Tale of a brave chaplain

Miss Dawson’s team of ladies, placed third in the fancy dress at the Red Cross Society’s sports...
Miss Dawson’s team of ladies, placed third in the fancy dress at the Red Cross Society’s sports and gymkhana in Dunedin on March 17. — Otago Witness, 28.3.1917.
There is a fine story told on the authority of a wounded Australian. It says the bravest man he ever saw was a military chaplain.

He was on one of the barges which were landing men from our troopships at the Dardanelles. A man was shot down. The chaplain made a dash to rescue and bring the wounded soldier back to safety, but a Roman Catholic priest standing near grabbed hold of him, saying: "You must not think of it. It is madness. You are going to certain death."

The Protestant chaplain shook off the restraining hand, replying: "I have got my orders, and they come from a higher command; I am going."

He went, and was struck by a bullet while in the act of beginning his service of love and mercy. Instantly the priest sprang after him, but the officer in command of the landing party called out: "Stay where you are. I forbid your going. We are losing too many men."

The priest calmly went on, turning his head to say as he passed: "Did you not hear what my Protestant comrade said? I, too, have got my orders from the Higher Command."

Within a few moments he lay dead beside his brother of the Cross.

• The Nordenfeldt gun which was captured in Gallipoli by men of the Otago Regiment, and in which all the people of the province will naturally be interested, has arrived in Dunedin. It has been temporarily handed over to the Returned Soldiers’ Association, and is being exhibited by it in conjunction with Sapper Moore-Jones’s exhibition of Anzac sketches in the Art Gallery Hall. This is the first gun captured by our own troops which has arrived here, and it will no doubt prove of added interest to the collection of sketches of the country in which it was captured.

• During his lengthy sojourn in the north, the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), who is chairman of the Prisons Board, visited the Kaingaroa, Auckland, and Waikeria prisons, and was favourably impressed with all he saw (says the Post). Altogether, about 200 prisoners were brought before the board, and many were released in order that they might again take their places alongside their fellow countrymen. Generally speaking, the prisoners were doing very well, and in some cases Sir Robert was astonished at the progress they had made. Waikeria was looking splendidly, the farm was doing well, and it now had the advantage of very good buildings. The thing which impressed Sir Robert Stout most at Kaingaroa was the progress made by the oat crop. On the Kaingaroa Plain, which was supposed not to be able to grow anything, they had oats this year which were, according to an expert, the finest grown in New Zealand. The expert referred to stated that the stalks were not high, but the seed was the finest he had seen in the dominion.

On Thursday night (says the Oamaru Mail), during the absence of Frederick Steffan, a Tyrolese Austrian, and his wife, their house at Kurow was broken into. Windows, crockeryware, mirrors, and furniture were broken and clothing damaged. A message couched in obscene terms, warning the Steffans to leave the district, otherwise fire would be used next time, was left on the door. — ODT, 26.3.1917. 

 

• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ

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