"HATS OFF!"

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2554, 31 August 1915, Page 6

"HATS OFF!"

— I —♦ TO AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY A V.C.'S TRIBUTE CAPT. HARDHAM'S GENEROUS PRAISE In a letter written at Victoria Collego Hospital, Alexandria, on June 17, Captain W. Hardham, V.C., of Tetone, stated that ho was recovering" from his wounds, and reckoned oil returning to tho front before much, moi'tj time olapsed. "I got a pretty hard knock," ho wroto, ' 'but it is healing up wonderfully fast. I expect to be up and out any day, now. .1 got :a, bullet through part of the- back of my left hand, and then on through my chest on tno left side just below'the collarbone. It was $ straight, clean wound, and a few more weeks should see mo as fit as ever again. The hand ha? already healed up, and, except for a thumb and forefinger being hard to bond, is as good as ever. The wound through the 1 chest is healing rapidly, and the doctors, and nurses arc very pleased with the rapid progress." "This is a big job," the letter runs on. "The Australians landed first, and the Now : Zealand, Infantry supported til em. .We (the mounted : men .without Jiorses) went nearly three weeks after*. I,was there nearly three weeks, and every day I used to wonder how ever men- landed and took the position they did. It; must have' been grand, and 1 am certain there has been nothing in'-this great- war finer, than the landing of the Australians at'Gal-' lipoli. Yes, any man should take his hat off to the Australian Infantry.. They can fight, and ■ are afraid of nothing, as you will see irom the casualty lists. Mind you, I am saying nothing against the New Zealanders. They are grand, but I am referring' only' to the landing. My word, I am proud of the nien I had with me. They are'great, and. there is nothing better anywiiere. I«m certain they will do well right tlirough.. It is grand to be : amongst them, and to see .the real man. at-heart. To see the way, .tihey. bear. their wounds is wonderful—not a word of complaint, and i scarcely a groan. I was -nit in the morning about 5 o'clock, and some were hit the night ' before, and wo could not be taken into camp till after dark—nearly 9 p.m. —then carried on stretchers, over rough ground, into a receiving hospital about 11 p.m. Eventually. iwe landed up on the hospital ship at about 3 a.m. next day.' I was not very bad, and did'not suffer much pain, but w'hat it must have been to some of, the others God only knows. We were all dressed witli field dressing, which' everyone carries, and had plenty of water. The only thing that troubled me 1 was the sun, and, .of course, the day. seemed a long one. Father' (Captain) M 'Menamin came to Alexandria .on the'hospital ship that I came on, and ho used t-o come to see me every day. Tie had a bad cold, "and came on the ship for a change. I think he must have gone back, as I have not seen him for some days. ■ "I. was hit. on May 30, and,have not seen' any -of t'he. P6tone boys since, but they were doing well then. There is-no. time to get sick—too busy dodging shrapnel and bullets. Snipers even got to us while swimming, and. nearly 'every day someone was hit with islirapnel on the beach."