SCENES ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11281, 8 January 1915, Page 4

SCENES ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

A member of the Royal Army Medical Corps records some of the strango scenes lie witnessed 011 a battlefield after a fierce engagement. "Hie carnage bad been fearful, and the dead and dying of both sides were piled together." he writes. "In one place I saw a British Tommy with a bad wound, lying with his head pillowed on the shoulder of a dying German, while a Frenchman near by was doing his best to cheer them up. and emptying his pockets in quest of some treasures to soothe the last moments of the other two. Close by a British Guardsman was propped against a tree smoking a cigarette, and gazing intently at a photograph. Near to hiin was a wouna'ed Frenchman holding a little glass in one hand, while ho tried to curl a straggling moustache with the other. Further along 1 saw two men—a French artilleryman and a British rifleman — quietly' playing cards while awaiting their turn to be taken, to hospital. Next to them was a man of the Cameron Highlanders with both legs shattered, munching a stick of chocolate, and trying to' hide the twitching of his faro as the pain racked his body. I approached another Highlander. " It's ma birthday the day." was what he said, and almost as soon a.s the vvoros were out of his mouth he was dead. Under a little cluster of trees I found a partv of wounded Germans, English and French. They were quietly praying for what they believed was their last, time on earth. Beyond them a Seaforth Highlander was lying with his Testament open at the story of the Crucifixion. He was beyond human aid.