CAMEL CORPS DISASTER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XL, Issue 13171, 3 September 1913, Page 3

CAMEL CORPS DISASTER.

A GRAPHIC ACCOUNT

TWENTY-SIX MEN LEFT TO FACE 1500 DERVISHES.

(Press Assn.— By Telegraph— Copyright.) (Received Sept. 3, 8.30 aim.) - LONDON, September 2. Lieot. Dunn, who commanded the Camel Corps, after Captain Corfield's death, gave a graphic account of the skirmish m - a '- private letter. Captain Corfield's 102 men wei_ fighting for five hours. It was a perfect hell on earth. Captain Corfield wad killed and : Lieut. Summers wounded soon after, the commencement of ihe. fight. The Maxim gun was disabled after half ah hour. Then about thirty Sdmalis de^ sorted. At the end 46 camels had been shot, and thirty-two men killed, and 22 wounded. Twenty-six fighting men were left facing 1500 Dervishes. . They -were only 'saved because the assailants' ammunition gave out. If the Dervishes had brought up their spearmen they must have rushed the zareba. They usually began firing at two hundred yards distance and then charged right up to the zareba. It is estimated that at IfeastlOO men were killed and some > woundecL Lieut'. Summers ;was very plucky, and would not give way, though wounded thrice—^in the left arm and ' both legs. During a lull m the proceedings .he cried,- "Well, this will go ddwn to history as Dunn's last stand," bat he proved a bad prophet.