAKE. Willi a snarl the man leajx to hi* t*p|. rushed into il, o ihiek<«st ot th% tra\, and (ought liko a tiger hutteriuji troiu toothatlie. <»l all lighting men lli P Wuejacket or soldier is th«> lenat lui)j|<% t* v>eape, although, in an e.\|)erionc<) a** a | panic. Still, den lie do:\s not olwuyn | 1 Mapc. although, m a'; experience ot .1 war w hi.-lt embraces nitir lecn campaigns ,'ind twenty-nine |>it,i,. <d Wattle*, 1 have only once mh>ii tho "riti>h I oin 111 \ thoroughly and utterly denioi :i lised. I Ins was ai 111,- liatlle ot Tainai, u hen. through a I hinder tjnr which General >ll Gerald Graham, V.C., thn alroiisly ay>uuied ;i responsibility lim w.is not Jn^ t th<> *>quun w;u tun!»u luni.

Ii was M , neatly trapped that before anything i-oiikl I*. , Idiio. tliorv «er<» £• 'ol lhe enemy inside the «quaj\>. limn the men bogau to ihi ire in, in) shouting, no running, liui jn>t a confused, straggling, aimlesa walk or HI, to now here in particular. Ibis j;i-.«<J for M 'v««n w eight mimiU'.s, and then a Inning incident caused ih,. cord ol fear to snap lik« » ltdule-slriiig, A wounded Toinmv. down in tho >aud, had goi held ot a Dervish round Ui, legs in aiuh 11 manner thai the JatU'i could not us,, his .spear, (some ot ;hc men. catelling sight ol tho struggle called to others to turn and watch it. in a lew Mscomls th<> squuro was utatioiia'iy, and lacing inward*, watchm" the duel. Slowly, pi 1 tiuaciotislv, Uuugiug oil like a bulldog, tlie 'loinuiv—a verv powerful man dragged IIIV 1..-»rvn»'u down, stretched linn across Ilia knee, and broke his back in two.

Clmmt al or i liver greeted xiw feat, in<l then ih,. late Bennett Burleigh Jift. •<l up ii mo-i unmusical voice, and be], owed i,.nil •■ Rul«\ Britannia."

Thai did it. Voll alt. r yell of Homeric laughter burst from the ranks. Then came silriKH^ —» mini, ternlilo silence, as tlic mon .spa.: on their hands and wciil to the bayonct-killing. O* ihe ;i<hii) or moii' Dervishes inside tlw square not one oanio out alive; but li;' iiiMiiit ton minutes it had liecn touch-and-go m nil Tommy Atkins.

Coloured troops, ul course, yet puuit badlv.

AT KL TtU. I was in tlm fir-t battle of K1 Teb. when Villon tine Hnkor husha'.s force of li.Ciid Kgyptians and sane IKK) Europeans was (in to pieces. Over were .slain, while I wa« one ii l llie mx survivors out ot 300 Europeans. The ill-lormcd .square broke ;it ih<' liist liedoiiin onslaught, and then en ued a horrilile, panie-sti ickcn pro-li-sion buck to the mm. Ihc eiM my hung on lor two or three in lbs. <u 111 n . slashing, killing nt will, tin. ii.s I have said. characteristically <>i ]).inic, the men made no ((Tort to defend tlloMMdves. In this Armageddon tlu'ic will l>o panic*. lYr.Miiiiilly. I think the Latin race* will be the In -I to " crack'' under the .strain. At the mimic tune, no race lias ii monopoly ot panic, for none escapes our common heritage of fear, only m>m« men hav«. ;lie panic sense more highly developed. What about the Teuton!' The Gornian soldi'T may either .set aji example ol moiill btaniitiii, or he may prove to U> overtrained iind stale, and tlioreforc liable to the sudden onrush of senseless tear. Due tiling, however. 1 c;in assert with conlidi iii c : It there be a mail oil eai'ili who is impervious to panic—who can inert it. or stay it once it bus developed. then that man is the British ollicor. naval or military.

Kxtvpt in own petty or noii-cotn-ini—ioncd officers, »lio IliKish officer i ,s in ip|.ioiirlii'(l in lb,, hold he has over lu.s men, and in the hold .he has uvf llilllbclt.