A HEROIC SOLDIER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2729, 25 March 1916, Page 2

A HEROIC SOLDIER

ENGINEER, RECOVERS DEAD COMRADE'S BODY.

In the oourse of a letter to hia friends. Major G. Barolay, of the New Zealand Engineers, narrates the following bravo action on the part of LanceCorporal W. J. Itiddoll, of the Engineers : — ( /

"iou have read from time to time of many galant deeds which have been performed by our soldier boys on tho Gallipoli Peninsula, and tho following incident is, I think, doserving of a place amongst tho cases which have been recorded. An order came to the Now Zealand Engineers to place some wire entanglements in a- position between tho Apex and a Turkish blockhouse, which stood about seventy yards from our line. A party was told off to ao the wiring, but apparently, although tho work was carried out as quietly as possible in tho darkness, the presencs of the engineers was detected by the enemy in the blockhouse, and firo wan, opened on-them, one bullet hitting Sapper M. T. Charles, upon which the remainder of the party was forced to' withdraw into the shelter of the fire trench.

"It was not known whether Sapper Charles had been killed -or merely wounded, and _an attempt was quickly made to get him in. This was an undertaking of a very hazardous nature, as by this time the moon had risen, and the. sloping ground upon which he lay was of a. whitish colour, upon which any moving figure oould be readily discerned, Tlio task of. relief was entrusted to Lance-Corporal AY. J. Riddell,. who made his way from the fira trench- to the place where Sapper Charles lay. The lattor was found to be dead, and as he had to bo taken up a slope wjiera carrying would liavo been quite impossible, Lance-Corporal Riddell fastened a rope round the oody and returned'to the trenoh, whenwitii the" aid of others, Sapper Charles was pulled into cover. While Lance-Cor-poral Riddell was engaged upon his task lie was in full view of the Turks in the blockhouse, and was subject to a heavy fire, the bullets pattering all round him, but he carried out his task unscathed and without flinching. "The late Sapper Charles hailed from Avondale, Aucldand, where his parents reside, while- Lance-Corporal.. Riddell's relatives live ins. Melbourne Street, North Invercargill. Both men wens attached to thn .Field Engineers, which left New Zealand in April last."