Evening journal., 1915-01-14
Stories From The European Firing Line
As Related BY Some Eye Witnesses

hOrer, ana as DOy hS AN'OA AAie'@~
any pretense about wishing to rise
in the world. He hated school, and
played truant as often as he dared.
His teacher at the little Back lane
church school demonstrated with
him and punished him, but in vain.
Drains ambition in life was to mind
cows. He could not work up any
enthusiasm for the three RS. He
understood COWS, and preferred to
he with COWS, and when he was
kept away from them and forced 70
90 10 school he made himself gen.
eral nuisance. He was placed III
the Walthamstow Truant School.
Job throve exceedingly on the re-
gular life at the reform farm, and
curiously enough. took readily TO the
physical and military drill part OF
the curriculum. He was a clean
built. we'll set up youth of sixteen
when three years ago he was told
that he must choose a career and
leave his place of detention. He
elected to join the army, and entered
the Royal Field Artillery as a boy.
boy" Drain found horses quite as
fascinating as he had formerly found
COWS. and proved so good horseman
that on reaching the military age OF
seventeen he was mustered Driver.
and appointed to the 37th Battery.
/ He was eighteen and half when the
great war broke out, and his battery
was one of the first in the field, hav-
ing moved to France with the Irish
division. At Mons and during the
/ famous retreat. Drain did his duty
and looked after his pair OF gun
/ horses. in fine style. but 1t was al
lie Cateau. on August %. that he
! had the opportunity of showing tina
bad boys at school were not neces
sarily incorrigible.
There his battery got into a tigh
corner. and II seemed certain tina
the guns must be captured by thu
advancing Germans. Guns are thu
apple Of an Artilleryman's eye, an'
the officers called for volunteers Z
save them Most of the gunners hal
been killed, but with comrade
Driver Frederick Luke, the BAT
Boy of Barking" dashed through
hail Of bullets and hitching up hi
teams brought back three guns il
succession. Before the two heroo
got the third gun away the Germal
infantry we're within hundre
yards. but the worst boy in tn
school, never fiinched, and. with hi
comrade, galloped back to the batter
with the precious field pieces.
Both we're awarded Victoria eros
ses. and one of the first things Drai
received was a telegram from tn
Mayor of Barking: "Heartiest congrs
tulations. The town of Barking
proud of you" Then came a simila
message from the Walthamstow re
form farm, and the teacher who ha
given him up in despair. The teach
er who has some skill with the brusl
Is painting a portrait of the hero
hang up in the school in which
was reckoned the worst boy An
Driver Drain. V. c., agrees that
was worth while" Curiously er
ough, Drains father carried abot
with him all day a newspaper cor
tanning an account of his sons hero
! ism and reward. without knowing
word about it until a fellow worl
q man drew his attention to it in III
;. evening.
g IlduGG-0OIDOldA II ulltA HAbAe
n almost the same.
The bad Boy of Swansea" was il
= ccrrigible until taken in hand by Il
:. Swansea Industrial School. He
n acquired a respect for discipline an
- joined the Royal Welsh Regiment,
~ which he proved himself sma
soldier and was soon promoted
lance-cornOral. He cheerfully pc
formed all the duties entailed by Il
"half-of-nothing" rank of which XII
=, ling wrote, then came the war. al
- the Welsh we're in all the ear
fighting.
It was at the battle of the Aisn
y when on September IA, near Chiv
II the regiment suffered fearful loss
Y that Fullers chance came. Outnur
r bered six to one, the Royal We'll
fought desperately to hold their pos
= ton. officer after officer went dow
among them Captain Haggard, 4
Swansea bad boys" company col
mander. who fell. shouting stick
Welsh" Nohly the bad boy and /
few remaining comrades stuck i
and when retirement was inevitab
Fuller went back for his officer.
had to run a hundred yards und
murderous rife and machine g
fire. before he found his capita
Captain Haggard. knowing hims
to be mortally wounded, ordered {
plucky "Non-com' TO go back,
Fuller insisted upon picking him
and carrying him on his shoulde
to a place of comparative safety.
In the diningroOm of the CORE
tional school which reclaimed
V. c. hero. and prevented him fro
drifting into the ranks of the inv
crate wastrals. the education q
thcrities of Swansea are putting
|. brass plate, inscribed with
y wording of the official dispatch,
cording Fuller's heroic deed.
To Cure a Cold in One Day
Take LAXATIVE BROMO QUINI
II