HERO OF ZEEBRUGGE.

Taihape Daily Times, 14 August 1918, Page 2

HERO OF ZEEBRUGGE.

ENGINEER’S EXPERIENCE. Some idea of what was endured by the men of the navy who took paii iu the raid on Ihrebrugge is conveyed by a letter from Artificer Engineer W. H. Edgar ,sou of a Sydney resident, who has been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his services on this ranious occasion. Mr. Edgar ■ belongs :o H.M.A.S. Australia, but leu h vessel last February for special service, and joined another warship, on which careful special training was given for some time prior to the eventful night of April 22.

We started off at noon on April says Mr Edgar, “and at midnight arrived at Zeebrugge Mole, disembarked some of the storming - party, and pushed off at 12.50 without mishap. But, on leaving, the German batteries commenced firing, and -we had five shells into us in quick succession, ■which did a good deal of damage, killing about 75 men outright and wounaing many. Fortunately, no damage was done to the engines and the boilers, though a tube in the latter was leaking badly, the whistle steampipe was shot away, and the funnel was much perforated. I was the chief engineer, so, of course, had some responsibility in keeping things going, but I managed to get the ship back to Dover under her own steanT the next afternoon, and then I was finished—the strain and the horror of the night broke me up.

j “I was on my feet, feeling very | anxious about the machinery all the I time, from 7 a.m.'on Monday until j Tuesday night, with nothing to eat i from 8.30 p.m. Tuesday, and driving the men down below to get every ounce of steam. For 18 hours they watched and worked like Trojans without food, and then the shells—one killed about 40 men outright, another about 20; 10 died d'uring the trip and 102 were wounded. The upper deck electric wires were shot away, so were were in darkness trying to get at the dead and injured all night. There was only one doctor until 5 | a.m., when we mot a ship, and another ) one with an assistant came on board. All the first-aid and stretcher parties were knocked out, so we could not find the keys for the medical chests, which I eventually broke open with a hammer and chisel. Men were dying all night, and it was just something awful. I felt nothing all night, and cared for nothing, though I was nearly hit; but on arrival in part after the worry of the engines and feeling that so niuch was at stake if anything happened, the reaction of that awful night absolutely did for me. I was finished—my nerves went to pieces for ' three days, and I just rested in London, lying about the hotel, and being ! taken out. I returned to the Australia last week, and was immediately given 12 days’ leave, which I am now spending, and feeling quite myself again.” |