MISTAKEN FOR AN ENEMY

Evening Star, Issue 16550, 9 October 1917, Page 4

MISTAKEN FOR AN ENEMY

NEW ZEALAXBEX'S EXPERIENCE. A New Zealand soldier at the front, in a, letter to a friend in Auckland, describing the taking of Messines, relates the following incident:—"A few of us were standing in a trench, just outside our headquarters dug-out, waiting for the orda- to move. Fritz was vetting over the first rude 6hocl( of the mines, etc., and was getting U work on our trenches with big guns, an< it was decidedly interesting waiting ii that trench. We were keeping well dows to avoid the flying pieces. I was a yarc or two away ironi my mates, when eud' denly, on tno parapet directly above my head, there appeared a British officer with a revolver in his hand, and a private with a fixed bayonet. As soon as the officer caught sight of me lie covered mo with his revolver and pulled th© trigg-er three or four times, but, fortunately for me, it was either not loaded or would not go off. I could see at once that these two were completely lost, and imagined themselves in the German trenches. Being 6till somewhat dark, and a lot of smolco and dust about', they could not see that they were amongst their friends, not foes. I tried to make myself heard above the terrible din of guns and bursting shells, but with no effect. It was the private who first realised their mistake, and tried to convince the officer; but he did not seem to be at all willing to believo it, and still kept mo covered -with that revolver. An unpleasant fix to be in. With the terrible noise 1 could not let my mates know what wot the matter. At last he seemed satisfies that I was not a German, and started ofl again."