THRICE WOUNDED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 197, 28 January 1915, Page 7

THRICE WOUNDED.

DISOBEYED THE DOCTOR. "He had bad luck," said a comrade, in describing how liombadier llarloek, of the 113 th Battery R.F.A., won the Victoria Cross. The official announcement of the award was "For conspicuous gallantry when his battery was in action under heavy shell fire, in that, although twice wounded, he persisted on each occasion in returning to lay his gun after his wonuds had been dressed." "A shell burst just under Ilarlock's gun," said the comrade, "and killed) the number one. Uarlock got splinters in his right thigh, so he went to the dressing station, and the doctor dressed him and told him to get into the ambulance and go to the hospital. Well, Harlock went outside, but didn't look for any ambulance, but came back to the battery, and he hadn't been there five minutes when he got a splinter in the back. "Down he walked once more to the dressing station, and the doctor wanted to know why he hadn't gone to the hospital. Harlock said he couldn't see the ambulance, so when he w 7 as dressed, the doctor put him in charge of an orderly and said that, as lie was .able to walk to his battery, he could walk to the hospital. "So the pair set out, but Harlock 1 pointed out to the orderly that there "were plenty more men who wanted the orderly's attention more than he did, and that he (Harlock) could find his way all right. Then he changed the doctor's words round, and thought if he could walk to the hospital he could just as easily go back to the old 113tli. So back he came again, and he hadn't been with us five minutes, before he got some splinters in his arm.

"Some of our officers had Harlock down that night and reprimanded him; but I think they had their tongues in their cheeks when they did it. Anyhow, he's promoted sergeant and got the V.C."