WONDERFUL MEN BEAT FICTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 May 1916, Page 3

WONDERFUL MEN BEAT FICTION.

TRUE STORIES CP TOJIMY ATKINS. ONE MAN AGAINST 15. COLONEL, CAPTAIN AND FIVE SOLDI ICRS CORNERED IN A DUG-OUT. All the war stories ever written by novelist of 'great imagination and renown si-em very feeble stuff when compared with to-day's London Gazette.

The London Gazette is the Government's newspaper. Its language is terse and to the point. It never uses two words when one would do, and descriptive adjectives are spurned. It is the dullest paper on earth. Yet in dry ollidal language the Gazette contains records of such glorious deeds of individual bravery and devotion that if a writer of fiction had dared to use some of the episodes for bis novel he would have been derided for making his lico perform impossible feats. ■ MAN WHO CAUGHT A COLONEL. Supposing a wiitcr had written a story in which he made the hero, a British Tommy, penetrate the German tranche; and, unarmed, capture a German ' colonel, a captain and five privates, and bring them back as prisoners to the British lines I

And yet this 1". s nrtuallv happened in re:i! life! A Brit-'i-h Tommy has done it. This is what tiie Gazette says about him:—"1002(10—-Cpi. F. G. Cou-

sins, 187 Co., R.F. D.OM. for conspicuous Krllantry. Immediately after an attack Cpl. Cousins followed the assaulting infantry into t>e enemv lines. Hearing some of the enemy talking, be entered a deep dug-out and, although quite unarmed, took prisoners and brought back to our lines one German eolont-l, one captain, and (ire privates." And the corporal w->s not the onlv soldier who so distinguished himself. Pte. J. Carrick, 1-4 Batt. Royal Lancaster Regiment, (T.F.), is to receive a D.C.M.; —"For co' spicuous, gallantry. While .111 listening po»t duty with another man he observed an enemy patrol in front of our wu'e and challenged and hilted them when some yards distant. He compelled the officer to call up the remainder of his patrol. disarmed them, and brought them into our lines. He exhibited great coolness' and presence of mind at a moment of emergency."

THE THRICE \\ HO WERE MANY. Her.' is a case in which three men Muffed the enemy intu thinking they were a regiment.—"i'o78—Acting-Cpl. .1. Ellington', sth Batt. Rifle Brigade. D.C.M. for conspicuous bravery. Wlien everyone in his trench on a front of some h mdred yar !s had been killed or wonmlel except himself and an officer and two other men and the enemv wore with.n ''(Ml yards iu force, Cpl. Ellington and his companions, by moving up and do-vn the trench and firing rapidly, bluff-..d the enemv i'lto believing that the freiu.ii -viis stroiiy oc':uiiied, and. they held if- until retire :itnc that night. By their bnverv and i-itrcnidity they saved a break in the line, which would have prevent,d the safc*y of the subsequent witlld'-:'.-val."

THF. n.C.M. FOi: CTfKTCRFTJLNESS. At least two moil liavc been awarded 1).0.> for, among other feats, keeping cheerful. One i? the ease of: —- "1404:".—Serjeant A. F flowers, 2nd Battalion -Royal Fusilics, for conspicuous gallantry. Wiien in charge of a platoon lie showed great ability in taking rnminand of Men without loaders, keeping tliem in spirits, and making fire positions in the trench. On another occasion lie su] ported bombers with his platoon. hanging on to the last and never losing heart." Another case is that of Private W. Colem.'.n. oth ttatt. liifli Brigade. _ This is what the (V.ctte says of him: "His courage and eheei fulness was invalual.V. in inspiring all ranks of his ooniiMi'.y. On o; e occasion when his company had had many casualties under'terrific bomhu intent. he set a fine example by go in" vp and down continually as-sit-tiiig a lid eheeting the wounded."

OKE MAX CAP IURKD 13, Here too, is another example of remarkable heroism, which might require some effort to believe if it were not vouched for by the Gazette. The hero is fomoral H. W. Oakliill, A Battery, 71st Urigadc R.F.A.:—"On one oecfiiion, singh.-hanced, and unarmed, hi .nntured an er.rmy sniper, and learning frorn bin?, that some of the enemy were m a house near, he went to it fiid ordered th<in to surrender. Fifteen at once gave themselves up, and later, with the assistance of some infantry, i-e captured 2fi more men in the c.>liar of the same house*" Fo.- gallantry of the good old-fashion-ed sou the advent-ire of Private G. Ingle, of tie 4th TTussers, will appeal to the popn.ar mind ThU is how the Gazette describes his heroism:— ''During the attack, when advancing with his troops, he was badly wounded in the head from shell fire. Seeing Ins troop leader, Lieutenant. Radclylfe, sevon.lv woundc/ 5 and rnable to move, he, with the assistance of a non-com-missioned officer, proem ed a wheelbarrow firm a faun, and in turn thev wheeled the officer bi\ok to Brigade Heado.iarters under a heavy shell lire the whole time. On reaching these Pte. Ingle c:P.apsed from losi of blood "