BRAVE SOLDIER'S DEATH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 16 July 1915, Page 8

BRAVE SOLDIER'S DEATH

LETTER FROM MAJOR-GENERAL GODLEY.

The following letter, addressed 'from the Gallipoli Peninsula, and dated May 7th has been received from Major-Gen-eral Godley, by Mr G-. G. Aitken, of Christchurch, in reference to the death of his brother, Private J. H. Aitken, of the Canterbury Infantry Battalion: — "Dear Mr Aitken, — "I feel I must write a line to express to you my very great sympathy in the death of your brother. He had been my special orderly since we' landed here, and had been invaluable to me. On the sth, the' day ha was killed, he was with me as usual, carrying my telescope, as he always drid, and with his rifle, acting as my escort. We happened to be in one of the most 'forward posts when it was attacked in the afternoon by a considerable body of Turks, who, i» addition to heavy rifle fire, were also throwing bombs. Some of the men were rather shaken by the explosion of a bomb in their midst. and Aitken "was <ncst cool and plucky in helping to rally them. He then helped me to extend I some supports that came up, and shortly afterwards, the attack fiavti-ng be>en repulsed, and having died away, I started to walk down the hill, thinking he was following me', and it was not till 1 reached the foot of the hill that I massed him. I then sent word back to let him know that I would walk slowly l on down the valley, and that he would j catch me up, and it was not till I had, gone some way, and met Tabu Rhodes, that we began to be uneasy about him. and sent back again, with the result that, to my -great grcef, I heard he had been hit- in tne chest, and bad a lace-rat-ed wound, evidently from a bomb, and had died on the stretcher on which he was being bought down the valley. My two A.D'.C.'s. Major J. G. Hughes and Lieutenant Tabu Rhodes, have carved a wooden cross, which will be placed on his grave-, and I can- only repeat to .you my- deepest sympathy, and.-hope that it may be some consolation to you to knowthat he died gallantly .with his face to the enemy, in the act of p&rforming signal service in the execution cf his duty. —Yours sincerely, Alex. J. Godley, Gfejieral Commanding "