The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-09
Bullet Victim In War
Rec0untS Experiences
British Officer Tells How He and Subadar Reiterated After
Both Were Wounded and How Mohammedan's Faith
Was Shaken by His injury

How it feels to be hit by a German
bullet and the experiences Of retreating
| from the firing line to hospital with
| a wound in the thigh is wildly portrayed
| by a British officer with the expedition
airy forces of the Indian army in an
article in the North American Review.
The identity Of the officer is not revealed
but the incidents that he relates occurred
near La Bassee in Northern France.
Here is the story as he tells II:
Something has struck you just behind
the thigh 1t feels heavy blow-some-
thing big in the nature of sledge-
hammer or cannon ball.
Dash 1t, I'm hit you murmur. in
stinctively: and yet it cannot be. What
hit you was too big. You wonder what
on earth it can be- Perhaps a bomb that
failed to explode-or a large piece OF one.
Realize You're Wounded.
All this flashes through your mind as
you lie there in the snow. with the enemy
just across the road still shooting and
throwing bombs at you. Very soon You
realize 1t Is a wound, all right. 1t Is
cold and wet and clammy. and is feeling
sore.
You look round to see what has hap
pened to the others. Only two or three
have arrived. Are they coming? You
wait No signs of them Your Subadar
is near you: he has followed you in the
rush. The rest have been stopped.
What's happened. Subadar Sahib?
Where are the others" Il don't know.
Sahib: they haven't come" "Subadar
Sahib. I'm hit" so am l. Sahib." comes
the answer I'VE can't take the trench
alone. Subadar Sahib. so we'd better try
and get back out of 1t"
Vol, hack away being shot
at all the time, wondering vaguely why
they don't hit you. After what seems
an eternity you get back. report what
has happened. and one Sepoy Is told off
to help the two wounded officers back.
The communication-trenCh is full OF
men; to struggle past them means too
much pain You decide to chance the
bullets and keep to the open. 1t is
SLOW long walk a thousand yards at
snail's pace. You realize you are lucky
there are no bones broken. but you Won
der to what extent it is possible to bleed.
subadar's Faith shaken.
The Subadar says he Is only slightly
wounded. too. but you are conscious that
he is in no pain. but he has lost his air
of quiet confidence.
Suddenly the reason comes to you. His
faith has been shaken: he Is devout
Mohammedan. and has without ostenta-
ton told you that very afternoon that he
will not be hit-''for these things are in
the light of God" You realize now why
he is upset His faith Is the faith of one
who imagines much prayer will make
him invulnerable, and at the moment ne
is shocked Later he will reason it all
out and regain his inward peace.
And so you struggle on through the
night till you reach the village where
the billets are flor II Is midnight or
later-everything happens at night in
modern war;. Arrived at the cottages.
you go into the room where the first lit
tie beam of light comes from.
Where is the first-aid post" you in
uuire Second turn on the left. about
200 meters off" Off staggers the trio into
the darkness again. Eventually kind
officer to whom you confide you are
wounded pilots you through the intrica-
cies of a farmhouse. and there. in one
of the minor rooms, is the doctor busy
bandaging a crowd of Sepoys.
Doctor Busy Man.
There is a small fire in an outer room
and here covering over 1t, is British
officer He seems to be bandaged every
where Presently you discover 1t Is the
gallant Sapper who went to the trenches
to boost the Germans out Unfortunately
the Germans got the first hit Poor fell
low, he is very plucky. He tells you
with quiet humor he is not badly hurt
anywhere but is hurt more or less every
where. This you see from the bandages
on hands, feet, and head: he Is waiting
for a stretcher to take him to one Of the
wagons.
In comes the doctor: We'll. where are
you hit?" You tell him. and proceed TO