''Pat'' was a sergeant, and was taken prisoner with about 20 others. They were placed in a barn with windows protected by iron stanchions. A couple of Germans guarded the door, which was locked. ''Pat'' plotted to effect an escape, and prowled through the barn looking for a weapon.
He found a shovel. ''This will do,'' said he. Having got a couple of strong fellow countrymen to lift the door off the hinges, ''Pat'' sprang out and disposed of the two Germans.
Then he led his men towards a station, ordering them to pick up abandoned rifles and ammunition which lay scattered about. At the station stood a British hospital train which the Germans had captured.
''Pat'' rushed the station and overcame the guard. Then he and two others ran towards the engine and flung out the driver and guard. ''Pat'' had an idea how to drive, and, having ordered his force to jump in, started the engine. Then he caught sight of the German station-master running towards the open levers to shunt the train off the main line.
''Pat'' nodded to one of the ''bhoys'' who stood beside him and stopped the train. The stationmaster was overcome by this ''bhoy'', who opened a clear road for the train.
Then ''Pat'' went full steam ahead. By this time an alarm was raised, and German bullets showered on the train. A few men were killed, but ''Pat'' managed to get the train through.
The staff officers could scarcely credit the story he told; but when the matter was investigated he was offered his choice of a commission or the V.C. He chose the former, and got it, with the D.C.M. The Irish lieutenant came home recently from the front suffering from a slight wound. Why (asks the Bulletin) hasn't the official story of his feat been published?
•The Military Service Board spent a busy day at Oamaru yesterday, and between noon and 6 p.m. put through 32 appeals from men called up under the first ballot.
Only one appeal - that of a man over age - was granted outright but a considerable number were adjourned sine die conditionally.
This was done in cases where the appellant was able to show that he was doing important work that could not be undertaken by anyone else, and in each case the condition attached was that he should continue in this essential work. In all, 19 cases were adjourned, 10 dismissed, and two withdrawn.
The shortage of farm labour was a very prominent matter in the appeals, and the majority of the appellants were evidently faced with a serious difficulty in getting the necessary work about their farms done. It was pleasing to note an almost entire absence of anything that might fairly be called shirking. The board will sit again at 9.30 this morning to deal with seven cases that remain.
- ODT, 28.12.1916.
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