AMBUSH BY KURDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17239, 15 February 1918, Page 7

AMBUSH BY KURDS

I ROUGH TIME TTNT PERSIA. AUSTRALIANS WITH RUSSIAN ARMY. A letter lias just been received from Sapper Jack Miller, of Forbes, New South Wales, who is attached to 'the Australian Wireless Corps in Persia:— " Since April last 19 other Australians and myself have been attached to the Russian Caucasus Army in North-West Persia," writes Sapper Miller. " When we lirst joined this go-as-you-please mob tho truck to Bagdad was almost, clear, and convoys of armoured cars brought us supplies and mails every three weeks or so. Since tho Russian retirement from Khanikin and Kasrishirin tho Turk has blocked the thoroughfaro again, the result being that we have had no mail for the past three months, and there is none on 'the horizon. The last papers wo got were dated the end of March, and letters not much later., Except for two or throe hundred words of war news wtiich Basra stands out to all and sundry every afternoon, we are absolutely benighted. " Whether the Ruskis or Turks have ever dofto much dinkum fighting in Peroia I know not, but si ace we have been with our mighty ally no unfriendly feeling has been manifest. Hostile planes come over and hover round with impunity, often coming low enough 'to bo within range of a decent clothes-prop, but they drop no bombs, and no one fires at them. Easy good feeling was in existence, too. down on the Dialah, where, prior to. the midJuno withdrawal, Turk and Ruski soldiers used to swim together. That's the Russian infantryman, not the Coasack. The latter fraternises with no ono. TROUBLESOME KURDS. " But, apart from John Turk, the Kurds give sufficient trouble in this country. In the hills—and this part of Persia, is all, mountains and valleys—they shoot and rob by day, while to the villages and towns they come at night—sometimes as raiders and other times as ordinary sneak-thieves. Even the hospitals aro not spared. One hero has been raided twice in the dead of night within the past six weeks. The British Consul, who is reputed to be the beet of friends with all the folk for miles around, was recently robbed twice in ono week, and he's got a strong,, guard of Fathans, the alleged best man in all India for 'that class of work. We have a fair share of nocturnal visitors in this cainp, but all we've lost to date is one mule and a bag of lovely sugar. I lovely, because we have eince known what it is to go two weeks on end without any. Tho sneak-thief docs not do business in the moonlight. He is a knight of the utmost darkness, and a rare genius at his vocation. Rifles principally are what the Kurds risk their lives for. They enter the camp with tho greatest audacity, and take the rifles from right alongside the sleeping soldiers, 'the guard, if he sees the thief, often being at a disadvantage by not being able to firo without tho risk of winging a cobber or some- beloved gee-goo. The intruder invariably sees to that." Our follows sleep right on top of their fowling pieces, and bet your life each one is always ready for immediate use, the magazine chock-a-block, and a cartridge- in tho spout HANDING OUT DECORATIONS. " A oouplo of months ago wo were attacked in a particularly bloodthirsty manner when negotiating a pass in tho mountains. Tho brigands firing down sit very close range- from iiirc« positions simultaneously. Some Ruskis were with us at tho time,, and a lot of them were killed and wouLtkd. How everyone of us escaped extermination still bewilders mo. In connection with this attack three of our men subsequently received decorations, one getting the Military Modal and the others Russian Crosses. J.'he official report roust have been a fearful travesty of facts, as we all know that although wo all looked death, full in tho faco for" seven or eight minutes, no one roally deserved a trouser button. " The farcical manner in which the Kaiser's Iron Crosses are distributed is proverbial, and the profuse anil indiscriminate) way in which the Russian authorities dish out St. George Grosses is well known, but I did hope that there would always be a little dignity attached to our own decorations. Let ue trust that this is an isolated case, and that tho time is not at hand when British medals can ba bought for two khra-ns (oighteenpence) eaoh, as is tho case, with Russian crosses. SHORT FOOD SUPPLIES. "Wo have not looked on broad since we left Bagdad, five months ago. Jam, third-class 'butter, cheese, condensed milk, biscuits., and tobacco are other things to whioli British troops are entitled, but which wo never see these days. Chupatees, wliat a man would not feed a decent dog on, are issued in lieu of bread. Wo eat 'em three times a day. Seemingly, however, fresh air and tho expectation of a mail some time before Christmas make up for a lot of things, because most of us are doing wall enough, and this in spito of broken sleep every night (with not more than half a dozen exceptions) since the offensive began at Kut in December. 1916."