The War Stories of Private Thomas AtkinsMilne, James
History
The War Stories of Private Thomas Atkins
Milne, James
World War, 1914-1918 -- Anecdotes
I saw the brave rescue of a private by young Lieutenant Amos. The man
was named Varley, and had been shot in the liver. Although Varley was
over 11 stone the young subaltern went alone to his aid, and, under
very heavy fire, carried him to safety. The news of the death of
Lieutenant Amos in hospital three weeks later was received with great
regret by all who saw his self-sacrifice on that occasion: _A Private
of the 2nd King’s Own Scottish Borderers_.
Never Say Die!
In camp one night a German prisoner told us about a Lancashire Fusilier
who had been cut off and refused to surrender to 200 Germans. He lay
on the ground and kept firing away until he hadn’t a cartridge left,
and as his bayonet was gone, he stood up with folded arms while they
shot him down. There was a sackful of bullets in him at least, but he
killed twelve and wounded over thirty of his foes before the end came:
_A Private of the Coldstream Guards_.
Onward and Away!
One of our lads did a daring thing last week. Somehow he got left
behind, and when he found his bearings, he was right in the heart of
the German lines. He put spurs to his nag, and made a dash to get
through their lines. They were after him like a whirlwind, but he rode
for half a mile with the whole army shooting at him. Then he found
his path barred by a squadron of Uhlans. He bore madly down on them
as though he intended to ride right into them, but, just when he was
within a few feet of them, he swerved to the left and dashed by with
only a flesh wound in the leg: _Pte. H. Hill, 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon
Guards_.
Hit Four Times
I was pulling one of our officers out of the firing line when I got
hit. He had been hit four times and he was going mad and jumping up.
Well, that was giving our position away, so I held him down till we
got the command to retire. Then I pulled him a good way with me, and
all the others had got away from the firing line and the Germans were
only fifty yards from me when the officer died. I had to leave him then
and I crawled along till I came on the road. Then I met a sergeant,
who took me to a church which was being used as a hospital: _Pte. J.
Hayden, King’s Own Royal Lancashire Regiment_.
Sticking to Him
I saw an awful sight: a man of the Royal Irish with six wounds from
shrapnel. He called me for water, but I had none. I managed to carry
him about half a mile and found water: then he was as happy as if
he was not wounded. I stuck to him although he was heavy, and I was
feeling weak and tired. I had to carry him across a big field of
turnips; when half way I slipped, and we both fell. I then had a look
back, and could see the fire mountains high. “Thank God!” I said to
him, “we are out of that; it’s worse than bullets”: _Private G. Kay, at
Mons_.
“Boldly They Rode!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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