THE DEATH OF SERGEANT MAXWELL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3036, 24 March 1917, Page 10

THE DEATH OF SERGEANT MAXWELL

.Sir,—l have to thank >m, . that through- the medium: of -your columns, I have at last received definite information concerning the : death of my son, Sergeant J: W. Maxwell, of the Wellington Mounted Rifles,: on August 10. 1915, in a letter froni MrJ John C. Miller, of Masterton, New Zealand: It would no doubt prove of interest to the many, friends of my son in Wellington.—l:am, etc., ..'•'.'

v . . .. GEO.:MAXWELL, ■Lismore, N.S.W., March 11. V ■

[Enclosure.]

Masterton, New.-Zealand, January 26, 1917. Geo'. Maxwell; Esq., . ' Lismore,N.S.W. ..'/.' _ Doar Sir,—l- have just seen' your notice in The' Dominion j asking for information concerning SergeantJ. W. Maxwell. I ani afraid 1 cannot give you any information about the death or burial of your son,[but I was present at the time he wias wounded, and I think the following will bo of interest to you. On August 9, 1915, the Otago Infantry Battalion (to which I belonged), togother with, a few of the Auckland, and Wellington Mounted Rifles, were' holding a hastily-constructed shallow trench about twenty yards . from tho top of the famous hill 971. ~ Early in the morning, about two hours after sunrise, the.-Turks started fiercely bombing us, and one of the bombs' set fire to some bags on the tronoh. Tho order was given "to put tho firo out," and Sergeant Maxwell immediately jumped up on top of the trenoh' and set aboiit doing this. He had about half extinguished tho fire when ho was shot in the back by one of the Turkish snipers who wero. causing a lot of trouble on the left flank. Your son looked round for'a moment, and then gallantly went on with-his-task, when ho was again hit ou the shoulder. He was; lifted down into the trench, and carried along to where I was. Another soldier, whoso name I do uot know, and myself; then lifted him out the back of the tronch to. a safe place, whero wo bound up his wounds with our Sold dressings., Wo made him ascomfortable as posßiblo with some empty sand-bags and discarded tunics, and gave him the lijbfclc water I had before we went back to our posts. He was very badly wounded, and I looked at him throo or four times during tho day, but he was lying: quite quietly. I think unconscious.

In tho evening tho stretcher-bearers caniß 'out and took in all tho wounded, and they would take in your son to tlio dressing-station, from where lie would bo transferred to tho hospital ship. Your son's was a brare action, as lio completely exposed himself to the enemy. May I offer yjju my sympathy

in the loss of a son jwho fell while bo courageously doing this duty, and I trust that the know!|edge of his gallant conduct may m:jke your loss less hard to bear.—Yours truly, (Signed) JOHjN C. MILLER.