GALLANT INDIANS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 473, 16 August 1915, Page 7

GALLANT INDIANS.

DEEDS OF GREAT HEROISM. ACCOUNT OF FIRST EXPERIENCES UNDER SHELL FIRE. By Cable. — Press Association. — Copyright (Received August 16, 11.20 a.m.) . . - LONDON, August 15. . An officer with the Indian headquarters, describing the Lahore Divisions operating round Ypreson April 26, states that the 40th Pathans had their first experience of shell fire while marching round the moat to the south of Ypres. The firing was particularly heavy, and many shells fell into < the water or hit the walls without doing damage to the men, who cheered each successive-miss. * Suddenly a Shell dropped in the middle of the Yusuflai Company, which was about the centre of the column, causing 23 casualties. . - , - The regiment moved on, unperturbed, with scarcely a pause. ' The Jullundur Brigade had three shells dropped in their midst, but continued on. . Asphyxiating gas, at 50 yards, so affected their eyes as to incapacitate the men from using their rifles. Some time during the advance Colonel Rendick, of the 40th, ' was mortally wounded. The adjutant dragged him to a ditch, where he lay till dusk. His last thoughts were with the regiment. When being placed.on a stretcher he said: "Send two of my Pathans with me. If I die on the way to the hospital I'should like them to be with me." ■. " The majority of the 40th's machine gun detachment were hit, and the guns held up. A sepoy named Munkhtiara, who was sheltering in a small ditch in advance, volunteered to go back and bring up a gun, and, twice, to cross a space of 250 yards swept by an enfilade of machine gun and rifle fire. He succeeded, and returned, under a hail of bullets, carrying . a gun. . • s / A sepoy named Maji Khan, of the 129t1i Baluchis, volunteered to carry a message under the heaviest shell and rifle fire, and had x scarcely gone a-quarter of the distance when he was hit by a bit of shell and badly wounded. He was almost knocked out, but managed to crawl on and deliver his message. Fifty men of the Connaughts, 60 of the Manchesters, and small parties from the 40th Pathans, 47th, 6th, and 129 th Baluchis advanced for nearly a mile over open ground. In greatly reduced numbers they got to within a few yards of the German line, when they were met by poisonous gas. Half of them were suffocated, yet they held their ground for a terrible 12 hours till reinforcements relieved them. The gallantry of the stretcher bearers in every action cannot be too highly praised. Whether he be sepoy or the humbler kahar, he has never, been known to shirk danger.