A NOBLE ACT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16519, 20 October 1915, Page 8

A NOBLE ACT

KILLED WHILE TRYING TO SAVE HIS COMRADE.

Writing from Hyde Park Hospital, Plymouth, under date of A : ugust 20, Sergeant Harry Kitson tells f ho w - Private K. S. Jameson (Canterbury . Infantry Battalion, a son of Mr William Jameson, of Fendalton), died', and how. a comrade—Orme— gave up his life in an attempt to save him. Sergeant Kitson, writes : — " The story of K.. S. Jameson's death is a sad one, and one which so often crops up in my mind, as I was closely connected with it. Our company'were attacking the Turk trenches in front" of Krithia. We had advanced 1 under iheavy fire,' and had got as far forward as possible, driving the Turks out, but further advance was checked by the heavy casualties. Jameson came through the charge unscratched. Night fell, and the battalion were ordered to dig themselves in. The Turks were not far away, and in such,cases it is usual to send out patrols or screens so that the main bodj- of men working' are not surprised by anaU.aclc from the enemy. The first patrot was fired at by the Turks, and the sergeant (Sergeant Ross) was killed and , the men. were a bit shaken. A relief had to be sent out to take their places. The major ordered me to take six reliable men and' go out. I chose' Jameson and 'five others, ' We crawled out som§ 100 yards or so towards'the, Turkish trenches. The orders'were that we were to hang on and not. to' retire unless heavily attacked, as the whole safety of the battalion rested with us. We were some 25 to 30 yards apart. , "The night was dark.and objects were hard to so we moved'up a little closer to. the Turks. We had not been out 20 minutes before we were. dis- , covered and fired at, At first, the firing was not heavy, and I considered' it did not warrant our return. Suddenly the whole line of Turk trenches opened out. I was on the outside, Jameson next. I got along to Jameson, told him to make for the right, and -rushed' on to collect the others. By this time our own men op.ened oilt en the Turks and we were between the two'fires: Jameson did not follow me. Two men-were badly wounded' .and' one missing besides Jameson. Young Orme straight away went back to look for Jameson. The firing was terrific, the bullets like rain. Our own men, by this time thinking the patrol was killed and we were Turks, fired at us. I dashed back to our trenches to stop the,firing and get assistance. I 'went out again, and found Jameson and 1 Orme side .by side dead. Orme had evidently found Jameson .wounded, and had started to bring him in, but was killed'. There they were side by side, locked in each other's arms. <( I cannot speak too highly of Orme's action; he knew he had not one chance in a thousand/.yet he did- not hesitate a .'second. I. carried them in, and we laid them behind'our trenches, and at dawn we dug one grave and buried them side by side. They both died smiling, for the smile was still on their faces wheri vte buried them. Orme was a man who would onake you laugh even at most desperate times. . Jameson was one of the moat popular men in the company —grave and steady to a degree. Even in our hardened condition through losing day after day our friends who fought beside us,.we felt the death of these two men move than I can express. ; ••,''._ ''We made a small wooden cross and put theiT names and numbers on, the regiment and,date, and perhaps" to-day it still stands at the head of their grave by .Krithia before the. great hill of.Achi Baba. "May I express my sincere sympathy for you; but what a comfort it is- to know ithat your nephew died steady and game, died holding" a position of trust for the safety of his pabi." -,-'-.