“A CANNI LEE YE JOCK.”

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 193, 24 April 1915, Page 3

“A CANNI LEE YE JOCK.”

J MEW WHO CHEERFULLY LAY DOWN THEIR LIVES. v - | IMPERISHABLE BTOEIEB Of ' v -. VALOUR; I. j, Surely the strongest inspiration :'.>r those who still need inspiration in.these stirring times is to bo found in the storied valour of those ■ men- who ha'v\, gone away with death in this> war 'Willi a smile on. their lips and a Word" of encouragement for those about them: Such incidents are. without number, and it is difficult to mako a'selection. However we have have picked out the following inth e hopes that they will serve the purpose with you that they have in the. Home Land 'of the mert connected with them. The.end of Captain E. K.Bradbury makes a fine beginning. This officer belonged to, the RoyakHorse - Aritllery.' "The batteiy (wrote a brother • officer) he was iny was-surprised'by a German battery, -and poor <old" Brad, was' killed. He served a gun himself, and during ,t.hat times Knocked out one "German : gun completely; He first had a ;hip ,and one • leg shot wayy- ; and "still managed to fire off a round Of two more' until the-;other leg was taken off from him just above' the -kneel ;! ■*'!• '- " :i "The doctor-who'told me about* if" afterwards said that all he* asked .for" was heaps of morphia, that the men might aot hear him: screaming, and that he> mighfr be taken quickly' to the rea I r i - ,, '-;>. f> '*■'■ '■ "■*""• '■■ " ■■ ; ' ; ""'•'■ *"'• 't.6oodM»y*; Y«k" Fellows." And not alone "do the officers offer these inspiring examples. "' i " Thirty 'gunner s of a British flehs battery had just been killed and wounded. Thirty others, knowing that i'ney were going to death, took their places: ',* Good-bye, you fellow's,' tney said to their fellows in tme reserve line," as they walked to theifg'uns. Twojrain-. ftteS afterwards every man; had T)ee« pur out of »,otio», jft'a'ii*«otk»r ,89-wei? to tk« fTO»t' with the same rare well, Smoking cigarettes as they, wgnt, . to almost certain death." ' .. Six Stretchers for Seven Men.

To give up one's life for a friend 5s a commonplace. " Here is the story of a wounded artilleryman. "If I were to talk until I wasblack in the face I couldn't tell you •me-hoif of the-fine deeds I saw. Cine that is In my mind now is the story of a wounded man of the Durham Light Infantry, A stretcher party came on' seven. me>. wounded. Only six could be taken, aid the problem was to select, the seventh. One man solved it. /I'm the. worstcase,' he said! 'lf you take "m,e Ishni? probably die on the .way. These other chaps will all pull through and maftc good soldiers Vet. Leave me. , Yqw. •, won't? Well, \t you try to make mi, 111 resist) and that'll be the en.fi or me, so you'd" better let me "have" my, way.' . .". .An hour later ..they .came,. back, and hv. was dead, a half-sniofc.ea cigarette between his fingers.^'"' ".. G . ..'.;:• T.ove Hath Wo Man. Few nioro touching Incidents' hav* beer related■■-than the r: "There were two men of the r Cauie»ons who had been ehums r siifc6 ":b6jrhood. They had 'listed together, and

[ been in I don't know how many scrapes and -' scraps'. side by.- side '-(white's a sergeant of the Rifle Brigade). In the fighting around. Y.pres one night one or . them»goti hit in a hard' bayonet fight. The rcgiinent Jiad- to return ,to the the wounded- to take 'their chance ijor the. time being out r ; thcb iirei' cold, /-'he.wounded man 's chum caught right of his friend .lying ifi'""fheroadway with the pallor of death on'his face and Ins teeth chn tiering 'Vith 'the"terrible cold. 'My God, Jock!' he exclaimed, 'is it you that's lying there? A can no lee ye. so I'll stay wi'' ye t.ae fife morn.'.The wounded man wouldn't tell of it, but his chum" meant to have his way, and he got it. "Next morning we found them side by side—both dead." Ke Died For His Enemy." To companion the above story here is'a tale alb but saintly in its' courage and its Christianity: : ' "There were two men - of"the Middle;se x. who had some words"' in the-, trenches: the night before the beginning, of the,fight oni the-Aisne. They got to blows,: and one of them got badly mauled. Next day in'action the victor was knocked out by;a German shell ; that burst close to' him. "We had to fall back from the position we had occupied, and this chap had to be left behind. ■•-. ' -■ -', '<■ ' -" ■ ■ '•'■>

"The man he had mauled the day before declared he was,not going to leave himb .ehind, no matter what might .be the grudge he had against his,, so--he. dragged him along the ground for,a quarter of a.mile towards the-, position we: had to fall', back to. With only a f ew yads to -go their luck Was out, for .another shell dropped on them, and the two were done for. They were buried together next day by the fatigue . A Tragedy of. Tears. ...; ' i There are_ v £.©ars ; ,too r in*majiy another death,., tears of sweetness,-aiid kindliness;i for the heroic dpad-wh} died »n quie-tly, and were yet so lonely. A. private of the E.A.M.C. came upon saeh &U <Bndin^,, burning.- with,.u.-traj-eiy «f fears: ~ . -, •. ■.-..■ : . .:-■-■ ' ' "In the shade of an oak tree I-fennd the. body.©f a-man of the Loyal Nortn Lancashire Eegiment. In his hands were-tightly clenched, three photos,- one of a.woman.of.about 30, and the others of a.little girl about three, and a baby of a few months. Beside him lay a tress of-bright golden- hairj and dows his grimy cheeks .tear tracks were to bo seen.','.,. . ■ .. -a,-;;:. is Nor are-the people, of Britain alono in the -fortitude. ,wish-whieh : .they die. '"l'm Ever So-Much Shorter Now." ; Hjere is an intance of a Freneh om'cer ins a,hospital-.in Paris: ■■•?- '■'" ".The •officer had been wounded in the fighting, at Compiegne. • • Gangrene had-at Jn,, and it .was found necessary to : njnpuiate.- boih ? 4egs, -one •• arm, .-and the fingers-<of thcother hand. 'l'm sure you need not pull me up so-high 'in the, bod now,'.he said,,*,to the -man 'who,.watched., by -.his : . : bedside- - every night. I'm ever so- mji«,h shorter.' kriil on the. night,hosdied: 'lf only, tk«y had not cut.off both-my hands I eould fcave. .shown s yqu my -favourite game of patie.nce./ ";-,-.; ;,••-; ■•-■;; sv"" •'-"" y.i "I Am Now And. here, at the end, is the story

!of the death of a Freneh wrgeant of Engineers: ) ; "A German shell struck a sked.-is which some 30 sappers were resting/ killing eight men_ outright, and btdly wounding all the others. The sergeant was struck in. four or five places, and had one thigh.almost carried away. Hi* none the less thought chiefly of the others, and, although he realised fcksi his wounds were mortal, allowed n* sign of suffering to escape him until the end. The surgeon-major who at- ■ | tended him sought to console him by saying, 'Come, my kid, one ".oesn't- hu • just because of a lost leg.' 'Monsieur 'le Major,' replied the sergeant, 'I am now with God.' These were the l«si words he uttered."