GREAT WAR HERO

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 August 1940, Page 6

GREAT WAR HERO

“STARKIE” WORKING AT CAMP. SOME EXPLOITS RECALLED. James Douglas Stark, bomber in the Fifth Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force,during the Great War. brave enough to have been recommended for the Victoria Cross, tough enough to have escaped from Le Havre prison, and wounded in 37 places, is working with the Public Works Department in Waiouru Camp. “Starkie” who has lost the fingers of one hand, shows remarkable skill in handling a spade or a shovel tjnd does his full share of labouring work. “Starkie,” hero of the late Robin Hyde's “Passport to Hell,” is a name that came famous in the war. His exploits and reckless courage made him one of the most dangerous of the devil-may-care spirits that roamed in No Man's Land.” He was a friend of the famous Dick Travers, V.C., and was himself recommended on six occasions for decorations. His father was a Delaware Indian and his mother was born in Madrid. He attended the five schools in Invercargill and was expelled from all of them, then he pushed a policeman through a window and was sent to Borstal.

“Starkie” joined up when the Great War broke out, and after being wounded twice, in Egypt and Gallipoli, he went to France, and it was there that he achieved his reputation as a fierce and courageous fighter, and was recommended for the V.C. in 1916. The V.C. for which he was recommended, however, did not get through to him. At the lime he was “on probation for a proud and picturesque crime sheet.” Actually a term of 20 years’ imprisonment was suspended.

One of “Starkie’s” most famous exploits was at Mailly-Maillet, when he appeared in No-Man’s-Land when he was supposed to be serving a term of two years in Le Havre prison for assaulting a corporal. A sniper using explosive bullets had killed eight men. but he was stalked by “Starkie" and bombed, 600 yards from the British lines, but first he put a bullet through Starkie’s chest. Another memorable occasion was when “Starkie” unofficially attached himself to a raiding party, going out ahead and cleaning up the objective himself, and waiting in a shell hole with 11 dead, six prisoners and two captured machine-guns until the raiding party came up. “All I got out of that was six bottles of schnapps,” ho said. When armistice was signed ho was in hospital with 22 wounds. “Starkie" was sent a white feather at the start of the present war. but laughed it off —as he could well afford to in the light of his record.