LUCKY ESCAPES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11507, 1 October 1915, Page 1

LUCKY ESCAPES.

FACTS FROM THE FRONT. TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION. (By TROOPER, BLITEGUM in the " Sydney Morning Herald."), ANZAC, August 7. When I was a good little boy going to Sunday school, teacher gave me a book entitled "Wonderful Escapes." I read it with absorbing interest, for it told of the marvellous escapes _ of princes and grinoesses from fortified castles in the hands of their eneraies. Yet these delightful tales which so thrilled my vfc.ithful imagination pale into insignificance and seem quite com-mon-place when compared with the hair-breadth escapes which I have witnessed, and which I have myself experienced since the 2nd Light Horse Brigade landed on battle-scarred Galiipoli. With the Taubes dropping bombs and darts from the sky, with the Turks undermining and blowing up our advanced trenches, with snipers cunningly ooncealcd on the ridges, and the enemy's big guns sending high explosives right across the peninsula, there is really not a single safe spot in all GaUipoli. So, when these Australian soldiers get home again and fight their battles over again, don't disbelieve them. The truth here is much more startling than any fiction. " 'TIS LUCK." I vouch for the absolute accuracy of the following incidents, for they all came within my own ken. Some will say " 'tis luck." Others say " fate." Others prate of the law of averages. It may be that the prayers of thousands of Australian mothers and sisters beseeching heaven for the safety of their loved ones are not all in vain. For in very truth there have been occasions when escape from instant death has savoured of the supernatural. Men have left their dug-outs for a few seconds, and almost on 'the instant a shell has wrecked these same dug-outs. Others have had shells fall on the identical spot they occupied a few seconds before. Men have come back scathless from the open field which has been ploughed with shrapnel. Some have charged across the hills in th& teeth of murderous machine guns, spitting death-pellets unceasingly. Is it) all the fortuue of war? General Birdwood was having a look at the enemy's position when a sniper's bullet parted his hair and slit his scalp. Half an inch lower would have beeru certain death. It would take and columns to tell of the lucky cscape.J I could relate. STOPPED IN TIME. Take the case of an Australian, who has just been made a Brigadier-Gene-ral. There is a very comforting idea, that regimental headquarters are always a long way behind the firing line, while brigade headquarters are further back still. Therefore, it is argued, a brigadier has a nice safe j*>b._ This may be all right in theory, but it does nob work out so in practice. I do not* believe there has been a day for tile past eleven weeks that the BrigadierGeneral has not visited the firing line of his brigade. Time and again ho has taken the snipers' "posy," and mingled in a bit of sharpshooting himself. Also he ha® at different times gone in advance of our firing line to jelect new positions. Once, with hist brigade-major and orderly officer, he

suddenly stopped to watch a sqnadrori jat bayonet exercise, and a shrapnel 1 shell burst, and the case landed right |in front of him'.. Had ho not stopped 1 j it is almost certain the party would | have been wined out. " STREWTH 1" Such incidents can bo multiplied by the score. Sergeant Christie Hayden —who was badly wounded in South Africar—emerged from his dug-out the other day and a shell missed hiin by inches, and wrecked his little grey home. Sergeant Paddy Ryan, Sergeant Ken Allord, and a lieutenant were standing together on Hilly Ridge a few days ago, and a sniper's bullet perforated both the sergeants' hats, and missed the officer by a fraction of an inch. I wonder did that sniper wait till he £ot the three in line, instead of making sure of oneP Trooper Sandy Jacques showed his head over a parapet for a couple of seconds, and a sniper fired. But by a merciful dispensation of Providence, the bullet split just before reaching him. The nickel casing went to the right, and the leaden missile to the left. So Jacques got o slight wound on each side of the head, and was able to walk to the ambulance. Some tvag has suggested that the bullet knew very well what to expect if it struck Sandy's head, so it took the line of least resistance. A lieutenant sent a man for water. As he walked away a high explosive shell passed right between his lees and then exploded. The soldier had evidently seen Barry Lupino, for he merely exclaimed " Strewthl" BAD LUCK. Here's an example of good and bad luck following hot-footed upon each other's heels. The Turks bombarded our lines, and hurled shells into our trench, smashing down parapets, wrecking rifles and gear, splathering bullets and splinters everywhere, and yet miraculously missing everybody. Later on a single stray bullet found its way through a loophole, ra.n along the barrel of a rifle, ricochetted I off at an impossible ang!e, and killed young Trooper Bellinger, one of the best lads in the 6th. I went down to Anzac Cove for a swim recently. About 500 soldiers were having a glorious time—better than Bondi. Half-a-dozen shells landed in the water, while the pellets sp l ashed all round like hail. Some of the swimmers sought shelter. Most of them took not the slightest notice. Not one man was hit. But they are not always as lucky as that. Sometimes they pay for their temerity. Trumpeter Newman and I stood outside i the field hospital a week ago, and a big ..howitzer shell burst fair in front of us, killing and wounding a dozen men. Neither of us suffered a -cratch, but there was a ringing in my ears for hours afterwards. J A lieutenant was out on Ryrie's I Post, beyond the firino: line, for over an hour, while the Turkish artillery just painted the whole area with shrapnel. Hart'ly a square yard massed getI ting something, yet he never stormed ' one. Wh«n Sergeant Shelley walkrd ; alons Shell a shell burst, and I we hardly see h : m for the kirked up by flving shrnonel yet he never &rtt a scratch. Another she 1 ! iust shaved an who turned round, shook his fist at it. swore loud fml lons*. A second shell came after firs*, so close that it filmo't took the sold'Vr's hronth nwnv. He- d : d not wait to swear but ran like a scared rabbit to his dug-out.