THE BATTLE OF MESSINES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17076, 1 September 1917, Page 3

THE BATTLE OF MESSINES.

HOW THE WOUNDED WERE

CARED FOR

SPLENDID ORGANISATION AND UNWAVERING EFFORT.

_ For day a before the battle of Messines our medical services were busy with arrangements for - the prompt treatment and evacuation of the wounded. One watched the preparations with interest, and wondered »"f they -\vouhl be completed in time. All 'ioacerned worked with tireless energy. When the morning of the battle dawned everything was ready. The A.D.M.S. of the New Zealand Division was made responsible not only for the evacuation of the wounded from his own divison, but also for the evacuation of the wounded from another division which, as has already been stated, passed through the New Zealand Division after the latter had established itself beyond Messities. The plan of the operation made this advisable:

I should like to be able to write of the work of this department in detail, but it is not advisable to do so, as it would mean making public information that would be of value to the enemy. I must therefore confine myself to creneralities. °

In fairness, it .should, however, be stated that the personnel of the division linked with us became available to the A.D.M.S. of the New Zealand Division as soon as they began their advance across a forward line of German trenches.

In the very early dawn, looking over the parapet of the trench from whieu with another war correspondent I watched the battle, we saw the first wounded —walking case* —coming bade across the open. From that hour ony:ard the evacuations proceeded steadily, and there was at no time any accumulation on the fiold, at the aid posts, or at the .dressing stations. Wounded Germans were taken in and treated just as our own men. x

One of the most surprising things'in ttw battle was the sight ol: our motor ambulance cars running up to the original regimental aid posts six hours after the first shot in the battle proper had been fired. This" great success wa.s attributable no doubt to the clockwork regularity and rapidity of the advance, and the excellent work of the roadmenders. Owing largely to the precautions taken, and the fact that the Germans wero so decisively beaten, the casualties in the New Zealand Medical Corps were remarkably light. We lost no .doctors, and only one other rank was killed. Twelve men were wounded, and ten other men more lightly wounded remained on duty.. Excellent work was done in keeping up communications. One telephone line was several times, broken by shell fire, but it was always promptly repaired. Despatch riders on motor-cycles were of considerable assistance.

One of the buildings of an advanced dressing station was hit by rui enemy the result tliat'it was burnt down. Some shell, which set fire to the roof, with the result that it was burnt down. Some of the areas occupied by advanced dressing stations were often bombarded with gas shells but the work went on in spite of this, the doctors at one station working with, their noses plugged v up with cotton wool, while the mouthpieces of their gas helmets were kept in the -mouth sd that they* could breathe in safety. It was not easy to work with the mask and the goggles on, so this alternative method was adopted. At different points drinks and light refreshments were provided for the wounded walking cases, the V.M.C.A. as usual doing excellent work in this direction. DOCTORS AND STRETCHERBEARERS. i Onco more the doctors and stretcherbearers worked with great gallantry and untiring devotion in.dressing and attending the wounded. One of the Field Ambulance captains took his bearer section repeatedly through a very heavy barrage and succeeded in bringing back many wounded who were lying exposed to the enemy's lire. During the attempted counter-attack by the enemy he "also took his bearers through a barrage both to and from an advanced regimental aid post, and in addition to helping the officer at the post he brought back all the wounded to safety and without casualties to h's men. But for his action, many of our wounded would have had to stay in shell holes all the night without attention. This doctor had previously done excellent Work of a similar nature on the Sqnvme. L

Another '.doctor x attached to the Aucklanders, went over with his battalion on the morning of the,7th, and established'his regimental aid'post well forward of Battalibn Headquarters. From that time until relieved, he was continually on duty under heavy shell fire, attending not only to our own wounded,, but also to those of the division in front. Hi? R.A.I 3, was the farthest advanced on the divisional front. Undoubtedly many lives were saved owing to his advanced por-dtion and the untiring energy he displayed. Attached to the Wellingtons was a captain with a long record of line ser-. vice in Gallipoli and in France, who again did line work under shell fire attending to our wounded. A third captain, who atao had a fine record on the Somme, now, as regimental medical officer, again did his duty regardless of danger. After ] '_; battalion took over, ho establshed his aid post east of the Messiues Ridge, and there he remained travely carrying out hi,*i work although subjected to heavy intermittent shell fire. Once he and his staff were shellel out of their post, but rather than go back into comparative safety, or move clear of the'track most frequented by the wounded, he simply shifted his aid port to the other side, and carried on until the battalion was withdrawn from the line. His conduct and bravery throughout wore inspiriting and magnificent.

Two other captains likewise displayed great bravery. One, after establishing

his dressing station at 5 o'clock on the morning of the 7th, worked under shell lire during the whole ol the battie. This was the hrst aid pori established, and here many wounded from all units were dealt with. The other captain took his bearer sections rapidly through the enemy barrage, clearing the regimental aid posts of wounded, and searching the shell holes for wounded. He continued all day at this iwork, and when the enemy attempted a counter-attack he led his bearers up to the advanced aid posts througih heavy lire and brought back many wounded. At Gallipoli, on the Somme, and at Armentieres, this mail's work was remarkably line.

Of the htretcher-bearers one can write only in terms of the highest admiration. Their bravery and their untiring energy and devotion were themes of constant conversation amongst our soldiers. A company stretcher-bearer with the Wellingtons had arrived in the early morning of the 10th June back at a camp five miles away. There he was told that six men of his company were left out wounded. He at once returned voluntarily, with three comrades, and succe-.'ofuliy removed these wounded to an advanced dressing station. This was done under continuous shelling. _ A private, when some stretcher-bearer.-; were wounded, volunteered to carry on their work, which he did under heavy shell fire with great pluck and endurance. For three days he worked as long as there was wounded to carry, and when there was no stretcher-bearing to do he carried water up to the front line. Another private worked for there days and nights continuously, dressing and' carrying out wounded men under heavy shell fire. He saved several men's lives." Previously he haa done work of a like nature. But these are only a few instances of similar conduct on the part of our brave atretcher-bearers. gUnder the hottest shell fire most of them showed an utter conempt of danger, and fche V worked until they almost dropped from'want of sleep and through sheer physical exhaustion.