The Monticellonian., 1916-11-09

success. It was certain that he haa climbed out of the enemy's trench for he helped to pull up the last man of his party, and the only assumption was that he had been either killed or captured on returning there.
 Next days battalion orders con tained this fitting tribute to Baxter: It was largely owing to this officers pluck, determination. coolnoss and i resource that the raid was successful. Dead or missing, he is great loss to the battalion
 That is the story of the Forty Thieves.
 Kid Kills Giants. Private Albert Hill was Lam cashire lad engaged in a hat works when the war broke out-of small stature, still in his teens. He won the Y. c. at the Somme and his platoon sergeant. just invalided home, tells for the first time the full story of how he did it:
 "On the night of July 19 we moved up to the advanced line of attack. It was three o'clock in the morning when we got to the bottom, 15 yards away from the German trenches. Hill and myself were alone. Suddenly two Ger mans, both about six feet tall, sur prised us. They were making for us when Hill. as coolly as if he had been going to meet a boxing opponent, sprang at them and as quick as light hing bayOneted them both. It was one of the finest pieces of pluck l have ever seen or read about, this little fel- low, only five feet three, accounting for two big, burly Huns. He returned to me as if nothing had happened; and the next thing we found that We were surrounded by some twenty to twenty five Germans. Hill remarked: Ser geant, We look like being taken pris- oners.' I replied: They will not take us alive. We will fight for it. No sooner said than done. We both got our bombs and Hill flung two bombs with surprising accuracy straight in the midst of them. He killed about
 
 the rest.
 Proud of His "Baq."
 "Still he did not think he had done anything big, and when l suggested he should go to the right and try to find some of our company he was ready in- stantly. He went and reported to the sergeant, and heard while there that Captain Scales and a scout were lying out dangerously wounded. Hill at once volunteered to fetch them in. He suc- ceeded in bringing the captain to safe ty, but the officer died soon after.
 Hill then started to return to me, but on the way he found two Germans in a shell hole. How he found them is q puzzle, for it was dark. He Ieveled his rifle at them and the Huns put up both hands before this little man and, as they always do, pleaded Mercy, kamerad.' Hill then took his prisoners down the line and that was the only time he thought he had done any thing big. He was proud of his bag He performed all these featS In less than half an hour"
 One particular incident stirred Eng land deeply. It was the death of John Travers Cornwell in the battle of Jut- land. A boy of sixteen on H. NJ. $. Chester. he was mortally wounded early in the fight. Nevertheless he re- mained standing alone at a most ex- posed post to the end of the action. with tba oiln'S ora&y daad ond fd- ed all around him. He said simply, when asked why he had remained there, he thought that he might be wanted. The boys body was brought back to England and buried by his parents in Il London cemetery. The British people had not then heard the story of his death, but when Sir John Jellicoe's dispatch was published tell ing about young Cornwell's heroism a wave of emotion swept over the coun- try.
 Two months afterward the coffin was disinterred and buried with hon. ors in a new grave.
 Wins V. c. Twice.
 One man has won the " c. twice in the present war. He was still alive when last heard from and may yet win the medal again. Lieut.. John Jacka of the Fourteenth battalion of Aus tralian infantry is the man. He won the V. C. first in the fighting at Gal lipoli. He was then a corporal. On May IS, 1915, the Turks made a fierce attack on the position held by the Aus tralians. The onslaught was one of the most furious of the disastrous series of battles that marked the Gal lipoli campaign. It was necessary to capture q certain part of Turkish trench and Jacka undertook to accom- plish that job alone. He got in be- hind the trench. With his rifle Jacka shot down five Turks, with his bay0- net he killed two more and the three who remained to oppose him he cap tured. His achievement saved part of the allied line.
 On August , last Jacka won his V. c. the second time at the battle of the Somme. He had been promoted to lieutenancy and was in command of platoon sent to relieve q force of An zacs in an advanced trench near Pozieres. In the morning Jacka's lit f tla nd attaplyaI hU n fnrpp