DARING.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 6 October 1917, Page 6

DARING.

BLUFFED 18 GERMANS A QUEENSLAND SERGEANT’S EXPLOIT. ONLY A BOTTLE OF lODINE. An amazing exploit stands to the credit of (Sergeant H. Buchanan of Glympie, who has just returned with the Queenslanders. At Mouquet Farm, on September 15 last year, while stretcher-bearing, he entered a German dug-out, in a position which had just been taken by the Australians. He was searching for wounded at the time, not so much with the intention of transporting any he should find immediately to safety as to minister to their imperative medical needs. To his amazement he saw, as he flashed his electric torchlight into the cavern, that it was full of Germans, all armed. Eighteen of them were there —three officers and 15 men. Buchanan was unarmed, but he held what turned out to be quite a potent weapon—an iodine bottle. He seized up the situation at a glance, “Come out, Fritz,” he yelled, threateningly. In the glare of the torchlight the Huns were completely taken back. One - of them, who understood a little English, replied fearfully: “No—if ve coom out, you vos kill us.” “Well,” replied Buchanan, with vast Anzae imprudence, “if you don't come out I'll bring you out! " HIS ONLY WEAPON. Thereat, Buchanan raised the bottle of iodine in the glare of the torchlight as though it were a bomb which he intended to hurl into the mob of them This was enough for the Fritzes—they streamed forth. They were so anxious to meet him that they could have embraced him. Thus, single-handed, this Australian captured the whole 18 of them. “It was an accident, purely and simply,'' he stated this morning, as he got back into the Queenslanders' train which was about to proceed to the northern state. Buchanan won the Military Medal at Poziercs in August last year. He was acting as regimental stretcherbearer, and gained the decoration for courage in attending fS wounded under fire. For his dug-out exploit in capturing the Huns he was awarded a bar to the Military Medal. He enlisted in August, 1914, and was wounded in the Gallipoli, landing—shrapnel in one arm. The resultant flesh-wound sent him to hospital in Alexandria, whence he returned tc Anzac. After Gallipoli was abandoned he went to France. He was wounded by a bayonet in one arm and the chestT at Pozieres at the time of his winning the Military Medal, and was sent to Rouen. Back once more in the line, he was wounded for the third time, in November, receiving a small piece.of shell in the left hand.

SOLDIER WITH 45 WOUNDS. “In France,” he said, “I dressed a bad case—Private Vitler—who came back with ns and went to his home in South Australia. Vitler had no less than 45 separate wounds. He got them all from the cantents of a whiz bang shell between 11 p.m. and midnight. I ■was pretty close to him just then, and managed to get to him three minutes after he was hit. Forty-two of his wounds were blighty-knocks, all from the hips down. He subsequently lost a foot-nothing more. It took me two solid hours to dress him. He was perforated ail over the place below where I have said, and the same shell wounded Sergeant Brody, who was near. I had no morphia, but Vitler did not even lose consciousness. I am satisfied at getting home again,’ ’ said Buchanan proceeded, and to have a look at the old place; but if the doctors says ‘Yes,’ I will-be-back to the war, because no man can afford to hang out if ho can get away.’ ’