The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-04-13

jam, etc., had to be drawn every morning from a barge a little way down the river Up to my knees Tn slush, clothes wet and muddy, halr grown to an abnormal length and matted round my neck, started one morning for the barge to get ratlons for four of us.
 I had got half way when the suc- tion of the mud pulled a boot off, ana that meant a quarter of an hour vast ed, digging in the slime for the boot with my bare hands.
 The boot eventually recovered, l made my way to the river to clean my hands. Poised daintily on the rlv- er-bank I proceeded to wash. There was a gurgling beneath me, which. though l did not understand, sounoed ominous. I made a wild grab at the nearest object, which happened to De Tommy washing, and both or us overturned into the slime. 1 made rather hurried apologies and left hlm before he had managed to clear the mud out of his mouth.
 Getting bread, jam, and tea from the barge, the return journey was started. As soon as I stepped on to the plank connecting the barge with the bank, my feet slipped from under me. The bread described a beautiful half-ci and landed in the slime on the bank, sank slowly, and disap- peared from sight. The jam dropped with a "plonk!' into the river be-
 heath, and the boiling tea emptied itself into my lap. In that moment l felt warmer than had felt for weeks.
 So, in spite of my efforts to get break
 fast, we had none that morning.
 It soon became evident that our
 men in Kut could not hold out long enough to enable the relief force to finish the necessary preparations for
 another attack. Food had to be giv.
 en to them somehow. Dates were
 packed into empty petrol-tins, and
 flour and tea, etc., were tied up se-
 curely in sacks.
 These were slung on the bomb
 racks of our aeroplanes, smaller pack
 ages being tied to both main planes.
 Every machine in ou rsquadron made five and six journeys day over to
 Kut, dropping the food each time on
 to a big white square on the ground arranged by the beleaguered men.
 
 ltographic expeditions, and artillery
 co-opera, which is the daily routine this task of feeding Kut was carried
 on for a week or two, despite the fact
 that it meant a hard time for all. But
 what could be done was done.
 The British machines, being at a
 disadvantage were often attacked. One pilot, being attacked from be-
 hind, was shot in. the back, and ha6
 half of his controls shot away. He
 stuck at it until he had dropped his . cargo safely in Kut, and then he turn : ed for home. Wounded and faint, with [ his machine only half under control , he fought his way back. The ma. chine landed on the saerodrome in the l dusk with a heavy bump, and the pi'
 lot collapsed in his seat.
 One evening request camt l through wireless for grindstones These were needed to prepare some
 wheat or corn which was growing 1T their vicinity; Two big, heavy grind [ stones were procured, and a para } chute was made and attached. Int , aeroplane had some difficulty in ris
 ing with this load, but got away a last. Arriving over Kut the pilo l pulled the bomb release, and tht
 stones and parachute fell. There wal 7 a wind at the time, which upset cal culations. Drifting in the wind thi 3 unusual contraption drew nearer anC S nearer the Turkish lines. The Turks 2 seeing it coming, scattered in all di l rections, doubtless thinking it was : some huge deathdealer. It came tt : rest in the enemy's trenches. Nor
 stones and another parachute wer' T procured and dropped, this time witt n better luck.
 d Preparations were finished, and an n other effort to relieve Kut was at e tempted, but was not successful. An = so, on April 29, 1916, the white fla
 was hoisted. From an aeroplane e small black column could be see = leaving the town and marching to d wards the Turks. Before leaving Ku
 tary, and the burning town could b - seen for miles.
 $ In order that we could supply foo d to Kut the relief force had been liv It ing for some time on-h half ration! e which at the best had only been bull 3. land biscuits.
 IOuIS, SOILlDS WedhS l. and weaker, with little sleep, it be = came an effort to drag one foot afte
 another One by one my pals fell il 'f and I wondered how long I could hol e out The weather became warme IT and brought with it f1ies-millior e of flies, worrying us all day. Our te Ie was always full of them, and the a d thick with them, and at night tn e sides of the tent were perfectly blac
 with flies. It was impossible~to es l. food without eating flies.
 r, Then I fell sick. A boat was tal g ing sick troops down the river. and
 was ordered aboard. The river ws n only a quarter of a mile away, bl le I had to get myself and kit there. A. h, ter four journeys backwards and fol d. wards staggering, falling on tt m roadway, resting and again staggel le ing, I boarded the barge tied along e. side the paddleboat. Here I fell, ar h lost consciousness For three days ar lg three nights I lay on that barge, to- d, mented by flies and mosquitoes, su r. rounded by other men who we1 is twisting about, unable to rest. I, lg course could eat nothing, but tho
 who could had bully and biscuit, m nothing!
 t. At the other end of the jourSay Id became 'stretcher case" With tV
 tall Indians at my feet and two sho he ones at my head, was carried to ho n. pital, slipping gradually from u h. stretcher as the short Indians too a. two steps to one step of the tall me CT My diet for six weeks was milk al IT, barley water, but, not improving, nv was sent to India As soon as I cou