EXCITING WORK.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13873, 15 September 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

EXCITING WORK.

HOW A TRENCH WAS TAKEN

NELSON MEN VOLUNTEER,

(From "The Colonist/ Aug. 26.) Sergeant E. H. Burnett, of Dovedale, who was wounded in action early in June, gives the following interest- £ Account, of how New.Zealanders captured a trench and incidentally how he obtained his wounds, lhfc>; Nelson men who volunteered for this hazardous work showed the same gallantry that has characterised the work of the Australasians since the landing | on Gallipoli, and one cannot help teel-| ing a thrill of pride when reading this; letter, which is written from Malta, under date June 26th:— "Just a few lines to let you^nowi how I any. getting on and whaU was; doing when I managed to stop a snot. | We were only between fourteen yards to a chain from the Turks and Germans. About a third of the enemy art Germans. We were fighting along a hill called Achi Baba, and wen? having a go to see who would get to the-top of it first. The Turks were holding^ it and we were about a chain and a-nalr from the top. We were undermining towards the top, and were going to blow them up with gelignite, powder, etc., and" they were undermining from their side to blow us up. Well, after we had been at this spot about four days our officers reckoned that the Turks might get in the first explosion, so they made up their minds that we would attack them and drive them out of their trenches: So one night we made an attack and drove them out alright, but they had machine guns in such a position that they could sweep the trench they had been occupying, and they nearly wiped us out. Anyway, they made it so hot that we had to retire again, so we went back to tlw old trenches once more. About tour days after this an Australian officer sent word that the Australians hac found out wner© the machine guns of the enemy were, and they would guarantee- to take them if we would make another attack. They called for volunteers to attack the Turks on the night of June 6th, and they got a good voluntary All the non-commissioned omcers'of the Nelson Company, and about twenty-three men volunteered. Ihey picked out twenty men and a Nelson sergeant, named Sergeant Thomson, and' myself to lead them. We had to carry bags of dirt and block the Turks trench after a mob had driven them out They all reckoned that he had the worst game on carrying the bags of dirt, and the mob all said they would rather attack, but somebody had to block the trench, and the Nelson lot were picked out to do it. At U at ni«ht we were to attack, and the Australians were to star- attnewng the machine guns at a quarter cf an hour before wo were to start. Bo it J 2 they started, and about quarter past our turn came. I've forgotten to tell you something, though. Our captain, Captain Griffiths, gave Sergeant Thomson his revolver to go with, a* of course we wore not allowed to carry oui rifles, as the enemy were supposed to. be driven out by the other mob. Just as we were starting an English officer said, "Have the sergeante revolvers? ' One of om- sergeant-majcrs said, "Onlj one has:." Ho then said, "Tell him I want'to see him." So the sergeantmajor eninc to me and said, "An English officer wishes to speak to you," and I went along to him. The officer said, "Have you a revolver?" "No, sir, but (Hir job is carrying bags of dirt, and we are not supposed to fire. He then said. "You wait a minute; you never know when you may have to use one." So ho ra.n to his camp and 'brought hack a beautiful revolver loaded with six cartridges, and said, "Jake this, and good luck to you." I put it in my trousers pocket. Well, we attacked them, and I got just about to the enemy's trench with a bag of dirt and a shovel in one arm, and when I got just about there a beastly Turk, about six yards from me, let drive at me, and put a bxillet fair through my head. It went in above the left ear and cam© out through, the right ear, and it didn't even stun me. I thought I would soon be out, but I thought I would try and do for' the wretch that had got one into me, so that he wouldn't go for another. So I let fly with the revolver, and got him fair through the forehead, killing him at once. Well, a. mate of his was loading his rifle close to him, so I thought, "Well, I'll land that one, too, before he get 3 a shot on." So I let fly at him, and must have got him through the heart, because he went out as" dead as the first. There were no more there, so I put my revolver back in my pocket and wa.ited for the ambulance to come along. I didn't try to bandage my head, as I knew I couldn't, and I bled like a pig. About twenty minutes afterwards one, or rather two, of my company ambulance men'came along. They were mates of mine—Private Findlay, and you'd know Pike., from Nelson. Findlay put a bandage on, and they, started to carry me back. I was alright until they started, then I fainted, and never came too till I found myself in a bed on a boat. I ha 4 been taken to the troopship and had been properly dressed. My word, the doctor I had was a first class one, and knew what he was doing. I came too about 6in the morning, and felt pretty good, and have been getting better ever since. The only thing that is crook now is my eyesight. The doctor says he didn't think I would ever be able to see properly again, hut you can tell it is improving or I wouldn't be able to see to write this letter. The doctor has sent my name in to be returned to New Zealand as my eyesight is done for firing a rifle. Well, we stopped just far enough out in the sea to be out of the firing line for a fortnight, getting a boat load of wounded, arid then we sailed for Malta, and here I am now, in a sort of hospital."