STORIES OF THE TRENCHES

Taranaki Daily News, 29 April 1931, Page 5

STORIES OF THE TRENCHES

MEMORIES OF V.C. HERO HOW THOUSANDS FELL. “DIED SIMPLY AND NOBLY,” The spirit of the trenches was the them© of an address given at the Northcote, Auckland, commemoration service on Anzac Day by Lieutenant R. S. Judson, V.C., D.C.M., M.M., N.Z.S.C., who told two stories from his own experience to illustrate the high,, sense of duty which carried British soldiers to victory ? —episodes which he explained were typical of thousands. “I will. tell you,” he said, “of two brave, faithful fellows who were in my platoon during the last six months of the war, when we commenced to push the enemy back by carrying out daylight attacks and raids. I was a sergeant at the time. We had captured the high ground well forward of Gommecourt vilalge, and after holding it for three days made a further attack in the afternoon, and advanced some 700 yards, capturing some machine-guns and several prisoners. I detailed a Private Cowan to escort the prisoners back to battalion headquarters, which was -just in front of Gommecourt. He had been in some hard fighting and was knocked up. F told him to stay at headquarters and not return until the next afternoon. There were some good dug-Out shelters in. front of the village, and I knew he would get a good night’s rest, there. He did-not seem keen on going, but as it was an order he went off along the trench with the prisoners. BACK TO DUTY. •< t . *■■ j ..' ■. • , ■ “I then commenced to organise a fresh bombing party to attack, a long length of trench leading to a ridge on the other side of a valley. Just as we-were ready to start Cowan came back and stood beside me. I asked him why he was. there, and what . he' had done with the prisoners. He:-replied that he had met two battalion observers, and had handed the prisoners over to them. ‘But,’ I said, 'I told you to take them back and stay at. headquarters all night!’ He replied, in »• quiet voice; ‘Yes, I know, but I ■wanted to be with you.’

“We then moved forward to the at- ' ■ tack, and finally reached the dip. in ' the valley where we found a road from Gom- . mecpurt crossing" the trench at' right angles. Where the trench crossed through the. road it narrowed into a cutting about 2ft. wide. By this time our party had been reduced by casualties, to four, myself, Cowan, and two others, and we had used all our bombs. The Germans took up a position on the side of.-the hill beyond, some 30 yards away, where they could overlook us, and they kept up * continual fire into the narrow cutting to prevent us from rushing through. I sent the fourth man back . to try to get some more bombs, while Cowap and I pushed our rifles under the tramline and kept up as rapid a fire as possible-on. the Germans on the hillside; When they realised that our bomba; were all used they became more daring and stood up out of their trenches to;.enable- them to fire down upon us. Suddenly Cowan’s , head dropped forward on to his rifle butt. I raised the front of his steel helmet and saw that he had. been shot through the forehead and he was dead, still gripping the rifle, and with his-finger on the trigger. This brave fellow refused to take the easy way out while others were fighting, and so gave his life. He had a wife and two little children in New Zealand, and life meant a lot to him. HIS WIFE AND BABY. “Three weeks later we had advanced a. considerable way forward toward 8a- ... paume, and one afternoon captured a '< small wood called ‘Fork Wood.’- The next afternoon at two o’clock we received, orders that we were to capture a sunken road in front, which ran from Bucquoy to Puisieux-au-Mont, 1 the attack to-commence at 3 p.m. The enemy ■ held the high ground on our left and also in front with machine guns. There was to be no bararge to beat down the enemy fire, as by this time we had advanced well ahead of. the artillery? Our platoon worked a little ’ way forward to. the edge of the wood and lay as quietly as possible for zero hour. ,■ “A young man who was lying just behind me seemed to wish to take me into his confidence. He moved a little nearer and said, ‘You know I have come through, • a few stunts lately and have had some close shaves. I have had a lot of luck, but I can’t expect it to stand to me alway 4. They will get me sooner or later, and I have been thinking-about-my. wife and little boy, and wondering what will become of- them. Just before the last - two attacks the little • chap’s, •baby face has come up before me, and as. we went forward I found myself asking God to help them and to protect = them. Then I felt all right;’ .. /'/ PRAYER ON HIS.LIPS. “It; was now zero hour. A whistle sounded and the attack commenced. The enemy seemed to - be .expecting us, and we came under heavy fire. I became separated from the man who had been talking to me; We gained the objective and captiired some machine-guns and prisoners. Toward evening, when the position had been consolidated I went back to the edge of the wood looking for the man who I knew had not been evacuated wcjunded. I found his body on the edge of a shell hole. :He had been killed by two machine-gun bullets. That brave fellow went out without a fear or thought for himself. He died with the simple prayer on his lips asking God to take care of his wife and little boy here in New Zealand. These incidents illustrate partly what I mean by the spirit of the trenches. “They all knew what it was to have fears, but their high sense of duty and the abnegation of self enabled them to conquer their fears, and they would go forward to the attack with their head up, and with a cheer. And when the end came they died simply and nobly, and with that proud sense of manliness, sacrifice and victory which comes to a man on the field of battle when fighting for his home and country.”