SIDELIGHTS ON THE WAR

New Zealand Tablet, 16 September 1915, Page 15

SIDELIGHTS ON THE WAR

v GENERAL. - A French nun who. arrived in London . recently . informed a newspaper representative that a large num- ■' ber of Sisters have, been:killed whilst tending patients / at the hospital in. Arras, from which city .'she had just come. - ..":..."-' News has" reached Victoria, that Captain the Rev. Father E. O'S. Goidanich was taken ill with septic ' pneumonia shortly after he began work in Egypt. It was probably- contracted from • horses which died: of the complaint on the voyage. " A semi-official note published: in Rome says that- • whilst a priest in his. ecclesiastical vestments and two medical officers and stretcher-bearers were engaged in / burying the corpses of i some; thirty Austrians and v Germans they were fired upon, and the priest and two bearers were wounded. ' " ? :••■,: • ■•;-•■'■" ■-<■'.. " -■■■■:■ •.-.-:■. . ■-■ .■ ■_ :■ -i: \ .■•:,:.-;.; ■--, —.•-.■ -,.-.,"•-• •■:'■ ■■■,•, ,■;.«: ::.■- :i-:>'An English priest, .who lived in a Westphalian' nobleman's family :as a 'private: chaplain for a year : '\ before the- war, ; was" interned in August, and was released only last July. ;/ He -states ~■ that the/ Germans are frightened about the money question, and are . resorting to the most extraordinary measures to acquire gold. : ';'' i '' '''-' ';• ;''-' ; //'-\-/ y^..:-.. ■'■■ r'- -/ •/" -?/ -;

Mrs. Grady, of Mossley, England, who died early in Jilly, was the, mother of nine sons on active service. Six of the sons attended the funeral, while' the other three could not be released, these being Francis (H. M. S/ Lion), Michael (Manchester Regiment),. and William (R.H.A.). The father was a member of the West Riding Volunteers.

Major-General Bulfin, C. 8., C.V.0., to whom, according to - Sir ' John French’s despatch, is V due.{the credit for planning the successful mining-operations which led to the capture of Hill 60,‘is one off. the most distinguished of the many Irish officers ■ chosen for higher command since the commencement of ; the war. He is the son of the late Mr. I*. Bulfin, J.P., of Woodstown Park, Rathfarnham, and after being educated at Stonyhurst and Trinity College, Dublin, entered the • army in 1884 at the age of 22. He was military secretary to Sir William Butler at the CapeJ and he served with great distinction in the South African War, and afterwards held several important staff appointments in that colony. 1 ■ •

Sergeant Alfred Richards, Ist Lancashire Fusiliers, who has-been awarded the V.C., is a son of Mr. Charles Richards, ex-color-sergeant 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, residing with a married daughter at Hawthorne, Brisbane, and he has a brother who is a Catholic captain-chaplain with the New Zealand Contingent at the Dardanelles (says the Catholic Press). Another brother is serving with the { 4th Battalion Machine Gun Section, Ist Australian Division. He has; a sister residing at North Coogee, and a brother, Charles, at Brisbane. Sergeant Richards "was wounded at Cape Helles, and at No. 15 General Hospital, Alexandria, his right leg ; was amputated above the knee. He is now in the 3rd General Hospital, London. :',-. SHRAPNEL HAS NO TERROR FOR THEM. , Mr. Ernest Egan left Australia to fight for freedom as a member of the 6th Battalion Australian Imperial Troops:(says the Belfast lrish News). His father is a Dublin man residing in that city ; and, writing from a hospital in Malta, the I young Irish Australian gives ■! his parent a graphic account of the famous landing ofJ the British forces at Gallipoli. The Australians acquitted themselves with amazing gallantry then—and their record '}. has been brightened by subsequent I deeds. ; In the course of his narrative Mr. Ernest Egan wrote: —• 7 The Dublin' and Munster Fusiliers 'fought splendidly; at ; Gallipoli. - They, were the first of the - regular regi- • .ments Cto land, their landing was far. more difficult than ours, but barbed wire or shrapnel had no' terror

. jumped into the water and took every- ; thing teferei them. : They were ordered to charge a ? trench on a height, but before ?heing the,'officii in charge-told them*they had a very difficult joo: in i'fact, he said, "it is doubtful if we can take it." Quo :of the Mtinsters shputed, "Let-us at themv sirj sure! ;it's as aiay a job as we can strike! They charged the /Turks amid tremendous excitement. The sailors on the ship .went, mad with delight; they cheered for. all they were worth and shouted Bravo, Ireland!" - : -;A PRIVATE STILL.' In an interesting letter printed in the Daily Chronicle, a private in the Irish Guards, who was, he£oj£, T the , war, a clerk in a Government office in Dublin, writes:.-—. - : '' ■

It was - soon .evident that to- capture _ : the position was almost impossible, as we were not being supported ■i on the right and left, and % consequently the |* Hicks ','.■ were getting a of a shelling. It seemed murder to ask a battalion to go on, but section by section, platoon ; after , platoon, and" company after 'company went forward, as the Irish Guards. have always done. After a couple of hours,,. when but half the ; battalion* remained, word was given to dig in., A . Early next morning we had to start again bringing in the wounded 'under shell and rifle fire. - ■ The battalion were taken ; out : of ; the firing line and ; brought > back to the support - trenches, but were shelled again ;in the afternoon, and ■ twenty or thirty more were knocked over. ' It was a" sad time for the 'Micks,' as they had. been sent on a journey of: death: Vr Do* you wonder, ; then, that I am proud to be only a Tommy in the Irish Guards? 'Listed ras; a private, and a i private I will {remain.. . We were ' relieved the next day, and came back a ; long way to rest in a lovely little village. ,; It seemed a ' corner of heaven' after being in hlell. Together : with the rest of the stretcher-bearers I was up before the commanding officer. He thanked xis for our work, and said he would like to give us all the D.C.M., but it was impossible to give it to so many. | CHAPEL FIRST. - ?• : A medecin-major of an > auxiliary hospital in Northern France was somewhat astonished at an answer he received from some wounded men from Ypres,. mostly Zouaves, who were going on so well after having been ' gassed ' that it was decided to allow them to attend a little entertainment arranged for the diversion of s the 3 patients: _- - -■ :;..../.: ■ ■ S-" 'Presently,' said the Major, '■■.' you will go down to the drawing-room, where there will be some music and songs;' >';•■■' Yes, Monsieur le Major, thank you. But we should prefer going to the chapel first.' 'To the chapel?' ' Yes, Monsieur le Major. But you see, when jwe come back from the front we have only two ideas in our head and two words: mother and God. 'As to the rest. ... .' The major looked straight into the eyes of the soldier, a stalwart Zouave, from whom two minutes before -he would not have expected those ; sentiments. But after he had looked into the Zouave's - eyes' he replied •/'; Well, do as you please, my friend; go to the ■ chapel.' !' You know, Monsieur le Major, ... we have seen? so many- things yonder. But afterwards we shall go to the drawing-room. We shall applaud : the singers, and -we shall even sing ourselves if we are asked to 'do so.'

ITALY’S SOLDIERS.

"; Italy has some of the , most efficient and most picturesque! soldiers in the world. They are divided ; into four classes: the - Bersaglieri, j the Alpini, the . Carabinieri, and the cavalry. , Recently the men of the V third category . were called to, the colors. This means , that the Alpine troops of the first category, made up of first-choice men for -the regular army, 'and the . second ■!;/■■ ‘ ; category, men assigned to the ;; regular army, but with ! ? * . unlimited !leave/ have been exhausted, and ; now those /! men are to be drilled who, exempt for various reasons from active service, are to be assigned to the national bqnie.

The Bersaglieri are light infantry of great mobility i The Bersaglien are light infantry of great mobility. | They are Always seen on the run, and their picturesque « costume, with low-crowned plumed hat, is a feature jof almost every Italian landscape. ; toOSBSMHH The AJpini are specially trained to manoeuvre -. «-■' among; the; . northern mountains, rand'? their target pracf tice i consists in sharpshooting the vast open . spaces, where the ■ atmospheric conditions would confuse ■;> ,; ; i / the soldier of the lowlands. As to the cavalry, experts have said that that of Italy is the finest in the world. : ,‘i / Besides these unique corps, there are the- famous ” - Carabinieri >or national ’police, who are recruited from V>' /the? army, and then usually return •to it ; as noncommissioned officers after seven years’ service. This corps is considered the finest school of non-commissioned •: // officers in the world. ' r It's training and administration ? A are , also unique.. ! . - / ‘ An estimate shows that Italy has 2,000,000 ; men/'!/:«fe» under arras. -

CATHOLIC HEROES;

■ A list of -ex-pupils of ’ Wimbledon College (com ducted by the Jesuit Fathers) who have given their lives during the present war contains the. following, names —Army students:' Lieut. M. ' Dease,' Lieut! J. R. Dalrymple, Lieut. R. R. Hogan, Lieut. G. C. Jenings. Lieut. C O. O’Mallins, Lieut. A. H. Mankelow, Lieut. J. F. O’Brien, Lieut. Rd. de Stacpoole, Lieut. Robert d© Stacpoole, Lieut. T. G. . M. Horsford, Capt. R. Gallagher. , Old boys of the : school: ' Lieut. B. Bernard,. Lieut,, T. . ; Clancy, Pte. G. ! Coppinger, Lieut. A. Fayn (French' Army), - Lieut. W. Davis, Lieut!' B. Ffield, Lieut. (B. Fulcher Lieut. W. Hope, Capt." W. Maunsell, Pte. Ant. Moorat, Lieut. R. : Rottmann, Lieut. E. de Trafford, Capt. W. Wolseley, Capt. C. de .la Pasture, Pte. B. Moorat, Capt.! G. Plunkett. The following officers, all former; : students at .the college, have gained honors.and distinctions (mid! indicates ‘ mentioned in dispatches’) : Lieut. M. J. Dea!se, ? m.d. and V.C. ; Lieut, E. R. L. Corballis, ra.d. ; Capt! J. R. Dalrymple, m.d. ; Lieut. C. W. M. Firth, };m.d! and Military Cross; Capt. J. . F. Harter, m.d. : and Military Cross; Lieut. E. G. W. W. Harrison, m.d!! and Military '.Cross; Lieut. H. Lane, m.d. ; Capt. T. J. Leahy, Military Cross and Legion of Honor; Lieut. A. H. Mankelow, m.d. and Military Cross; Capt. EAJ. S. Martin, m.d, and D. 5.0 .; Lieut. C. P. W. Perceval;! m.d.; Capt. G. E. Sampson, m.d. (2) , and D. 5.0.,;: Lieut. R. Fulcher, Military Cross ; Lieut. F. W. Burkinshaw, m.d.; Lieut. R. A. A. de Stacpoole, v m.d.; Lieut. F. W. J. Galton, m.d; Lieut. C. 11. Liddell, m.d.; Capt. H. W. D. McCarthy O’Leary, m.d.; Capt. H. H.-McGann, m.d.; Lieut. G. Tafleton, m.d. and Military Cross.

A LETTER FROM GALLIPOLI.

Private Denis Kean, who left with the 4th Rein- ' forcements, writes in part as follows to his sister at Waikaka, Gore: ’ s , We jumped out of the boat as we landed, and we chased the Turks up the hill, but we have to be care-, ful now, as they try to get our boys to go after them, and consequently get into a machine-gun trap. . We are a bit more cunning now in regard to many of their! tricks. In some places the Turkish trenches are only ten yards from us, so we play tennis with bombs pretty often, and it; is great fun. v T ! When : the big guns from ; the .Queen Elizabeth started firing, the results were v terrible, and the sights I witnessed will not soon, bo forgotten. We cannot complain about the ; food, ; as . we ; get! bread twice a week. It is not in many : firing/ lines you get that. The only thing we are short of/ is sleep? It is • easily seen that the Turks had been preparing!for a long time, as they have .trenches' everywhere they go, but we have them also now.'. ’ We have j/ made great improvements since we landed. The place . was alive with snipers at first, , but now they are pretty / ; well cleared out. The Australians shot 7 two women snipers. ! I have, seen all "th<rWaikaka boys, and they were r all looking!. well. I : ! saw some ’photos in? the Witness of teachers doing physical drill. They should ,:.

drill we do when Climbing-the steep Kills-here^WeWill/soon^ rbheplace off by heart,' like the Turks, who can find their way about just like ribbits. If ever I have the luck to go back to" New Zealand Fwill .offer my services' as. a guide to tourists, ■and show them where we drove but the" Turks. But one can never tell if he Will be spared to relate his experiences. A German officer, came over one ; day, aster an attack, under the white flag, and asked for an armistice to bury their dead—about 4000. v : :—: , \ , -"\ ; " - ici v " "V .' LETTERS; FROMMALTA. v ; •; i ; The following letters have been received by his relatives at Cricklewood, near Fairlie, from Private Michael O'Connor, who left-New Zealand with the Main Expeditionary Force, and has been in hospital at Malta, for some time. Writing on June 24, he says-:—-• , .;\ '.■■■.. :: . --■,._>--.,;,/..,;_.,, , , ; When we left Alexandria we went ;to Lemnos. We were there about a fortnight, and I was four days ; in, the shore hospital owing to #cold. . ■ One Saturday night we woke up to find we were on f the move, and at daylight we were % opposite Gallipoli. 'y\ We could see ?■ and hear the warships bombarding Krithia village as^ we went past. Occasionally from the shore we could hear * the -; rifle - and ■■ machine-gun ;! fire. - We anchored ■opposite GabaTepe,;which is about 10 miles from Cape Holies. The British, French, and Indians landed at Cape Helles, and the Australians, and New Zealanders at Gaba Tepe; /f We got on board a destroyer, and were taken ; in. as far as it .could safely go. Then we got into rowing-boats, which were towed close in shore. Some of the Australians had already landed and had driven" the Turks back about a,mile. The first sight I saw on I landing was a dead sailor and an Australian."! ■'-"■ A little further on, blood-stained equipment and wounded men* /were seen every few yards. We had to climb up a ; steep hill or cliff, and on the top we got into ah enemy's • trench and went along that. The man in front of me stepped over some obstacle and I did likewise, or rather I stepped on it. It was a dead Turk. . v I will never. forget : that as long; as I live.: I still seem to be; able to feel him under -my feet. . Later on - I would take no notice of such things. Well, we eventually got to where we were wantedon the. left flank. . I "was one of a party that was unfortunately on the extreme left. Mclnness was there, too, and a Colonel and a |Captain McDonald. Captain McDonald was shot in the shoulder. . j; I picked him up and carried him away, and just then the Turks' rushed our position. Our Colonel was shot then, as well as most of the rest, but A. Mclnness came out all right there. We suffered most on r the left flank. . After the first day, we didn't do much fighting for a week or more, and we were then |taken, down to Cape Helles to help in attacking Achi Baba, which is a hill, and the key to the whole situation. Well, we were taken to attack this place, and we started on the job about 12 o'clock on Saturday, May 8. We rushed, and lay behind the embankment: of No. 1 trench, and then rushed for No. 2. The 200 yards between these two trenches Were; swept with bullets, but, with one exception, all escaped unhurt. The Major, myself, and two .other signallers ran across this open space, and the four of us got the full benefit of the enemy's fire, whereas, if we were with the rest, ; the fire would be distributed amongst about 400. ; Well, one fellow was shot through the fleshy part of the leg, and the'n other signaller got one in the same I place, but it only grazed him, so he was able to cany on. The Major and I were unhurt. / At 5 o'clock the artillery started a terrific : bombardment, and we T ; were given the word to advance r and dig.. ourselves in at No. ; 3 position. "r- I was with s the last rush, and when II jumped up I fell over the embankment in front of the trench. I really believe my heart stopped beating then.-,. I felt as if I was weighed down and could not rise," and all the time the bullets were whizzing. 'I ; jumped up and ran forward about 15 yards, and then, h plonk'.! I thought my ankle; was shot away from me. '" If crawled back into the trench, and one of the Fusiliers dressed my. After dark with the assistance of

_. : v.v... ■■*■.-.- ■.'..•-.•.-.■. . •.. ;■.......- . ■; -■ ■-,, .... ..... - —— »■: another man; I Hopped about a quarter -of * mile 2 b«3c| over-rough country. Then/Iliad the gbo^ meet one .of our own ambulance men, and, although" he was only a little fellow, he picked me up and carried ■me fully half a mile . over more rough" country to ? dressing-station.' From there tothe base I, was carried on a stretcher, put'on board a hospital ship, and taken" to Egypt. When'we got there the hospitals were full, so only the urgent cases were put offhand' we were brought here to : Malta. The sights I saw on boar*; that boat were terrible, but -one" gets used to that in. ■ war. I honestly think I could look at anything; now. vl-suffered "for" the next fortnight, and I am still on crutches. You have no idea of the feeling that comes: over ? you when you are" waiting to charge. You getstrung up to the highest pitch of excitement, and • nothing will stop 1 you from going forward. I would like to •; describe the feeling of being under shrapnel i fire to you but space "forbids!'--'A- rifle bullet going 4 past your ear is just like a. big blow fly buzzing past, i only the fly would be more welcome than the bullet^-f "' Writing on June 27, he says:— I'am : making a * rapid recovery. Lam 'actually.- able to walk without crutches, but I still have a woeful limp. I. am; like - a top-heavy ship in a rough "sea, rolling from one side" '■ to the : other. ?;".- -1^ thought at one time that my limp ; was going to be , a.;,permanent" adornment, but it has completely changed \ these last few'days, 1 ., and now I can Walk 'r fairly ; well >,.\,;Last ■■: night I walked across \ the • ward and back again, and was quite pleased with myself. ' It is just; seven weeks since I» was hit, and it will be a week or two before I go back. HI,- expect to be ... at the front again by the time you get this. ... ...There have not been ? many wounded coming in lately, so things must be quiet at .the Dardanelles. The . Maltese people have some strange methods of farming. They never need to plough the land, •: as j' they can do all that is necessary with a hoe. The soil is only a few ; ; inches deep, and then it is red, like brick dust. r The wheat grown here is fair; they pull ; it out by the roots, and thresh it by driving cattle over it. They live in : square stone' dwellings with. flat . roofs and one window. The goats, if owls, and donkeys are housed down below. The family live upstairs. It is simply marvellous how they make a living, but they live cheaply. ".-u The island is just a rock, and the houses are all built of stoned - 1 haven't seen; a wooden building yet. /;" It was much the same in Egypt. - The Apostle Paul is supposed to have; been ; shipwrecked / here. The Maltese women make".beautiful lace.,, . I was fortunate enough to see some of it last night.. It seemed to be made silk. The owner wanted 10 -shillings* for a ve'ry small';; table centre,; so you can. understand it is pretty - dear. / I was walking past one ■of the -wards last night, and someone called out to me. It turned out to be Tom Cunnard. v - A bullet- went '■- in his back, through .hisstomach, and then through his right arm. Some people have marvellous escapes. . Lord Methuen came oh board the boat we were on. He came along the - deck and asked me if I /was/ badly wounded. He was at a concert here last night, and he praised all the men for their work on the Peninsula.