Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The Advertiser Thursday 07 October 1915 page 10
SNIPED BY A TURK.

A letter explaining how their son, Lieutenant Hedley Cullen, lost his life, has been received by Mr. and Mrs. William Cullen, of Hawthorn, from the officer (name censored), commanding No. 1 Mule Transport of the Australian Army Corps. Lieutenant Cullen was second in command of the transport. He (name censored) says:-'What happened was this. I was in the mule lines at an outpost of which had placed your son in charge. At about 4.30 p.m. on August 9, one of my men rushed in breathlessly and said, 'Cullen, sahib, is wounded.' I went to him at once and found him lying in the open about 200 yards from the lines, having been shot by a sniper. Two A.S.C. men were trying to pull him in under cover. This was quickly done. He was in great pain. I thought we should get a doctor to give him some morphia, and I prepared to fetch one,but he would not hear of it. He said, ' I want you to stay with me, I won't have you running any risks.' However, a Corporal Wilson, one of our interpreters, without waiting for orders or permission crawled away and came back about ten minutes later with a doctor, who gave your son a good dose of morphia and re-dressed the wound. It was quite impossible to move him in daylight, as the whole country round was being sniped all the time, and it meant facing a space in the open which was commanded by machine guns. So we just had to lie down and wait till dark. Your son was quite conspicious, and talked a good deal about going home. The pain soon got less as the morphia began to take effect. He asked me to write to you, but not to say anything to cause you to worry. He was much concerned about the shock you would get on hearing he was wounded. In fact, he was thinking of other people all the time. Towards evening he began to feel a bit cold, and Corporal Wilson again, without a moment's hesitation ran the gauntlet of the sniper and fetched a blanket. In fetching over a blanket and the doctor he was fired at all the time. As soon as it was dark we carried your son to the ambulance pier about a mile. I stayed with him till 3 p.m., and then had to leave. But I left Corporal Wilson in charge to see him taken off to the hospital ship. Wilson told me next morning that he was delirious when he was taken away at midnight, but that he had not suffered any more pain. I have done my best to get news of him, but without success. Once a man leaves here wounded it is almost impossible for us who are left behind to get any further news. I was very sorry lo lose your son who was an excellent officer."