Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1915-10-02
HAS CHARMED LIFE
British Colonel Goes Through
Terrific Dangers Unscathed.
Passes unlnIured Through Battle In
Which 1900 Men Fall, Only to
Be Hit When Enemy Could
Not Sec Him.

Melbourne, Australia.--CoL j. w.
McCay. leader OF the Second victo'
rian infantry brigade In the attacks
on Gaba Tepe and Cape Helles, Gal.
lipoli, bears q charmed life, according
to the remarkable account t~elegraphed
here by an Australian newspaper cor
respondent at Alexandria. Egypt.
The colonel has just returned to the
firing line after a fortnight in hospital,
having been hit In the leg by a stray
bullet in the dark after going through
terrific dangers unscathed.
In the attack on Gaba Tepe. Colonel
McCay was in one Of the first barges
to touch Turkish territory, and he
jumped into water chest deep. When
the first landing party had seized the
forward trenches Colonel McCay went
back to the beach to meet the second
units and to show them the way.
On the climb down the cliff his cap
was knocked of. and ON picking 1t up
he was surprised to find a bullet-hole
through rim and crown.
Scarcely had he replaced the cap
on his head than 1t was snatched of
again, the bullet this time entering
the crown and coming out above the
peak. The brigadier decided to carry
the cap in bis hand for the remainder
Of the distance.
He conducted the second line into
position, and then went back for the
third, a bullet passing through his
sleeve in the course Of the Journey.
On returning to the occupied
trenches Colonel McCay left his body
exposed while examining the position
with his field glasses. One soldier be-
coming exasperated at his leaders
daring, called out: Don't be a
fool! Come in here out OF the wet!"
The brigadier smiled and answered,
"Oh, it's all right; they can't hit
mel"
Just at that instant a bullet knocked
the walking stick from under his arm.
Colonel McCay calmly picked up the
longer piece and continued his obser-
walton. Then he sat down on the
parapet and directed the fire, with bull.
let's buzzing all around him. 1t seemed
impossible that any man should be
able to remain unframed In such a
dangerous position, but for two hours
enemy marksmen tried in vain to
move him.
Then anne instructions for the Vic
torian brigade to move on. With con-
cealed field guns and hidden ritiemen
pouring a hail Of missiles directly in
front 1t seemed to be q matter Of i'm
possibility for any single soldier to
advance. But Colonel McCay, carry
ing only q broken cane, pointed the
way and asked his troops to follow
him.
He just stood up in the middle of
that storm of shot and shell as II only
grasshoppers were flying past him in
stead Of bullets remarked one Dayles-
ford man in referring to the incident.
He looked serious, but was no diff
ferent to what we were accustomed
to g him on parade at Mena. Then
he said, I'm going to my stick. You
can follow me with your rifles II you
like. Are you coming?' Someone
called out. My blooming OATH And
after that it was a a C to see who
would have his bayonet at work first.
The brigadier finished a good second.
The first man up was killed"
Seven days later came the fight at
Cape Helles, in which the Victorian
brigade REINFORCED the attacking
party. Once more Colonel McCay ap-
peared to be ~invulnerable. Bullets
plucked his clothing right and left,
but none touched his skin. Between
brigade headquarters and the firing
line was n dangerous passage 80
yards wide. AS officers crossed this
space they afforded the Turkish marks
men much the same kind of practic
as is enjoyed by crack shots in run
ming man" competition.
Oflcer after officer was winged or
killed as he crossed this spot. Major
w. q. H. Cass, Colonel McCay's bri.
gade major was already down with a
bullet through the chest when his
chief made his first crossing. A ma.
chine gun traversed the position, even
commanding a bush which provided
the only piece of cover on the way.
A periscope which the brigadier car.
ried In his left hand was hit on top
first and then at the opposite end.
Finally the remaining portion was
whisked out of his hand, the concus
sion causing a sudden numbness. Colo
mel McCay got across safely, however,
and covered the same ground four
times more during the afternoon.
Once a bullet broke off short what
remaiAed of the stick, and the briga-
der threw the other part away. A
soldier subsequently picked 1t up as
q keepsake and talisman.
Out Of 1000 odd men, who went
into battle behind Colonel McCay, 1t
is believed that 1900 we're put out Of
action. In view of these figures II
- ----ILv- A.