As prisoners of war we were unloading railway sleepers from trucks when
a shell dump blew up. German guards and British prisoners scattered in
all directions. Some of the Germans were badly wounded and, as shells
continued to explode, no attempt was made by their comrades to succour
them.
Seeing the plight of the wounded, a Cockney lad called to some
fellow-prisoners crouching on the ground, "We can't leave 'em to die
like this. Who's coming with me?"
He and others raced across a number of rail tracks to the wounded men
and carried them to cover.
For this act of bravery they were later commended by the then
Kaiser.--_C. H. Porter (late East Surrey Regiment), 118 Fairlands
Avenue, Thornton Heath, Surrey._