THE HORRORS OF THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 263, 16 April 1915, Page 6

THE HORRORS OF THE WAR.

A NEW ZEALANDER'S VIVII) STOHY. WHAT BRAVE MEN HAVE To STAND. Sergt. Cecil Huinpliries, ,1 New 7calander who, as is well kuawii, has distinguished himself in the field, sent the following extracts from his diary to i.is mother, who is in London. The extrwts were re-posted to relatives in New Zualand. December 22nd,: ,1914. —In the renin.M of a homo at Givenchy, by a coke room full of Sikhs, a 'candle, and 'i.;re I am. 3 a.m. How I am to relate my experiences] since noon on Sunday I am at a loss to know. Well, here goes —After an inspection by the Colonel on Sunday morning, dinner, but the order came "Fall in at once"; blankets to be left behind

(something doing!) In a very short time a thousand men wore massed in the courtyard, and, with the quick movement of the red hatband brigade (General Staff officers), there was something doing already, and off we went through the town of Bethune, where We had a brief rest and on to the village of HcMvey. We could plainly see the shulU, and the booming of the big guns told us WE WERE "FOR IT." We were marched, or rather forcedmarched, and all along the rapid despatch carriers with their urgent me-i-Bages passed to and fro. It was not until ; my friend Webster came along with a message, and, spotting me, gave me the following startling news : "Enemy broken through the natives; captured Bmall village; moving towards canal'." As booh as we heard this our p&cKS seemed to get lighter and we all h:id our fighting blood up. On we pre-ised. Then we came across the artillery reinforcements at the gallop. Along tlw.t slushy road at top, a quick order and a few sharp words of command. Round about the guns, into position; the lamp alongside quickly lighting up the observers up a tree or building, and then the J word "Fire!" The big boom and another message was on its way. Along v e ; went, and if I live to be a thousand years old I will never forget that sialic. The poor natives wounded —some sligntIy, others, poor wretches, with hands oil', arms oil', legs oil'. These were on the other side of the canal, and it was a sight I could not picture to you by words from a mere pen. Then (he [ French seemed to me (about 500 or more i of them) absolutely in retreat, like a lot of lost sheep, making south, as we | were getting a move on as quickly as | possible the other way. All were by this time fully aware we were in i' >r a good to do. Strength seems to eoroe to one when it is a case of'have to." Further on we came across a company of the "little Johnnies" (the Gurkhas). They were mud up to the eyes, and by their outward appearance had had a time of it. They were about waist-d>">p in the canal washing their rifles to try to get them back into working order again. The other bank of the cant! will always remain A DREADFUL MEMORY. We were being pushed along with a)l speed until our arrival at the breivorv, where we were told off in single file, and worked from a big factory ready to go across a large field to take a small village at the point of the bayonet. As we were getting ready, the enemy, spying our massing in the yard, put two welldirected shells plump into us, and, oh! the sight! It is useless for me to try to picture the horronof it all. I counted seven, besides wounded, where that I dreadful shrapnel had taken effect.

"File on!" and across that field at the double; run 25 yards, and the:) a breather and on again, all the while the shrapnel making our line smaller every few yards; but on we wont until the outskirts of tlio village were reached. Then another breather, and "Fix biiy.'.ncts and charge." Now this will have to stop. I must, if God looks over me, tell you the rest by word of mouth. Suffice it to say that we captured the village. The heaps of the enemy's dead in hundreds told of the bayonet's deadly ivork. On wo went, blood full up! The first trench we took. Up again, and the second. Then again, and the third and again the fourth. Our ranks were getting weaker, so we retired into the third and made a stand for it. FIGHTING LIKE HELL. We were going to try to make a general advance to absolutely rout tho enemy in the morning before daylight. My duty was to take charge of ten men in the trench and guard all tho com-* munications —a very risky job—and to bayonet anyone who came along. Ihen came the order to advance in a creeping position, as near as possible to the enemy's trenches, ready for the big On our left the other half of the company could be plainly seen by us by tho light of two straw stacks lighted by theenemy. The Germans, meanwhile, by the aid of those dreadful night lights spotted our position, and then a mselrne gun opened fire on that thin khaki iinc —and oh! the sight! Will I ever forget? The supports woke up to take i,he place of the fallen, and, taking advantage of whatever cover we could we crawled along. Our commands were now given by a whisper from one to another, and as a message came along, I touched the man next to me, and gave him the order. No reply—dead! I touched the next. No reply—dead! Then I realised

the position. Crawljfig along, and it i>as just now breaking' daylight, I worked my way in some mysterious fashion over to where our captain was, and what I ,'houkl find. Our captain was

SHOT THROUGH THE HEAD. 1

I dragged him under cover and In:, made the startling discovery—l. %"' s ' right under the very nose of the (leri trenches! Cutting down under (he screen of a communication trench, I did ray best to get the captain along, hit he was too heavy. I took off my sc,i;f and tied it round his lego, then, putril1;> my head through, tried to drag him along that narrow and mucky trench, I got him along a bit until I camo to ihe body of a (lead native. It was too much for me. I couldn't get his 13 stone dead weight aloi;g, so I left him, ajnl.' poor beggar, long ere this he's breathed his last, Going along the trench, a comrade by the name of Mick Hunt noticed me, and said "Charlie (they tali me Charlie, as they said Cecil was too swanky for a Tommy) you won't leave me here, will you ?" He was lying in the open on the opposite side of a hawthorn fence with his

LEG ABSOLUTELY SHATTERED I bad to fell the hedge with tho butt of my rifle (under fire all the time) a'id getting him to put his arms round my neck, dragged him with his shattered limb into the trench. Then, with lni:i on my back we struggled along, stooping every now and again for a breath. 1. got him safely" out,' took, him to t>; shelter of a house, cut off my boots, sox and puttees, and did my best witn a bandage. What a terrible leg! ' The bone was powdered, and presented an awful sight. I just got him finished to await the' arrival of the stretcher bearers, when another poor devil staggered along. I gave him a lift to a building near at hand, and his wounds were gaping ones in the leg, and partly disembowelled. I got some wajls of wool and did my best for him, and gave him j a little ease until tlie stretcher bear-.-rs came for him. After this my time was taken up for the next hour in doing ; small wounds, such as wrists, etc. THE ROAD: WHAT A SIGHT!

Men limping along and staggering. Shall I ever forget. I got back to the firing line and had 110 sooner arrived there when we were opened on by the onci;<y. Rapid fire and the booming of guns. It was hell. We were expecting a reinforcement up at 2 p.m., ready for an attack at 2.30, and we were to hold on at all costs. The battle raged and raged, getting worse and worse. T-vo o'clock came. Can we stand? No aiglit of the reinforcements. It was awful! The enemy broke through in several places, but we drove them out again ard again at* the point of the bayonet. 2.30 —no relief. Then the enemy put all its forces against us on our right; our weakest place,—and we did out best until 3 p.m., when we were forced to retire. Will I ever forget that aa'j.il flight as we struggled along? No food, and fighting continuously for two days. The entity opened their DEADLY SHRAPNEL and mowed down Borne of the poor chaps. The only way I can describe it is that it was like a blast of hot wind frofti hell. How I got through it all, God only knows, but I arrived back with a wliole hide, and on our way we met i'ie reinforcements going up to keep the position. The whistle went to try and , bring that scattered little army to- ; gether. My section, E, usually 2ii) strong, could only muster 50 now, and there wo stood, asking where So and So i had gone, and so on. What a sight! I could never picture to you the dreadful- ■ ness of all this.

I am minus my rifle and all my kit, so only have the ragged clothes I stand up in. We were marched off to the brewery to rest for the night, and I believe go into billet for some days to reorganise, as wo have only two ofTcprs left out of fourteen. It seems awful this

DREADFUL WASTE OF HUMAN LIFE.

I have done several tilings to-day I have not mentioned, as I do not like "blowing my own horn." What I Invo done is not to my discredit or anyone belonging to me. During the "whole performance I have been hit three times, most marvellous—once through the putties (cutting completely to the soc:<), through the seat of my pants (this done while I wag bandaging a wounded man on the field). It went right through my pants and under-pants and two" shirts and never drew blood. The third -"as through my helmet, and only raisi.l a lump on my head. I have been lucky, and all I ean say is "Thank God." It is now 5 a.m. The reinforcements will be forming up now to regain those trenches we vacated.