DUEL IN SHELL HOLE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 15 February 1917, Page 3

DUEL IN SHELL HOLE.

BOSCHE FOUGHT LIKE WILD CAT.

An extraordinary story was told to the King and Queen at the Edward VII Hospital, Windsor,, by Corporal George Bennett Burleigh, son of the late Avar correspondent. The corporal was with one of the famous London regiments, and he had a remarkably narrow escape from death. “We went over the top,.” he said to thein Majesties, “on September loth. I was charging quite close to a 'tank,' and by the time wo got to the German first line I had killed eleven Huns. Then I was spun round and fell to the ground, a bullet having passed through my, left buttock. I started crawling towards a shell-hole. “When within two and a half yards of the hole, a German Major of the Prussian Guards, who was about 6ft Gins high, swore at me and lifted his rifle to his shoulder, the barrel being quite near my face. A bullet passed through my left jaw, but owing to a good set of teeth the bullet was deflected and came out of my chin, knocking one of my teeth out en route.

“I lay perfectly still for an hour, and when I lifted my head I saw the Gorman major picking off our wounded with his rifle. I watched him go to the other side of the shell-hole, and no being able to stand it any longer 1 picked up a bayonet and crawled to the edge of the shell hole. I made a great effort, flung myself into the hole and rammed the bayonet through him, but it did not kill him,, and he fought like a wild cat. I made a last effort and gripped his throat with my hands. He shrieked for mercy, but fought like a devil ell the time. However, I managed to throttle him, and he fell dead across me.

“I lay there helpless underneath the German for two days Avithout anything to eat or drink, and I lost a lot of blood. On the evening of the second day another wounded man came alqng and pulled the dead German off me, but he could not take me with him,, as he was too badly rvounded himself. At about eight o ’clock that night the Germans’ curtain fire stopped, as our army had pushed them on. I then crawled about a mile which took me four arid a half hours to accomplish. Eventually a New Zealander picked mo up and carried me to our advanced dressing station.’’