'CHEER UP, DAD.'

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15128, 24 January 1917, Page 5

'CHEER UP, DAD.'

SOLDIER’S UNFLINCHING COURAGE. MELBOURNE, Januaery 18. Driver E. J. Sexton, one of the Field Artillery Brigade Ammunition Columns, writes to his father, of Jarvie Street, East Brunswick, from a hospital' in Lancashire; “Just a line to let you know that I am iu fairly good health when one takes into consideration the nature and number of my wounds. The doctors are considering whether they will have to amputate my foot. Do not worry about it, dad. I can stand all the ‘butchering.’ I have already been under seven operations, and got through them fairly well, so cheer up. “I suppose that you have all been anxious about me, as i was included in the list of killed in an English paper. This was corrected a week later. I consider that I have been very fortunate during my two years’ active service, as I had many close calls before finally being put out of action. In France, when going into action with a gun team, I had my riding horse killed under me, and the centre driver was killed at the same moment. Badly as I am knocked about and gladly as I would like to be again with my comrades, sharing their dangers, I cannot but reflect that, after all I have seen of this awful war, I am fortunate to be where I am, with at least some parts of my anatomy in a sound condition. “I am sorry to say that I have had liie misfortune to lose my right eye. I was blind in both eyes for a fortnight, and also had lock-jaw. There is, however, hope of saving my left eve. My face was badly, wounded with- shrapnel, one rip of 3in being on the left side. I also had one of my shoulders and both wrists wounded, in addition to my anile!”