AN EXCITING ADVENTURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3277, 3 January 1917, Page 53

AN EXCITING ADVENTURE.

In the fighting round Thiepval an officer •with a few men got into the German third line trench and was cut oif. The subaltern at once organised his men into a bombing party, and they went along the trench bombing the Germans out. At 10 o'clock in the "morning the subaltern was wounded in the leg by a bomb. Ka was bandaged by his men, and the party carried on until they fell in with an officer and three men from another battalion. The party, numbering by now 11, worked up and down the German trenches the whole of the day. Ail the time the Germans were trying to bomb them out into the open. The "little band finished their own stock of bombs soon after midday, but they got hold of rifles, some British and some German, and still held out. As the evening drew on they were still going strong until the officer was wounded again, this time in the head. A little later the officer who had joined the party had his hand almost torn away, and a few minutes afterwards was shot through the head. At 6 o'clock the officer, who had already been wounded twice, was shot through the chest, but even then the little party bravely held on. The men, numbernow only five, did all that they could for their officer. They dressed hi?,, wounds under a heavy fire, and, after a short rest, the pfcrtv moved on down the trench, Later, rinder cover of darkness, they managed to get into touch with a battalion on their left, who gave them a great reception.