A WELL-AIMED SHELL.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1915, Page 6

A WELL-AIMED SHELL.

NEW ZEALAND BATTERY. PROJECTILE EXPLODES IN GUN PIT,

Two. men— Corporal F. C. Bryan and Gunner H. E. Halpin, both of Palracrston North—of the 3rd. Battery NewZealand Field Artillery, recently arrived in London and are in St. Thomas's Hospital. The peculiar point in regard to this battery is that it has never boon with the main New Zealand force. The Ist. and 2nd. batteries landed at Gaba Tepe on the glorious April 25, but for some reason or other the 3rd. Battery, after spending a day or two on the water landed at Cape Helles, under the command of Major Standish, Palmerston North. The 3rd. Battery has been there ever since,, pounding the Turks from the British'left flank, and supporting the King's Own Scottish Borderers, the Essex Regiment, the Dublins, the Inniskillings, the 5 Sikhs, and Gurkhas. On July 11 the battery was getting ready for the great attack of July 12 and 13, when the allied troops gained a good stretch of ground. The guns had to be sighted, and when the range-funding was completed the men settled down to a few hours of ease before the order should be received to fire on July 12. Unfortunately, the New Zealand guns had knocked up the dirt a little, and the German observers thus obtained- a fair idea of the locality in which they were concealed. However, the New Zealand gunners were quite unconscious of anything amiss until the Turks landed a high explosive shell right into the gun pit. Gunner Fitzsimmons was killed outright, and Gunner Halpin lost his right leg. Ilnlpin admitted that it was a beautiful shot and knocked the limber about. The strange thing is that he was sitting on the ground with his legs apart and (.laying patience. The shell pitched immediately underneath his right leg, and blew off that limb without touching him in any other part. The next day, July 12, the engagement started, and the New Zealand guns were blazing away on the. Turkish trenches. During .this fighting Corporal llyrau was hit by shrapnel. He had two holes in his neck, two in his chest, and one in the right arm. Both he and Halpin went on board the hospital ship Astivrias, and were brought to England in almost record time. Byran is still under treatment, having the pieces of shrapnel extracted, and is doing well. Halpin, of course, is confined to bed, but like the other wounded New Zealanders, he hides any possible trouble behind a entiling face.