The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-03-18
CAVE HIS LIFE TO
SEVER A CABLE
How British Commander Was
Shot by Turkish Forces.
DIDN'T PASS OBSTRUCTION

Lieutenant Commander Cookson Chop-
ped at Gable Turks Had Stretched
Across Tigris River to Prevent His
Advance Until Wounded In Seven
PIaces-Forced to Turn Back.
How Lieutenant Commander Edgar
Christopher Cookson, in comn1nG Of
the British gunboat Comet, during the
advance up the Tigris river. attempted
single handed to cut a steel cable
which the Turks had stretched across
the river as an obstruction is wildly
told by a letter which one of the crew
wrote to his mother and which was
recently published in the English
newspapers. While trying to cut the
cable the gallant commander was shot
seven times and died soon after reach
ing the deck of his vessel again. For
his gallantry he received the Victoria
cross.
In his letter the seaman explains that
the Turks were heavily %intrenched not
lar lTOii All "ldI Il 1ulllS lhC
time that we were bombarding them"
he writes. ''some of our troops and
cavalry went inland to try to surround
them. They nearly succeeded. but
found the enemy a little too strong.
though they captured LOGO prisoners
and about twenty guns. Just as it was
getting dark our seaplane dropped on
to the water alongside us and told
Lieutenant Commander Cookson that
the Turks were on the run.
"a little farther up the river they
had placed distractions so that we
could not pass without clearing them
away, giving them time to get away.
This turned out to be the livelieSt time
L have had since the fighting started.
Commander Cookson decided to go up
and clear this obstruction and then
give chase to the Turks. 1t was very
dark when we started off. with the
Shaitan and Sumana following.
Turks Open Hot Fire.
"When we got around the head of
land the Turks opened fire with rifles.
OuL VIC StChlICu llShl up " LIZ oD
%structlon. The Turks were then close
enough to throw hand bombs, but luck
lily none of them reached the deck of
the ship. The obstruction turned out
to be a big cable stretched across the
river with dhows made fast to it. An
attempt was made to sink the center
dhow with g%unfire, but when this fail
ed the commander ordered that we
steam alongside of it.
Commander Cookson, when he saw
that the boat could not be sunk by
firing, took an ak and leaped owe the
bows of the Comet on to the dhow.
He chopped at the cable until he had
to turn back, he was so badly wound
ed. He was shot in seven places, and
when we dragged him back aboard his
last words were: L am done. 1t is a
failure. Return at full speed He
never spoke afterward. We had six
wounded, but none seriously.
During that time we had not been
silent. We fired at them with guns
and rifles. and the Shaitan and the
Sumana were also blazing away. Our
troops ashore said it was a lovely
sight to see the vessels with all their
guns working. We must have fright
ened the Turks, because on going up
again at daybreak after burying our
officer we found that they had cleared
out and retired farther up the river.
We steamed after them, and when we
reached Kut-el-Amara we found the
cavalry there. This is the first place
to which the army has got before the
navy. Subsequently we received or
ders to pursue the flying Turks, and
we forced the enemy to leave several
dhows laden with stores, provisions
and ammunition"