SOLDIERS' STORIES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 1407, 1 June 1916, Page 7

SOLDIERS' STORIES.

RESCUED BY AIRMAN

(Special to the Herald.)

GHRISTCHUROH, this day. The Willochra's men just released from quarantine have some good stories to tell. One man, whose story was vouched for by an officer, told of how one day in Egypt he was reconnoitring with the aid of a motor, bicycle on the Turkish side of the canadj when he ran into an en-emy patrol who fired at him, but only succeeded in piercing his petrol tank. He immediately put on speed, but the petrol soon leaked out aud he was forced to stop. It chanced however, that a French aviator was also reconnoitring in the vicinity, and the man succeeded in attracting, the airmail's . attention by means of a heliograph. The aeroplane swooped down, and after setting his bicycle on fire the soldier succeeded in clambering aboard just as the enemy patrol came thundering up. The aeroplane immediately got away amidst a fusillade of bullets, and after circling over the enemy who manifested great interest in the burning bicycle, succeeded in dropping five bombs on them. '

Tlie same man, when on.. .Gallipoli, was assigned Jto a forward observation post.s During the August advance his comrades, who were making the advance, Were to be reinforced by Tommies, who, however, .received such a gruelling from the enemy that they were force! to retire. This so upset the forward observer that he aised the most lurid langoage in telephoning the infoiination to his officer. :He heard the officer repeating his words verbatim to someone, presumably a brother officer. He, however, went on, and did not learn till some time later that the "brother . officer" was General Godley. The soldier has a magnificent collection of photographs taken from- observation posts, which are not to be published, however, until . after the war.