HEROES OF DUWEIDAR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14050, 21 July 1916, Page 3

HEROES OF DUWEIDAR.

, DOGGED FIGHT NEAR CANAL. '■ j {.■*'.* '■> y ._..-•■■ <*.'«•*-• - : GREAT ODDS OF SIX TO ONE. Ill© defence of the post at -Duweidtir. ■»mi April 23 is a story to stir' the blood of Britons, ' writes a correspondent from El Kantara, near the Suez Canal. A gallant littlfe company : of Ayrshire Territorials, attacked a,t dawn m. a thick n4at, held an important oasis against the overwhelming odds of six to one, when all the conditions favorable to a sut prise .attack were with the enemy. Ihe first heavy mist for six weeks obscured everything more than away from the line , the Scots, were holding, which was an inner perimeter with r.o pos»-a more than ,200 yds from the fringe bt . the oasis. At 5^17 a.m. there was heavy firing and a tremendous burst of Aiab cheering m front of the redbibt on. the crest ;■ to the south-east of the oasis. To c the attack there was an insant reply. Veterans who had done thou 1 duty before stopped tho rush with a rapid burst of fire,' and every Turk seen to approach the wir c entanglements paid -the penalty. ' At; the' sound of. the first shot every .tent m .the basis was lowered, and men m reserve went out to reinforce the eastern and southern posts, but after th© first few minutes if was not possible $o give aid to : the south-eastern post, because the approach to it was unaex- machinie-gun fire. Every officer a.id man who attempted to, get to that hot corner -was hit. The, main attack was made against this post. f MEN WORK GUN TO END. There was a machine-gun m this post. It %\as hit m five places,, and "three men of the gun team were killed, and <ne wounded, but the. other meni fought the Sun to the end, and most. of the Turkish dead wer© found m front of them, the nearest ' body being 22yds v away; To the left of the south-eastern post a sin u l ll party was holding an -entrenched position oil rising ground aboWone end of the^oasis. far m front of them a machine gun was in -action, and its position was so frequently changed that it couid not be located. .' It became uecbsFary to strengthen this position, and Captain Roberts sent Captain Bruce Army Service Corps (Territorials) with a few men to lengthen the line. Captain Broce, who was supply officer at Duweidar, on the first shot being fired offered to do anything m defence of the post, and, apart from the gallant deed which resulted m his death, he will be remembered'for the sterling example he set. CAPTAIN'S GALLANT DEATH. At nine o'clock the first of tho reinforcements wene sent to assist at the spot Captain Bruce had been holding, so strongly, but m crossing an open space Lieutenant Crawford fell wounded and lay exposed to > murderous .fire, the nature of whiun CaiJtain Bruce had ■experienced for at least thr|e hours. This did hot deter him from jfetting out on an errand of mercy, and he left the sandbag which had been his sole pro-,je-.,t'i-.'«n and ran to carry. in his comrade. He lell^ mortally wounded and died m a f<!AX' minutes. His noble example was foljowed, and fortunately with success, by Corporal Clifford; The corporal carried t-» safety Lieutenant Crawford and Vroupht m Captain Bruoe's body, though the fcie did not slacken and the hazards were , known to him. The collection of 70 dea"d within 50yds of the defences tells the stirring tale of the early hours better than anything else, and the victory was the 'greater I«c3use no foe could have shown more during or determination to capture the oaaie.