KILLED IN ACTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 April 1916, Page 4

KILLED IN ACTION.

DEATH OF LIEUT. H. M IIfiPER, WINNER OF MILITARY CROSS. News was received last evening of tH% death in action of Lieut. Harper Mervyn Lepper, son of Mr. and Mrs. H, B. Upper, of Lepperton, Lieut. Lepper, who was only twenty years old, was killed last Sunday. The death of this young officer c!o«c* a short but conspicuous military career.' When Avar broke out Lieut. lipper wu I at the New Plymouth High School, unci ho was one of the several New Zealanders who qualified to be sent Home for commissions in the imperial Army, hut . owing to his age (17 years) h< was turned down. His father, however, dent • him to Sandhurst at the same time that the first Expeditionary Force left New Zealand. He was only Uir«e> month* at' Home when lie received his comraiuslnn, and he went to France as n lleuterant in the 4th Battalion of the Du'w of Cum* bridge's Own (Middlesex Reg.n'ent). , Lieut. Lepper was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry orf July ' '2O, 1915, at Hooge, when, during p. heavy . bqmbardment, part of his trench wm 1 blown in and communication with, the next battalion was lost. He extended his platoon through the ruins, anct, *1- j though twice wounded, remainel ttt kit post, keeping up communications and sending in accurate information of the , situation. Describing the incident, the captain in cliargo of the company, who also belongs to New Zealand, »aidi— . '■Things looked pretty desperate. A young New Zealander (We haw tliree ill the regiment, and four in the battalion) named Lepper, from Lepperton, T»rannki, was in cliarge of the left platoon. He was wounded in the head. but.aome- , how or other managed to calmly carry on with his platoon. This youngster ho is only eighteen—really did marvels, . and I knew he would keep hi; men calm. Partly in liis trench, and partly in mine, was a platoon and a half of Gordon Highlanders without in officer left; they were fine men, and kpqw how to obey an order." ' After recovering from his bounds Lieut. Lepper again proceeded to the fighting line. (We are prohibited by the military censorship regulations, as published 'by us on April 4, from montioul>ig.ln Whit region and against what forces Lieut Lepper met his death.)