SOLDIERS’ COURAGE

Southland Times, Issue 24484, 11 July 1941, Page 5

SOLDIERS’ COURAGE

(8.0.W.) RUGBY, July 9. The magnificent courage shown by soldiers of the Pioneer Corps was told in a Gazette notice announcing the award of the George Medal to Corporal J. Scully and the George Medal to Lieutenant C. Chittenden.

When houses were demolished by enemy action a rescue party under the direction of Chittenden went to the scene and a search was made for trapped persons. Scully located a man and a woman, and with great difficulty managed to penetrate the debris and get to where they were buried. Lieutenant Chittenden followed him. Wood was obtained to use as props to shore up the debris, but there were no means of cutting it into proper lengths. A rescue party then arrived with tools to cut some of the wood into more suitable lengths for shoring. All available help was mustered and the men worked tremendously hard in their efforts to clear away the wreckage. Scully remained with the trapped persons and prevented any more debris from falling on them. A long plank was inserted to take most of the weight, but as a result of further falls the props began to sway out of position. There was then a very real danger of a mass of debris sliding down and burying the injured persons. Realizing this Scully placed his back under the plank to try to prevent the props from giving way completely. He steadied them for a time, but gradually the weight increased until a prop slipped. This left Scully holding one end of the plank and Lieutenant Chittenden supporting the other.

Scully could have got away at this stage, but he knew that if he did so the debris would fall and probably kill the trapped persons, so he stayed under the plank. Gradually the weight increased and forced Scully down until he lay across the trapped man, who supported Scully’s head and prevented him from being suffocated by having his head pressed into the debris. He managed to keep Scully’s head clear, but he was fast becoming exhausted. In spite of this he kept up his spirits and continued to talk encouragingly to the woman. The man was unconscious nearly all the time.

Scully remained in this position throughout the night, until more than seven hours later the rescue party was able to extricate him and the casualties. When they first entered the house Lieutenant Chittenden and Scully knew that there was a grave risk of serious injury or death, as high walls nearby appeared to be about to collapse at any moment. Had this occurred they would have been buried under many tons of debris.

Scully risked his life to save the two persons, and though the position looked hopeless, Chittenden stayed with him.