Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1915-10-20
HAS CHARMED LIFE
British Colonel Goes Through
Terrific Dangers Unscathed.
Passes Uninjured Through Battle in
Which 1900 Men Fall, Only to
Be Hit When Enemy Could
Not See Him.

i u. w.
McCay, leader of the Second Victo-
rian infantry brigade in the attacks
on Gaba Tepe and Cape Helles, Gal
lipoli, bears charmed life, according
to the remarkable account telegraphed
here by an Australian newspaper cor
respondent at Alexandria, Egypt.
The colonel has just returned TO the
firing line after fortnight in hospital,
having been hit I'm 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, aad 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 off. and on picking it up
he was surprised to find a bullet-hole
| through rim and crown
Scarcely had he replaced the cap
on his head than it was matched off
again, the bullet this time entering
the crown and coming out aDcye the
| peak. The brigadier decided to carry
fhe cap in his 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
| 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 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
lets buzzing all around him. 1t seemed
impossible that any man should be
able to remain unframed in such a
enemy marksmen tried in vain TO
move him.
Then came instructions for the Vic.
| torian brigade to move on. With con
cealed field guns and hidden riflemen
| pouring hail Of missiles directly in
front 1t seemed to be a matter OF i'm
possibility for any single soldier TO
| advance. But Colonel McCay, carry
| ing only 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 if only
grasshoppers were flying past him In
stead of bullets, remarked one Daylas
ford man in referring to the incident.
He looked serious, but was no dit.
ferent to what we were accustomed
to see him on parade at Mena. Then
he said, I'm going to my stick. You
can follow me with your rifles IL you
| like. Are you coming?' Someone
called out, My blooming OATH! And
after that 1t was a race 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 APP
peared to be invulnerable. Bullets
! plucked his clothing right and left,
but none touched his skin. Between
brigade headquarters and the firing
line was one dangerous passage 60
yards wide. AS officers crossed this
space they afforded the Turkish marks.
men much the same kind of practice
as is enjoyed by crack shots in run
ming man" competition.
officer after officer was winged or
killed as he crossed this spot. Major
w. r. II. Cass, Colonel McCay's brl.
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 perlscOpe which the Origadler car.
ried I'm his left hand was hit on toy
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 fouf
times more during the afternoon.
Once a bullet broke off short what
remained of the stick, and the briga.
der threw the other part away. A
soldier subsequently picked It up a.
a keepsake and talisman.
Out OF 1000 odd men who went
into battle behind Colonel McCay. Il
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