TUNNELLING THRILLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 November 1916, Page 7

TUNNELLING THRILLS.

LEWIS GUN INVENTOR KILLED. Private Harold Findlcy, an Australian now in the Canadian Scottish Regiment, who has been in the firing line for 17 months, relates a sensational experience which he and Private Gregory, a comrade. Had in France, while recovering the bodies of Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis, inventor of the Lewis machine gun, and "4 fellow-officer, who were brought down in an aeroplane by German shell fire. In a letter to his sister in Melbourne, Private Findley tells the story: "Five days before we went into the t-.v-nohes," he writes, "the Germans brought down a British aeroplane in front of the lines we were about to occupy. The machine was hit by a shell and crippled while patrolling behind the German lines. It was a sight never to be forgotten to see the aviator volplaning homewards. Unfortunately, the ttiain on the damaged machine was too Stoat and, while still at a great height, it parted in the middle. The tail part fell in the German lines, and the body cAine down in No Man's Land. Here the allied and enemy lines were only 40 yards apart. "I was selected as one of the two men sent out to try to recover the bodies of t'ie two officers and obtain the papers they had on them. Owing to the constant machine-gun fire, it was impossible to rush out, so we had to tunnel to a ■ q rot as near as could be judged to the bodies. Like myself, my comrade was a miner, and we went to work. We worked almost night and day, and on 'lie fourth day we saw daylight. We found, however, that we had not tunneled near -enough for our purpose, and that the tunnel was too neai the surface to hold the ground above it. Timbering wr.s out of the question, as the noise would have brought the Germans upon us. "We worked on as carefully as we of.uld, and, narrowing our trench, arched i'i as much as possible on the top. We hod to work while-lying down at. full itngth, and pass the dirt in bags along (o our trenches. For two additional •lays we worked on, going night and day, each taking two hours on and two hours off. Finally we got so close to •lie aeroplane that I could reach out my baud and touch one of the wings. "-hat same evening a Gorman aeroplane flew over our sap three times at a very low altitude, and finally dropped a signal right over it. That meant danger for ns. and so we worked for 21 hours straight on end until the job was finished. By daybreak we had discovered the first body. Jt took several hours to bring it through the narrow sap to the trench. He proved to be Captain Gale, of the 2nd Life. Guards. The second body wni that of Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis, st.uadron commander in the Royal Flying Coips. and the inventor of the Lewis n-aehinc gun. No wonder they were anxious to recover the bodies' "After our job was done we were very jumpy. You must realise that the aeroplane was almost as near to the enemy's lines as to our own. At night we could heat the German sentries talking plainly. Every now and again they heard the noises we were making, as *hey threw st.ir shells from time to time and lit up the whole scene. We were seven days on the job, and were constantly troubled by the rats. Some of these jumped on my head while I was working, and my p:ii got a fright several times. He thought the enemy was on us. ' 1 may add that we were highly compiiv.iente'd for our work, and our colonel lias informed us that we have been recommended for the Distinguished Conduct, Medal. _W» were also given eight davs' leave."