The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-12-14
LIEUTENANT DINNER
PAINTED TWICE
First rims When shrapnei Struck
Him In Face; Second When
He Was Rewarded.

First Time When Shrapnef Struck
Him In Face; second When
He Was Rewarded.
rBy r. M. sarl, United Press staff
Correspondent.1
LONDON. Dec. /. (by mail to New
York; Painting Isn't usually - rail-
ing Of heroes, but Lieutenant J. y !.
DINNER, Of the second NnEs Royal
Rifle corps, owns up, to fainting Twice
In his ME.
The frst time was whom he was hit
in the face by German shrapnel. and
the second when he rend In the news
papers that King George had be-
srowed upon him the coveted Vic
toriA Cross.
Lieutenant DINNER Is now PRO
crossing favorsbly" at his homo IN
Wimbledon, his head mass OF band
ages. Not inclined to be aoquacious
about his exploit himself. enthusiastic
brother officers filled up the gaps Ia
the story.
It was TO be an attack by the
Prussian guard corps on the British
trenches along the Franco-Belgian
frontier that DINNER owed his Two
fainting fits.
The Kings Royal Rifles had orders
to stop the Germans at all costs, ana
DINNER, who was in command OF
four Maxims guns, did his best. The
advance Of the kaiser's guard was
covered by murderous shell hre and
very soon three OF Dinners Ma1ims
were put out OF action. With three
men he was left to work the only re-
manning gun, and before long he was
struck in the face by flying shrapnei
bullets.
That nearly caused his frst faint,
but one OF his men gave him brandy,
and he continued directing the fire OF
his gun against the rapidly advancing
Germans. The ranks we're moved
down, but soon another shelling burst
over the British Maxim. killing three
privates and leaving the wounded Off
Ger to work the gun by himself
DINNER never faltered. "The x. r.
RS must stop the Germans" rang
through his head. and although he
could farly keep his seat on the Max
i'm tripod. he CROPPED for the cartridge
belts automatically and fed the dead
" weapon. A couple OF shrapnel bull
lets found his shoulder and nearly
brought him down. but DINNER set
his teeth and catching sight of the
brandy flask which he had used be-
fore, he seized It and gulped down the
remainder Of the spirits. Strengthen
ed thereby, he managed to empty
three more belts Of 900 cartridges
each into the advancing foe. before
another bullet found its mark and
Lieutenant DINNER tainted for the
first time. He did not know until art
erwards that the Prussian guard wav-
cred, broke and fled before hts gun
and 1t was while in hospital In
Boulogne that he heard that he had
been awarded the Victoria Cross. A
bow brought In the English newspa-
pers and DINNER, after looking
through one, was seen to reel In his
chair.
"Poor chap found the name Of a
chum In the casualty lists, I suppose"
said a sympathetic doctor, but on be-
ing brought to. the hero murmured
weakly: "Tt's all right. I just happen
ed to read that I've got the v. c." The
demonstration that followed from
those near by was winked at by a
scandalized hospital staff. But for the
action OF a member Of parliament.
DINNER might never have contracted
the fainting ilabft-and the Prussian
guard might have suffered fewer cas-
ualties Having served in militia
regiment, he enlisted In the Kings
Royal Rifles. and proved himself such
an efficient soldier that he was given
his sergeants stripes in just over a
year. But try as he might, DINNER
could not jump the gap between the
! non-commissioned and the commits
! stoned ranks.
| Apparently he was too capable. and
| his superiors couldn't possibly allow
i"demnition rankers" to outshine arts
tocratic officers. member Of parlia-
ment, learning OF the circumstances.
promptly went to Lord Haldane, min
lister OF war and told him that II DIM
mer wasn't given commission he
would raise the whole subject OF ar
my preference and patronage In the
/; house and as he was known as man
who took keen delight in starting
just that sort OF row. the war min
| lister promised to look into Dinners
record The inquiries proving salts
factory, DINNER was soon permitted
to change his rifle and bayonet for a
sword belt, the kindly member OF
parliament supplying the funds for
his equipment.
FRANCE
/ tContinued from page ~