WAR JOTTINGS.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15218, 4 March 1915, Page 9

WAR JOTTINGS.

In referring to the number oi men j from the Department sen-ing with the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, the January issue of the "Government In- ; euranco Recorder" states :-«A\hon tho first call came for a forco to go to Samoa it was instantly responded to, and tho public servants of Zealand -were among tho hrst to voluntcor Of ihis force more than one-, sixth" were public servants, our own Department contributing nine. Of all the Departments, that of Agnculture sent the most, with, the Mental Hospitals Department a good second. *rora our own office wo lost Messrs H. K. Johnston and \T.-K.'Jameson from the actuarial branch; R- V. A. Knox, mortgage; A. Pi Robbie, renewals; 11. J Surgenor, correspondence; J A McCallum, stores; B. R. Kr, loans- L F Allan, new business; S on Defence. duWin Wellmgton. Meesra J. A. Petro fcjv. A Hampson (Timarn), D. W hmitli J. M. (Greymouth) left later in the Mam Expeditionary Force."

An Aldershot lady writes .--We had a visit from , who was homo for the week-end, a. great surprise for everyone. 1 Ho tola us tho following storv:—Ono morning •an officer or the Rifle Brigade and 1 were sent to a. eel-tain point to take observations and had our field-glasses with us. Suddenly wo saw an attacking; column of fcrormans come overa hill quite near us, but as they were not coming our way, •wo just watchod.. They quickly in close formation until they were 70 yards from our trenches. You know how it looks when the - ">po breaks in a tu£-of-war. Well, it looked iust ac if a rono had broken and Jet them all down "flat on their backs, as the machine-guns of tho regiment they wore attacking -were turned on thorn. When, they'got shot down in rows and heaps like this tho last began to retreat. Then wo saw the officer simply shooting down one after another of own men to make them go ( on; but they fairly turned and ran at last. Then the officer who had been enootmg them threw down his arms and came running as hard as he could towards our trenches. Everybody potted at him, but he came tearing on, leaped right over our trenches, and never stooped till he got into the' reserves; and then he gave himself up. The reason was-that after shooting his men down ho did not dare remain with the others when they retreated, as ho would have been shot in his turn.

A striking instance of the call of the Empire to tho individual'has been furnished in tho case of Mr G. T. Bardill, who left Dnnnevirko on Monday (says tho "News") en route for Lngland. Mr Bardill was a saddler .at Weber. and at tho outbreak of the war immediately volunteered for tho NewZealand Expeditionary Force. Ho is a man of fine physique and a good riflo shot, but unfortunately ha« a defect that debars him from serving hw Kins —he is Wind in one oyc. Mr Bardill was not satisfied with ono rejection. Hβ tried again, but tlm Defence Department, whiJo sympathising with Jiim, regretted to have to permanently "turn him down." This decided Mr Bardill. Ho disposed of his business afc Weber, and booked a passage at his own expense for England with the determination of enlisting in Kitchener's Army. If at Homo the medical test again disqnalifies him, he has expressed his determination to go across to the Continent'and fret into tho firing lino with either the French or Belgian armies. Mr Bardill has two brothers at tho front, and as he is a good man with a gun, he does not see why, through his physical defect." he should bo deprived of'fighting with them.