AN UNKNOWN HERO.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 37, 26 November 1920, Page 5

AN UNKNOWN HERO.

H — - — (By 11/1275). — 'Is name aint on no roll of honour that I've heard of. I've looked at er lot of 'em ter see if it wos, but 'e was a nobody's darlin', an' 'e belonged ter no one. Yet 'e was a bloomin' 'ero. Nothln' fish about 'm 'y understand, just er plan bloke, with the rank an' pay (when it wasn't forfeited) of a trooper. 'E never spoke about 'is folks, 'e was always gettin' inter trouble, often drunk, generally in clink, but, '& was an 'ero. 'Is conduct sheets wo3 er disgrace ter the squadron's booksj 'is equipment wos dirty and torn and broken, but y' should er seen 'is 'orse! My oath, that bloke could look after er mount if yer like. When ther rations never come up, e'd get us a ieed, e'd get full water bottles when ther place wos as dry as 'ell. If there. wos a village 'andy, e'd pinch ther very 'fleas from the native kids, an' as ter wimmen ! Well, I never did let on erbout er cobber anT 'e's gone west now, it aint fer you an' me ter judge 'im, 'e . wos an 'ero. 'E never got no letters from 'ome or gels, not 'e. A buckshee parcel wos all 'e got now an' then. 'E'd blow 'is pay as soon's 'e drew it, on two-up, or crown an' anchor. 'E got black looks from all the non-coms, an' 'e mostly deserved 'em too, but bein' an 'ero 'e nateherally wos a better man than dozeng of 'em. No 'e weren't exactly er criminal, 'e were just an 'ard case. 'E wos once asked by an ossifer, 'ow many times 'e'd been in jail 'fore 'e enlisted. 'E said quite respectful like, "As many times as I got found out, sir," then 'e added, "I wasn't lucky like some blokes." That got 'im 28 days. 'E was an' ero ! 'Ow do I know \e was an 'ero, Well I'll tell yer. Yer remember ther smackin' up wa got at Gaza ther second time, back in April 17 it wos! Well 1 Me an' 'im wos on ther right flank of ther screen, an' onr flank wos in ther air, Snddenly w© rides into a meriy little hadas, and wa signals "enemy in sight," and 'ops ofl our 'orses and into cover and gives Jacko some 'ell back again, Ther regiment got inter action but we never got no support and our 'orses wos killed and there wos 'im and m® canyin* on our own little bloody wai. We siuek it there all day and T d drunk all ther water, I had, and was fii ter dia of thirst when I stops a smack in ther lag that bxoke it fer ma. 'E ftxEs ma lag with ma ii£te and 'is shirt, an' go-as on scrappin' tlll Bnnsat. Then ther firin' stopped an' all ther night ws lay there, 'e wonldn't leave me, an' ther next day comes and we didn'i know where our cobhers wos. 'E 'ad a full bottle of water and 'is ixon ration, I ad noihin'. We walted all that day an' ' night carne round again. I siiffered agonies that night, hut when ther dawn came I found im gone, but I 'ad 'is haversack with ther tucker and 'is water bottle, as well as my own empty one. 'E 'ad left me is rifle and 'is handolier, but 'e'd taken my revolver with ther last cartridgs, I was 'anging on ter in case ot — you , know. The Red Qross found me at mid-day an' took me in. Then they found 'im and buried 'im. 'E 'ad a 'ole in 'is 'ead and the revolver wasn't loaded when they found it. 'E left me 'is tucker an' water an died fer me because there wasn't enough fer two. 'E was an 'ero !