THRILL AT STATION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 16, 19 January 1940, Page 3

THRILL AT STATION

JUMP TO RESCUE IN FRONT OF COMING TRAIN. SYDNEY. Jan. 4. I Leaping in the path of an approach- j ing electric train at Town Hall under- ! ground railway station early on New 1 Year’s Day morning, Senior-Constable j William C. Plummer, shot put champion of New South Wales, rescued a >ergeant of the 2nd. A.I.F. who had > fallen from the platform. Both th*'! constable and the soldier. Sergeant ' /ohn D. Honey, were injured an taken to hospital. Returning home with another contable after special New Year duty in ; the city, Plummer was standing on a , platform waiting for a train at 2.45 a.m., when a man dashed up to him. •‘A soldier’s lying unconscious across i the rails!” he cried . “He fell from the platform on to his face, and is I pretty badly hurt.” Plummer raced along the platform, and, as he drew level with the soldier, a train emerged from the tunnel. Plummer leaped on to the rails, and at first tried to lift the injured man on to the platform. In jumping to the track he injured his right ankle and right heel, and moved with difficulty He was unable to raise Sergeant Honey to the platform, hut ’ dragged him from the track and the ■ approaching tram. Plummer had a terrifying experience. The soldier regained conscious-1 ness. and not knowing what had hap-1 pened began to struggle violently as • the train roared by. Plummer three j him to the ground and hurled himself on top of him close to the wall of the tunnel as the train sped into the platform. Both missed being cut to pieces by inches. The train was brought to a standstill and the two men were assisted to the platform. Eye-witnesses said that Plummer’s prompt action was the pluckiest they had seen. Sergeant Honey suffered severe injuries to the head and face. Plummer’s effort will be brought under the notice of the Commissioner (Mr. MacKay). Honey, who is a South Australian, when asked what happened, replied: “I don’t know. You tell me.” Informed of Constable Plummer’s action. Honey was deeply moved. “My gosh,” he said, “that was really hne —it certainly must have taken some guts. I can’t describe just how grateful I am. The first thing I am going to do when I get out of here is to find Constable Plummer and thank him. I probably owe him m> life.”