Item 06: General William Holmes correspondence, 1900-1915 - Page 55

[Page 55]

I threatened to shoot this German if he did not sing out to his comrades to surrender at the same time hustling my men under cover and getting into a trench myself immediately behind him and leaving him exposed to fire in the open roadway, after previously disarmed him of rifle and pistol ammunition also two pistols.
After some time he sang out and two German officers Captain Booker and Lieutenant Meyer, and one native, all being fully armed came out of their hiding placed, the latter two trying to escape when they found they had been trapped.   Their arms, ammunition and country maps were secured and sent to the rear in charge of a guard which had by this time arrived from the Destroyers in response to my request for reinforcements.   

Further reinforcements arrived from the Destroyers at 9.50. a.m. and just then my men located another German in a pit close by.   He was also fully armed and after disarming him I forced him to the front of the firing line as heavy firing had commenced from ahead from trenches, but the enemy did not cease fire.   It appeared that firing was taking place from scattered positions in the scrub and trenches and as opposition appeared to be very strong I sent back a mounted scout with full details of the operations and for further reinforcements.

The German advancing in the front encouraged my men to advance but at 10.10 a.m. I was shot in the head over the right shoulder of the German some little distance ahead and on falling was pulled into the scrub by one of my men.   The prisoner was secured and sent to the rear and when I became conscious, in a quarter of an hour I requested Lieutenant Hill, who who had come up, to continue the advance.

I ommited