STORMING OF STRONG FORT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21963, 15 May 1941, Page 6

STORMING OF STRONG FORT

Outstanding Bravery Of Sepoy (Rec. 6.42 p.m.) RUGBY, May 13. An Indian officer with ten years’ active service who took part in the storming of the fort at Dologoradok, key to the main defences covering Keren, described the action as being as hard as any he knew. “The fort had concreted machine-gun positions, a double apron of wire and some field guns. Our gunners did very well but could not find suitable positions. We simply had to advance straight up to the fort, cut the wire and drive the Italians out after which we got our observation and started for the first time to do some effective counter battery fire. Under its cover our battalion advanced to the top of a small hill just under the Italian positions on the crown of the heights. We lay there for several days shelled from the right, left and centre, and having constantly to repel counter attacks until we could advance again. There were many brave things done. Our platoon had been told to capture two machinegun posts which were troubling them. Instead of using the whole platoon the officer asked for a volunteer. The youngest man in the platoon—he was only 18—stepped out. He filled two haversacks with hand grenades and worked his way round behind the machine-gun positions, each of which contained four men. He killed the whole eight with two hand grenades. When he was retiring he was counterattacked by 12 Italians. He killed six and captured six. He was an ordinary Sepoy.”