A COMRADE’S APPRECIATION.
Mrs. E. Chapman, “Broadview,” Grafton, has received the following letter from Lance-Corporal Bayliss, dated 16/8/16. “I suppose you have been notified by the War Office about the awful bereavement that has fallen on your family through the death of your son, Jack. I want you to accept my deepest sympathy in your trouble. I was with Jack from the time we left Melbourne, and the only time we were apart was when I got knocked over that day and Jack helped me to a sheltered place to lie in until I could be cared for. I knew him at his true worth long before we left Egypt. I was his section commander and I have many acts of his to remember, whereby he helped me much in keeping control of the rest of the section, and his life since joining the army has always been an example to both officers and men. I want to tell you of one expedition which he was with me in. Our chief wanted information about the German barb wire entanglements, and on Sunday night, July 15, two N.C.O.’s and six men were sent into our front line to go over and obtain it, and the officer in charge of the men in the trenches thought the risk so great and death so certain that he would not allow them to go. On Monday word came to our company (A31st) that the information had to be got that night no matter the cost, so Captain Robertson told off Corporal Lane and myself for the work, and instructed us to pick two men each to go with us. Jack heard of this, and when I wanted him to stay behind he refused, and said if you go Charlie I go too, and I could not persuade him to stop behind. We went down to the trenches and while we were waiting for it to get dark enough to try and get across Jack asked me if anything happened to him would I write to mother and he also promised to do the same for me. Corporal Lane and his two men went out first, dragging a light wire with them, and my party left ten minutes after with instructions to go half-way over and wait for the result of Lane’s party. If they got killed we were then to go on and try and get the information ourselves.
We got to our positions alright, and we lay flat on the ground, myself in front, and then Bottomley about five yards behind me, and Jack about five yards behind him. The Germans caught sight of us lying down, and turned a machine gun on to us, and we had to lie there for three-quarters of an hour under heavy fire. There were bullets cutting the ground up all around us, and in spite of the instructions I had given the two boys that they were not to move an inch until I told them Jack came crawling along twice to see if I was hit. I saw Corporal Lane coming back, so passed word to turn about and get back to our own lines. Jack was then in front, and when he got back to our own trenches instead of getting over he waited until I came up, and then we came over together. Corporal Lane was seriously wounded in the head, and one of his men, Private Goodwin from New South Wales, was killed, and the other, Private Green, was shot through the shoulder, and three times through the thigh, so you can see what we were in, and how much more danger Jack’s action in coming up to see if I was hit meant to him. I shall never forget that night. I would have written to you sooner, only I was sent straight across to the Queen’s Hospital Birmingham, England, and only got word this morning that Jack had been killed after I was taken away. Let me say now that if there was ever a hero your son Jack was one, and although you have lost him he died nobly doing his duty. You have lost a son, and I the truest mate ever a man could have, and although your loss is harder to bear and your sorrow may be dimmed, but never forget Jack would have sooner that end than any other; his duty came first with him. I cannot do anything or say anything more beyond telling you that when we moved into the trenches, and Jack and I shook hands before the charge he said, ‘Charlie, if anything happens remember to write to mother.’ God be with you in your trouble, and help you to bear it is the wish of Jack’s mate.” - The Daily Examiner, Grafton, issue dated Tuesday October 17, 1916.
