MEN DROP LIKE FLIES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3319, 24 October 1919, Page 7

MEN DROP LIKE FLIES.

NO’ WATER IN AFGIEIAN MARCH. A vivid deseripion of Afghan hardShips is given by_an officer wrifing home. .110 took part in -.1 light Eu‘ a fort. “The worst of all,” he says, “was The march back. Since L3O 21.11:. We had nothing to ezff. The only water we had was in our water bottles, and that was hot in the true sense -of the word. Our reserve water had to be ‘used for our easiiulfies. ‘ “We had a ration, but couldn’t eat lbeeauseiwe couldn’t swallow, and our waflel'-bottles were empty. We started the seven miles marcli back Very well; but the road, or rather track, was very dusty, and 0l11"(lCSli1l[lt.lO]l, in sight always, never seemed to he getting‘ any 11ez11'e1'. I “After two miles hall been covered the men (and the officers) began to show signs of distress. Soon afl'e‘:' \\'al'ds men began to drop out with heatstroke and from exhaustion. Then they ‘began dropping out, like flies. On all sides men would stumble out‘of the ‘ ranl; and drop unconscious by the side [of the 1'0a(l_ .

“Tho company conlmamlcr behind me went. -Gil‘ his head 21ml finally got out of the ranks and Ll1‘0111)qd. A man in fronf of mo, who was (10110, left the ranks with ‘the intontioii of falling clown by the I'oatlsido. Bul" his m:ll'ching had become so f1l1l‘On‘l:1'flC that he could not Stop, and’ho went stumbling on. Two men had to go and ca.rr_y him bnal: to the road. “VVO were wandering all over the I'oa‘d, our fzipes and lips felt. like p:u'c.ll-_ mom. and the skin on our al-m§ crackled when we moved flieni. VVhon We came to the -Outskirfs of -———, Wll(‘.l'C the natives were all assembled 10 watch our rctum, we managed to pull oul'sLilves togetllor. VVC nl.zu'cllc<l in fours,’ dressed by the left. but we mifcied camp going at about t'wo miles per llo\’u’. - “In this country it‘ is»n’t tlie onmny that is to be fe:ll'v<l most (I don ’t mean that he is to be t1'oat0(l as a joke), but the sun. M:ly‘li<é:l\'on Save me from such :1. thirst agfain! I havoll’t got rid 201.‘ it yet.” i _