HOW AN IRISH LANCER WON HIS COMMISSION.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13732, 22 March 1915, Page 2

HOW AN IRISH LANCER WON HIS COMMISSION.

Writing to his brother ia Hawke's Bay, David Baker, of the sth Royal Irish Lancers, gives an interesting account of some g i the stirring incidents he has taken part in since the commencement of the war. He was in the ranks when hostilities broke out, but soon earned his stripes. Then he was mentioned in despatches, was awarded the Distinguished^ Service Medal for gallantry and great ability in action and in reconnaissance duty on several occasions, and was given a commission. He says:—

I sailed from Dublin with my regiment on the 15th August, 1914, and we were one of the first English troop® to arrive in France. We went straight up into Belgium and took part in the memorable Battle of Mons, and then had to fight day and night until we were very near Paris. Then came the order for the "general advance of the Allied Forces," and by jove, didn't we let them have it. They went like the wind, and we followed them up-, killing and capturing hundreds daily till we were back at the Aisne, where a six weeks' battle in the trenches took place. They tried to reach Calais through Ypres, but we held it. Our troops were absolutely wonderful. It was just like hell let loose. And here we are still in Belgium, fighting a trench war against these cursed uncivilised brutes—that is putting it mildly.

That is the whole thing in a nutshell, and I, as a corporal, went through every inch of it, and thank God I did, and have come through it alive. But lam a lucky man. I have had some wonderful escapes. One shot actually went thrpugh my collar, and killed my chum behind me. For my patrol work in that famous retreat I wais mentioned in General French's despatches, and was awarded the D.S.M. I was then promoted to sergeant, and to crown the whole thing I have been given my commission. So I have topped the ladder of my ambition. Of course it sound very nice on paper, but I went through it and stuck to it to the end, and will continue to do so while I am alive and until we have driven every cursed "'German to blazes. But there were times when I felt jolly bad for want of food, sleep, clothing, etc. I think for one week every bone in my body ached and the pain I went through was terrible. One incident I shall never forget. I had to enter a village to see if it was clear of Germans. I took two men with me and set out at dawn. It was a wretched morning, raining hard, and a thick mist made it worse. As we were about to enter the' Village ten shots rang out. We had run right into a barricade, which we could not see owing to the mist. We were only 20 yards off it, and the chaps behind me fell dead. That was when the bullet passed through my collar and burnt my neck. I galloped away,'but a shot hit my horse and down it came, poor faithful beauty. I lay perfectly still for an hour and then crawled back on my stomach to safety. They kept firing at me when they saw me moving. When I got hack to our lines, we were ordered to fix bayonets and charge the brutes, which we gladly did and drove them out of the village. I then got my chum's body, made a hole and buried him. Poor chap, he was a real Britisher and a good 'un. This was only one of my close shaves. I had many more, but somehow the enemy always missed me.

Concluding his letter, Lieutenant Baker says: "Don't worry about me. I am safe and sound and glad to be fighting for the dear 'Old Country.' "