GOT HIS VOICE BACK

Southland Times, Issue 17661, 19 February 1916, Page 11

GOT HIS VOICE BACK

GUNNER'S DOUBLE MIRACLE. SCENE UNDER FIRE. EXPLOSION RESTORES SPEECH. SYDNEY, December S. One of tito.se amazing cases where shock removes the result of shock in an injured soldier occurred in a Sydney theatre last niglu. It was during the performance of “under Fire,” at the Criterion Theatre, where Gunner D. Dunn, made dumb by shell explosion at Cape Ifelles, found It is voice restored by an explosion in the mimic war on the stage. Gunner Dunn is a resident of Ashtield. One of His brothers, Captain Dunn, is a medical officer at the front. The gunner was a member of the 2nd Battery, which went into action at Gallipoli and took the field at Cape Holies. Quite early in the campaign an enemy shell burst right under the gmt which he was helping to serve, and b&cw all the gun detachment into the air. Dunn himself knows nothing of what-happened, but learned afterwards that ho went skyward with the rest and came to earth unconscious. Taken to• Ghezireh Hospital, Dunn remained unc toast-to us for three weeks, and even when he gained Ids senses lie still suffered fnom concussion of tlie throat, and was unable to speak tit all. Un September 15 he first spoke in a whisper. His voice did not improve, either in hospital or ost ids return to Australia, and he resigned himself to endure this almost conjplete loss of his voice for the rest of hits life. Last :iiiglit. in the company of his friend lYivate Forrest, Dunn went to see '‘LTmrjer Fire" played. In tlie third act. there is a realistic explosion, full of sound and lire, when a German aeroplane is- supposed to drop a liomli on tlie British trench 27. Witli (lie roar of tiie explosion Dima collapsed fainting in his seat, and was helped out of tlie theatre by Ids. friend. Menially lie was probably hack inside Ids gnu at t’ape I idles, for as he recovered from ids faint lie turned round and staid to Forrest, in a clear, natural voire. "My God. I lial was terrible.” f oirrcst stared in amazement, "You've gut your voice hack,” he exclaimed. “.'K).” Dunn cried, not realising that he 'gas speaking again. Steadily it dawned upon him that he rea fly had recovered his voice, and he said in an incredulous tone, “Good Lord, so 1 have!” Inis morning tlie recovered patimit saw Captain Elliott, medical officer at tin': Ith General Hospital, and communicojted the news to him. Then lie came irato tlie city to thank .Mr Hugh Ward Bar tlie play which had had for him saich miraculous results-. The newspa.tiers then found him. and Dunn went away saying he was going to telephone scene of his friends. They will probably i>4: as amazed as he was.