"LUCKY."

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 67, 18 March 1916, Page 15

"LUCKY."

There is a man In a London Territorial battery who has been nick-named "LncSy" —just that. His story comes to the London "Evening News" from Gunner A. King, a Londoner in tne same battery. Gunner King lias had.hairbreadth escapes himself.. One day a shell knocked hie dinner out of .his hand. Another day be had a'cart shot from under him, and suffered only a bruise or two. But "Lucky" is luckier stJIL • . "If he hadn't-been one of. my own pals, and I knew tne facts," said.Gunner King, ."I. uiight. not have believed the story myself, even after-what. I've seen. It, just shows what. a charmed life . some - fellows had." In the beginning the man called Lucky wag badly wounded in the breast and shoulder. He'bad to be abandoned, crawled to a partly demolished cottage. And the cottage soon afterwards fell into the hands of the Germans. * "The next thing he knew," said Gunner King, "was that a German was coming for him with a bayonet to finish him oft. But just the German -was going, to-strike, a German officer checked- him, and knelt down and: himself boon! up 'Lucky's' woupd. ..ypa do ; flud Germyi officers decent occdtiopally. -...., "Wben.be left he "placed a sentry at tbe door, and told my -pal'he'd be treated as a prisoner." "-• : • Later in the day the British recaptured the, cottage ruin's, - "Lncky" was put on an. ambulance. " And - then his adventures began. ' . " V '•The ambulance was wrecked. He was the-on]y survivor. ' - -, . "He lay in:a ditch on the roadside.' Then a transport wagon' picked'him up.. Again he started for'the base. * "But the.driver of,the wagon was killed by a shell. Another man-who' took-charge had to transfer 'Lucky.to another' wagon to complete the journey." , He got into hospital. 1 Jnst when he was beginning to the hospital was shelled. Finally he was - transferred to London. "Just to. round it off," added King, "be was aent'when convalescent to a house at in the middle.of October, and it had part of the roof ■ demolished and all the ■ windows smashed, in the Zeppelin raid. I But they couldn't hurt 'Lucky.' I 1 "Sow he's back ct- the front. Very few - people believe -w£at I tell tbe-m abouthim. I But it's Just as I've eald."