"STICK TO THE HILL."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11506, 30 September 1915, Page 1

"STICK TO THE HILL."

I V.C. HERO WOULD NOT RETIRE. " IT'S JUST FATE-" I I saw a. voting man in khaki the other day in Trafalgar Square, imtes a correspondent of the Peoples J nal." He was addressing a recruiting meeting which must, have been thousands strong. It was little Lance-Cor-noral Dwyer, of the East Surrey Respj ment. who won the V.C. un ? ( c^% most heroic circumstances Won t ! vcu come and give us a hand? he ! asked, and you couldn't help feeling a f thrill in your heart as the simple words rang out from the quiet figure on the platform. . , ~ . ~ T When he had finished his audi ess I called him aside, and I got this gallant young fellow to tell me m his owi language how he Avon the coveted distinction. After "a little hesitation ho took the piuzzle off h:s tongue and I listened.. . , . ~ , , "I hate," ho began, "to talk about how I did this or that, because, you know, there are thousands of chaps who are doinc; the same and get wiped mi the earth. If I was only .able to write l could tell you things which you would hardly brlicve jof *vny soldier m \" e world, and yet I've seen the British bovs doing • the most extraordinary things. _ _ HOW I WON THE \ .C. "I-hadn't been in the East Surreys long when they packed me off to France and I can tell you the last thought I j had when I was, leaving England was ; whether I should ever come home again, much less win the V.O. there you are. It's all luck or fate, or whatever you care to call it, and am so glad that I have been spared to come "Now, talking about that V.C Here is how the trick was dcne._ On reaching Hill 60' we had to dig ourselves into a trench, and the Germing were only a dozen yards away. Tuat made no difference, because we have been near enough to shake hands with ea/ch other. On this occasion, just after we found our trenches, they opened a devil's own fire on us, and a terrible slaughter began. KILL AS ..MANY AS I COULD. " I had never seen a man die in my life, but within five minutes there were hundreds of corpses strewn about me. The trenches were littered with dead. Every one of my comrades went down, and suddenly I found myself all alone and in a most dangerous position. "There I was, a young fellow from London, holding a trench against hundreds of sausages, who never ceased firing and shelling. I managed to collect ■ some hand bombs, and I took up a position for myself. I oould see the Germans grinning, as much as to sav they would have me in a minute. We l !, I threw bomb after bomb into the German trenches, and I could see that they

\ ——— ' were disappearing. I could not retire, ' as I had not instructions to do so, and there was nothing for it but to stick to the Hiil and kill as many as I i could. s "There I remained until support ; came up to me, and I was very glad i when that experience was over. Not : that I oared, for I was ready to die I on Hill 60 as well as anywhere else. • I had been in action before, so it was nothing new to be under fire. It was i a bit out of the ordinary though to be • throwing bombs like cricket balls and ■ killing; Germans at the same time. ; " iTgot wounded a week later, and ■ I was taken to the base hospital. When . I heard that I had got the V.O. I said ■ it was too good to be true, for they ' always told me the V.C. took some wiu- ■ ning. However, I got it, and I wish all ' my pals were alire to get it, too."