SANDBAGGED.

Northern Advocate, 6 May 1916, Page 1

SANDBAGGED.

AUSTRALIAN '3 EXPERIENCE IN EGYPT

TWO COMRADES MURDERED.

The Sydney "Herald" reports a painful experience which befel Sergt. Clifforde Hanleon, of the Field Ambulance Brigade, in Egypt.

On January 15, Sergeant Hanleon, having been invalided from Gallipoli last year with enteric, was in charge of the postal department of the Enteric and .Armenian Refugee Camps in Port Said. On the night of January 15—a Saturday—he had closed up the post office, and handed over the keys prior to embarking the following day for Australia as a convalescent. He intended going down with a considerable sum of money to the cable office to cable to Australia, and had already sent two orderlies to headquarters with a quantity of registered mail. Shortly after leaving the office he was set upon by three natives, and finding that he was shouting for help, kicked into insensibility. Aill but two of his teeth were kicked out, and several ribs were broken, besides his face being almost unrecognisable for blood and bruises. The natives then commenced to drag him to the canal near by, but an Armenian woman some distance off, having given the alarm, they fled. The bodies of the two orderlies who had gone on some time before, and both of whom were Imperial men, were found in the canal next day, with their throats cut. -

Sergeant Hanleon regained consciousness two days later, and remained in the 31st General Hospital, Port Said, for a few weeks, after which he was invalided back to Australia.

The three natives were eventually caught, but none of the money was recovered. One of them was sentenced to death, and the others received long terms of imprisonment.