HOW A D.C.M. WAS WON

Southland Times, Issue 17486, 29 July 1915, Page 5

HOW A D.C.M. WAS WON

TWO ENGINEERS' EXPLOIT, (Special to the Times). WELLINGTON, July 27. Writing from Oaba Tepe on June C to his parents in Wellington, Lance-corporal Bert Fear (New Zealand Field Engineers), who was recently awarded the D.C.M., says:— At present we are down at the beach for a rest —the first spell we have had since we landed here, over five weeks ago. We are leaving here in three or four days for another position, which is a lot easier and safer than Quinn’s Post (the death trap), where you get bombs for breakfast, dinner, and tea. X have been to Air Parker's dug-out for some of my meals; and, pay, they were soma meals —roast beef, roast potatoes, onions, and pudding. . . . We are working on a pier, putting in cement on the bearers. It is a case of strip off and get into it. Luckily the water is not very cold. .Sometimes there if: a great scatter amongst the bathers when a shell bursts in the water or just over it. They tell me 1 have been mentioned in despatches. A chop named Hodge and I crawled out over our trench to the Turks’ blockhouse, and blew it to bits. X pity the poor devils that were in it. I could hear them talking, and they were sniping from one corner of it. Being tha non-commissioned officer I had tha choice, so took the lead. Our luck was in, as we came through without a. scratch, although X do not know how we managed it, as the bullets were flying pretty close all the time. In fact, wa had to lie .still for five or ten minutes. We were out for just over 25 minutes.