WINNING THE V.C.

North Otago Times, Volume CI, Issue 13329, 31 July 1915, Page 2

WINNING THE V.C.

■ "■•" .';■',•—• i, ~„,.„ .i.:.*, ' INDIAN OrFICER'S ACHIEVEMENT, COURAGE :AND. DEVOTION, QF. THE ~-:■■,- . : - SEPOYS.. ;■..-••!■ ■■ Par' Cslilei—Preii ■Aasoclskibn.—Oopyrlijlit) ' %:, ;; <>,\«?w : •. An "officer.- on the; headquarters --staff,lf Ihelndiah army corps,'describes the ; id; of Smyth, of •t.he'lSfh Ludhiama . •Siklis, .who was awarded the Victoria Cross. .. •"■■ ■ ''...' : Ttwas .necessary-10. send a bombing viarl.yfi'om'areservp trench to the front ; "me,' Two boxes of bombs had to.be cai•icd across 250 yards of absolutely open fi'ound, the only possible shelter from die iiiglitful'tire. luung/a;broken-down : trciichj at best iirnes hardly kriec-dee'p, but now \r> -. s<iine : places filled almost, to !, ;he. top with dead. •• -Tlie parly wriggled -li rough Ihe. mud, pullirigthe boxes till hey reached the. old trench, They a'f--;ached tbeir puggarees'to. the fronts'of ,;hc boxes and pulled them through ':he dead bodies, all the parties lying flat. The whole ground was covered Villi a hissilig deluge 'of,:rifle and machine-gun lire, ' Four.'Sepoy's were Wounded in-tlie first-; eighty yards, leaving seven, who .crawled, on till just before the end.of the troueh only Smyth .ind a Sop'oy (Lai Singh) were, left, two others being:killed and three wounded, l'lie two we're -compelled to abandon the second box. ' . ' '.-, " Pulling and hauling their one.box in ;lie open, they ..were met by. ail increased 'ilasi; of fire, and soon they were; eon'routed by a small stream too deep to ivado,. They crawled in full view of jfcho enemy till,they came to a.fordablo ■point, and - , struggled ■ across; with^"their , burden. A few yards further' they reached our. trench, both untouched, though their elotlies were perforated by builetsi 'Shortly after, Lal'.Sliigh was killed in, a trench-,' -.-• . ';,