LIEUTENANT WALKER'S SAFETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16254, 11 December 1914, Page 9

LIEUTENANT WALKER'S SAFETY.

AT THE FRONT AND UNHURT. BATTLE OF IIANCOURT. INTERESTING EXPERIENCES. Two interesting letters havo been received by Mr H. C. 11. Walker, of Reinuera, from his son, Lieutenant H. J. I. Walker, who is with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment at the front. Lieutenant Walker was reported missing on September 9, but on November 4 cablegrams intimated that Mr Walker's son was "safe and well." The letters received by his relatives are dated October 10 and 15 respectively, and explain that he was at no time in the hands of the Germans, but was merely separated from his regiment for a day or two. " At. last I have an hour of rest and a chance to write," the first letter remarks. " I will try to tell you what I can remember. Of oourse, I was at Ilythe when it all started. . . . The order came to mobilise, and for the next three days we wore hard at it. Then we were rushed all over England, which, I suppose, was a scheme to deceive the Germans. . . . Late one night we got instructions to embark. Wo had a smooth passage across, and I was able to enjoy the last decent meal I had for a long time. We arrived in France on August 23. and at 8.30 p.m. that day we entrained and travelled all night, getting to Le Pateau about 11 a.m. next day. Then wo got out and marched to Beaumont. It was horribly hot. but the peasants were very much interested in us, and gave us much food. That night we did a night march and grot to (the name of tho town is not decipherable in the letter) about 9 a.m. This was very near to the Belgian frontier. AT THE" BATTLE OF lIANCOURT. " That morning we heard gun and rifle fire, and in the afternoon wo lay in a field while the Seaforths, on our left, were shelled a bit, a couple being killed. The same evening a Uhlan patrol came into contact with our troops, and we ' scuppcred' them. About 11 p.m. we got up and retired, as the Germans were getting around our flank, and marched from then until 8 o'clock next day. We were all absolutely ' cooked,' and when we halted lay down and slept for an how. Suddenly we were wakened liv terrific gunfire—the battle of Hancourt. bad started. We heard that the King's Own were being cut up on the other side of a ridge to our front, whkro the no;?e carno from, so we rushed forward, and then wo fairly took it, ' hot and fast.' AIR FULL OF BULLETS AND SHRAPNEL. " When we got to the top of the ridgo, we could see nothing, but, all the same, the air was full of bullets and shrapnel. Before that ' scrap' started most of us had never been under fire, but in five minutes we had all experienced just about every sort of bullet from every sort of gun. Of course, it was useless to stay there on the ridgo, so we retired to our or'ginal position, and lay there all day, while a terrible artillery duel went on. The Germans tried to attack once, but our guns absolutely swept them off the face of the earth. The German guns tried to put our guns out of action, to stop our ■gun-fire on tho German infantry, which \vm in massed formation. The German casualties were enormous, but it wae no use, because for every man we knocked out, ihey sent up three or four, so again we had to leave. "During this battle our regiment, got very scattered, but we were not disorganised. It was our (the British) hanging on in this position that upset the Germans. I left our trenches with the colonel and adjutant with about 300 men. We inarched hard al' night and eventually got into a block transports. I went on to see what was doing, and while I was away the others left, e> then I had to fend for myself. I was very lucky and met a major .of a heavy gun brigade, who gave me a ' feed.' I then went to look for tho regiment, but could not find it, so I went back to the gunners, who gave me a ride on their guns. Wo travelled all night, but I don't know to this day where we went. BACK TO COMPIEGNE. " Next morning, that is to say, on August 27, at about 8 a.m., we met a lot of troops n'aking their way to St. Quentin. I slipped off the gun and gathered up about 50 of our stragglers and brought them along. When we got to St. Quentin we were told to move on to Ham. We did that, and then were were all bundled into a train and sent back to Compeigne. Here we were put ir.to a rest camp, where wo had a rest and some good food. Lots of our men continued to roll up, and evontnallv we had about 700 men, and nearly all of tho officers, with us. We wore then trained back, to Rouen, all without a sop until tho morning, when we went into French barracks, where wo had a week's rest and were refitted out as far as possible. Then we started off for tho front again and followed up the retreating Germans, and you may guess it was a relief to be advancing and not retiring. LITTLE 'SCRAPS' EVERY DAY. "We had littlo ' scraps' every day in our part of the line. The Germans " went for it,' and our advance, as of course you know, was not checked much. We crossed over tho Aisne about three weeks ago, and since then nothing much has happened to our party. The harder the work and the less the food the better and fitter I have been, and now I am ' awfully' well and fit. I have had my share of narrow shaves, but then who has not. ... I was reported missing in some of the English papers, but it was untrue." DAMAGE DONE BY GERMANS. The second letter from Lieutenant Walker is dated October IS. "I am well and fit," says the Writer. "In the first part of tho war we used to sleep outside, but now, as the weather is colder, we go into ' billets.' I arn billeting officer for the regiment, and have to go into tho houses and see what the Germans have done. I canriot describe how they have knocked the places about. One really feels that nothing could ever be done to punish them sufficiently for it. Well, I must stop now as we nave to push on after these ' blighters.'"