Sullivan letter diary, 27 October 1915-9 October 1917 / Eugene Sullivan - Page 270
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 270]
drink, and the enemies shells bursting around him, and machine-gun bullets constantly singing overhead.
Finally two of our bearers discovered his position and carried him in through a hail of bullets. By the time he reached our Aid Post he was practically exhausted and his leg was swelled to an enormous size. I heard subsequently that he was doing well in hospital.
The bearers have been recommended for their bravery and devotion to duty in venturing out beyond our lines to fetch him, but I doubt if they will receive any decoration as this is regarded as the everyday work of an S.B. There was another similar case in which one of our men lay in no-man's land for two days and then set out with two wounded companions to crawl into our trenches. Both his companions were killed on the way but he reached one of our main avenues and fell into it. Here he was picked up by the bearers and carried down to our Aid Post.
The saddest loss of all was one of our most popular officers. This man had set out to raid one of the most advanced positions and strong points of the enemies' machine guns, and, before their departure it was arranged that they should send up a red flare in case they met with a large body of the enemy, and were in difficulties.
After the men had been gone some time a red flare went up far in advance of our lines. This made the Captain very anxious as to the welfare of the men, and, fearing that they had been cut to pieces, he insisted on going out after them himself, accompanied by only one runner.
Shortly after he left our trenches the men returned to report that they had taken the position without much difficulty and that Fritz had fired the red light. Although a search party went out neither the Captain nor his runner have been heard of since. Probably they wandered across some stray patrol of the enemy and were killed or taken prisoner