The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1920-04-08

gun. where found sergeant kiag'
IL NJ. l.. L endeavoring 70 load his
gun single handed. between us He got
il loaded and managed 70 pop OF .
rounds al the enemy before Ne sav
Admiral Hoods battle cruisers enter
the scrap-the Huns soon dried -
Battle cruisers are in the ordinary
circumstances ugly looking Monsters
but have never seen anything quite
80 pretty as those three ships appear
ed 70 be at that moment
About this time one Of our Battle
Cruisers which were now astern OF US
was blown up. We discovered later II
vas the "Invincible"
went over TO the port side, and
Hamilton get of a parting shot at
the enemy before the Cease Fire
was ordered.
Turning round | saw that the life
saving RATS, slowed abaft the after
funnel, were ablaze, and some un-
used cordite was lying just under
meath them; with the assistance Of A.
d. Fitzgerald and Sergeant King
got this under control BY pouring
water on it from gun buckets.
The actual fight being over We had
time TO look round the decks, and the
first thing | saw was Lieut.. William
son, X. n. r. lying face down, both
legs cut off high up. He was still
breathing, and being great personal
friend Of mine | knelt down and spoke
to him. His lips moved but there was
no sound. | insisted on his being
taken below to the dressing station,
in spite Of the strctcher bearers say
ing il was useless as he was coo far
gone. The stretcher bearers were, OF
course, absolutely right--it was
waste of their time for he died almost
before he reached the dressing station
The decks were an awful sight
hands, feet, and mutilated bodies ev'
erywhere. tried TO kick a sea-boot
out Of my way--it had leg inside 1t
A. b. Hanson then called to me tc
come up into the after control. Or
arrival / found A. b. Lawless sitting
there with no legs, smoking a cigar.
cite and joking about his legs, he saic
what will my wife and kiddie say
i Sir, when they see this lot 2"
II was a magnificent example Of
cheerful colrage We got him som'
water and gave him the cigarettes h
kept clamouring for, and | went per
sonally down to the ,ycung surgeon
and begged him 70 deal with the cast
at once, which he did, but the poor fel
low died few hours later, one Of hi
last remarks being, rs the Captain o.
Marines all right? hope he is".
shall never forget that man.
/ In the latter part Of the actual ac
ton saw the Marine bugler lying OF
the deck; he was calling me by name
but could not go to him at the mo
ment: later | found the boy dead, HI
was barely seventeen and had beel
rescued when the Arethusa wentdown
He had evidently wanted to give M
some last message, and his voice still
haunts me.
Shortly after we had broken off tn
action the destroyer "Porpoise" pas
sed close to US, and seeing our condi
ton the crew gave US q rousing cheer
(which put new heart into our men, VIII
responded lustily-it was an impress
j I i've moment out. there in the middle o
the North Sea.
Two hours after the action begai
i to feel my wound and the burn on nj
face, and got the doctor to dress m
leg.
We were still with the Fleet and n
, one slept during the night, but luclnl
fo- US we had no further engagement
, as we were practically useless, ou
: guns crews were gone, our effectiv
: guns were halved. and the remainin
t crew were badly shaken.
Next day, after we had got int
} harbour, am not ashamed to sa
: that, on thinking over all that ha
, happened. cried like a girl Of thre'
E During the action my servant Pt'
Z Patterson, realizing The number q
r casualties On the upper deck, yoiur
E teared 70 come Up from his static
/ s|below. 10 assist with the ammunitio
.urplg at TIE top of the hoist. j
2 was aImozt Immediately blinded hy Oh
oorditc Gre and walked 20 his dcat
e over the h.n's .t there hcing 70 cu
i 8 stop him. Luckly I did not wit
~ fhs tragedy Patterson ha
{ hcn ny faHhfal servant and frien
f7r nine years
April 1916
The Baale &c YFre