REUNION DINNER BRINGS MEMORIES OF THE WAR

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6843, 22 February 1929, Page 9

REUNION DINNER BRINGS MEMORIES OF THE WAR

MONS. JUTLAND, YPRES *■ REPRESENTED.

One of the most interesting dinners held in London last 3'ear took place a few weeks ago, at a restaurant w T hich specialises in reunions. Fifty ex-prison-ers of war from Clausthal and Fricdbcrg were present and many exciting mc-inories of last stands and forlorn hopes were revived. Lieutenant-Colonel '. Bond, D. 5.0., who commanded the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in the retreat from Mons, was in the chair. It was at Mons that his battalion was smashed up and surrounded, but not before it had done its job. Other 1914 prisoners included Major Wand Tetley, the army fencing champion, and Captain Gerald Crutchlev, the Middlesex cricketer.

Jutland survivors were well represented, Captain the Hon. Barry Bingham, V.C., won his cress loading the destroyer Flotilla into action and was one of the few survivors to be picked up by tho Germans. Another ex-prisoner was Lieutenant Wainwright, who distinguished himself by escaping from Clausthal camp disguised as tho commandant, with a cushion under his coat to represent the latter’s corpulency. Unfortunately he was subsequently recaptured, but it was a good effort. Clausthal camp was commanded by a German named Nicmcyer, known familiarly as “Mad Harry.” His brother, known as “Milwaukee Bill,” commanded the camp at Holzminden, survivors of which held a dinner tho same night. “Mad Harry’s” photograph adorned the menu at the dinner. One of tho very few army officers to receive a decoration after being taken prisoner was Captain Jocelyn Lucas, who was awarded tho Military Cross in 1919 for leading an attack against I machine guns at Ypres in 1914, where lie was subsequently wounded In the foot and captured. Captain Lucas had tho unpleasant experience of having to operato on himself with a pair of nail scissors after being taken prisoner. Thereby he saved a subsequent amputation from gangrene, although he lost two or three of his toes.

The reason for the five years elapsing between tho earning and the awarding of Captain Lucas's Military Cross is due to an army rule whereby a man who has been taken prisoner cannot be granted a decoration for bravery until he has accounted satisfactorily for his capture or surrender.