CASUALTY LIST HUMOURS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 257, 9 March 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

CASUALTY LIST HUMOURS.

DEAD MEN WHO RECOVER SOLDIER HIDDEN EOR ±> MONTHS.

War always brings about a host of extraordinary situations in more wa\ ; than one—ways which most people would declare utterly impossible were they included in any romance by a novelist.

Everything possible is done at the seat of war and at the War Office to prevent mistakes of this nature from happening, but in spite of every precaution mistakes do happen, either through an error or a careless blander, and thus it is that not a few •oldiois have had the peculiar experience reading their own death notices! About six months or so after the beginning of the war. for instance, .here arrived at his mother's house in Richmond, Surrey, a private soldier who simply scut his relations delirious with joy by that strange home-coming, for only a day or two previously he bail been announced bv tho War Office authorities as "killed in action.'

Hut what made this case even m<.:c astounding was that this very same 'tidier was posted as "killed" during 'he Boer war. "DEAD MAX ASKS FOR CIGARETTES." A Staffordshire soldier. Private Charles Heath. Royal Scots Regini.-vt. was also officially reported to have l.tci killed in action. Insurance money was paid over to Heath's parents. In a j>ostcard received bv Heath's relati/es a few months later the "dead" sHdier said he was quite well, and only required cigarettes! Only the other week another of the heroes of the Original Expedition ny Force sent his parents in Linlithgowshire into the seventh heaven of • light bv a letter stating that lie v.:.s still alive. lie has been "missing" since Mons, and now states that li-i is one of the German prisoners some .ine agi sent to Switzerland. He had been wounded at Mons and taken i,nsoner. The fingers of one of his hands had been badly smashed, and >t is with difficulty that lie can yet wriu*. His parents had given up all hope of seeing him again. Quite recently, too, after identification of his son's death at the front, an Edinburgh man received a letter fro'n him asking for a cake and some chocolates. If he can eat cakes and sw.etics, his death must have been gre.uiy exaggerated I Then there is the remarkable case of Second-Lieutenant Lindsay Richardson. Royal Irish Rifles. This officer "as officially reported killed in July last. His father, in addition to the War Of fice telegram announcing his death, icceived sympathetic messages from King George and Queen Mary and the co'onel of his regiment- Now Mr Rielnrdsou. sen., has received a letter from his sou stating he is wounded and a prisoner in Germany.

"A HEALTHY SORT OF CORPSE. '

Rifleman Hcnrv Robinson Lupton of the King's Royal Rifles, took part in the great retreat in the early days or the war, and on November 15 official notice of his death was received bv iiis mother, along with a message of c.)>jdolence from the King. About two months ago a letter arrived in Lupton's own handwriting. _ It was dated August 16. and written from Werdcn-Ruhe, Germany. In it the supposedly dead soldier says he is in {,. md health and pleased to say lie is wife. He adds that whilst 011 the marcii <ll August 24, 1914.1 ie became ill and lad to see the doctor. He was so weak that lie had to be left behind in a ullage with 11 others. In about two hours the Germans surrounded tlic.n. Lupton, having no desire to be made a prisoner, managed to make his escape. A kindly Frenchman gave him exilian clothes, and for 22 months he : <1 in a forest, only emerging at dusk lo ask for food at the nearest house- Aft?r thus dodging the enemy for so long, !k> war. at last obliged through illness i"id lack of food to give himself up to I lie Germans, and since June last he h- s been their prisoner. The curiosities of the casualty bst are most peculiarly exemplified in the case of Private D. Lightfoot, of Iho Worcesters. Some months ago ho wrote:—"lf I am able to tell my , u 11 story it is not the fault of the po.ycrs that be. No man has been knocked about by them as 1 have been. At 'lie present time I can't say whether I rm alive or dead, with the regiment, or missing. Last mouth my wife was -revised that I had died in hospital at Havre, and was buried there. My grave may be seen with that of others. IV o days later she was informed that 1 had recovered and was back with my company, but there was no explanation of how a dead man could recover. 1 expect that's one of the secrets tie censor won't let out. Uy the S'nno post she got a letter from me announcing niv arrival at Liverpool, where [

was in hospital. When I pit home at last I found a letter from the War Office. THE TWO MACDOXALDS. From Beubeeula comes a story that I.; extraordinary. Mr Alastair Macdonald, Granisdile, a small landholder, got informat'"n from tile military authorities that his son Norman, wounded in France, l r.d died in England, and that the foody v.-;u being sent by mail boat to Lochmaddy. After a series of curious r.isadventiires the cofliu was found at I'etersfort Pier. Benbeeula. The fatlt >r, who had only two or three days list >re heard front his son, and was incredulous that he should be dead, had tiie coffin opened, and found that it contained the remains of a soldier lie n. d never seen before-

It has since turned out that h'>-<> wore two Norman Maedonalds in ilie same regiment, with regimental jiumbers differing onlv in one figure. . lie relatives of the dead Norman have not been discovered, but Henbecula unissued his dust reverently t» earth 111 Nunton burying ground, and a piper home mi furlough played a lain'm over his grave.

Yes: thc'.'c are many queer things in wai. A war correspondent. "so nowhere in France" some time ago .vro e —"I have seen sonic very sad and so.no verv amusing incidents here. due woh n touch of hot li in it was v. hen ,ve came across the remains of one l'iivate Thomson. M L.1., and buried Imi with nil due rcsepect. Judge <>t ley surprise when, a day or two afterw ink I had occasion to go down to No. I Base Hospital, and the first man 1 met was I'rivato Thomson in all ins glorv. well groomed, and enjoying a cigarette! And the work be was ui-

■■aired in was digging graves! W'h >m had we burial'"