A GALLANT COLONEL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 237, 16 March 1915, Page 6

A GALLANT COLONEL.

PRIVATES FIRST. UTi'lt Tilß MUXSTKR FUSILIERS. Tiic battalion had a very nasty knock on Chri: tmas E'.c. I. had suine narrow l-.-.1. ni.V.-ol i; however, got through nil right with the exception of a slight wound 011 the knuekic of the forefinger of the right hand, hardly worth speaking about. At present wo do 48 hours in tin; trenches and -IS hours rest. The weather ;» very wet, anil the trenches are in a terrilile state with water. Still, one never hears n grumble. The cold is kept it way with a good wsw of rum and a change' ci clothing. Kvcryllmig imaginable is done, to keep us lit—no lack of anything. The oliicers share the same hardship! as the men, and. in fact, a little more. They are absolutely splendid, every one of them.

This will .just tell you the class they are. Volonel Bent got wounded trying to save a wonmled private wiio lay in front of his trench, and when the stretcher-hearer- went for him he refused to Tie moved till all the -wounded men were taken first. It was the same .with Major Thompson. He lay outside his trench all (lav wounded, and still issued orders to his men liil he died from exposure. .Major Day s last words were: "Writ;' to I'iv wife and let her know I died :i Its pry death."

Captain O'Brien left a 1 .it of cover and Sim. it to a, private and was killed a few minntes afterwards.

Other oliicers were killed and wounded during the advance; still the men went, forward and too!: the trenches at the point of the bayonet, thanks to our brave, colonel, one of the host officers I'ving: he is small but g6od. The regiment was soeeialiv mentioned for the I '' work and !llov deserve every credit- 11, vim a :-'oh'!!:!i:l li't of work: even the German im'chi.a'-ir'ns did not make us st.o'l. The order ramr on!: "Advance at the .douWo. me'.!." You should see how the order was obeyed. T could not find

to ]-o\v ovorytliincr was cmoiil. jray luivo suiTorrd n l.'it OeriPfiiK, «uflVn"l m lo 1 more. Yflien yon liavc ofurcrs liUn tliosO r 1 1 !* ''c !)';•?; tioivd yrsii ft'nr Tintlilnrr. A nui l ) w;i:* killt'i! to-day who volim(rort'l io a f'orpnraVs body out of (lie finiiir l'i:o.

Y'o liavr |.ri(st attached to tlv bat■:«lion 'lie!- fMooson. a Thnrlo-; man. Tie omM iv; r o-s for ns on ChrM-P'rr? Dav, av'".ni!y in Ibo firing lino. Wbere bo had bis altar was peppered with bullets. T T " a j:rand Mri.'-'f. and lenows no fear, lie i-; ni'Ver finished doinu' adl in lljs power for everyone, even those who are n<d. <>f (ho wne religion. Tfc is onlv natural that ;i Tinperarv man should he Pr::v<\ i-- here now. onlv fift.v yards from'i-he trenrdie.-. v.-ith some neat i ros-es whic! made liimseif, to place over a few o,' our brave Fusiliers who died last; na.dit.

\othinj; pives him greater lileasiire than savin!: mass in the open, in cold or wet, or hoarin." co-ifessions in some old barn that has been half blown away by Herman shell fire. Tie even went to the little church near the villa,ire where we are and took two statues out of it. lvrerythin;; in it was blown to atoms except the altar. A serfreant-major irave Trim a •'tell-in":-o(T'' over jtoinc in such dancrerous olace-'. However, we never practise what we preach, a-; (he serpeanf-mr.jor parades the same road every day with his upright walk and never seems to bob. Tlis whole worry is. 'Have the men in .the trenches enough ammunition?" 'He is a tine and vou fan alvrnys be sure of a cup of hot tea at, four o'clock every moniinf! if he is about. All the old hands who left Aldersliot with the battalion are j dwindling away.