32 DOCTORS—AND STILL ALIVE.

Staff Sergeant-Major Arthur William Garner is also young, a native of Victoria, his family living at Moonee Ponds. He likewise enlisted in February, 1915, and was a comrade of Munro's in the 22nd Battalion. He went away as a sergeant in D Company. He took an active part in the Gallipoli fighting, but was unfortunate enough to fall a victim to a severe attack of rheumatic fever a few weeks before the evacuation. He was sent to Malta for treatment, thence to Egypt, and finally, as his condition failed to improve, he was invalided home in March, 1916.

During his experiences of many hospitals, Garner received the attentions of no fewer than 32 doctors. He speaks little concerning his fighting on the peninsula, but is warm in his praises of the officers of his battalion, singling out Major Murdoch Mackay, as the commanding officer of his company, for especial admiration, declaring that Major Mackay would never tell anyone to do anything he would not do himself, nor order me to go anywhere without leading them himself. Sergeant Garner has an uncle who went away with the first lot of Australians, went through the Gallipoli and the France fighting without a scratch, and has only just been invalided home through sickness. He had also two brothers in the Gallipoli campaign, one Sergeant George Garner, being wounded at the landing, but returned to Gallipoli, and was killed in June, 1915.

"I'LL COME BACK, SIR."

"Sergeant George Garner exhibited great courage and calmness, which won him the admiration of the brigade," wrote his commanding officer, to an Essendon resident. "He was severely wounded the first day, but rejoined last week. He had been back only a day or two, but had done so well (as he had done at the first landing), that I was about to have him recommended for a commission (I had already made him full sergeant). One evening he was struck by a 6in. howitzer shell. One leg was torn off above the knee and the other smashed to pulp below the knee. He was perfectly calm and conscious, and greeted everyone with a jest. The doctor hastily bandaged his wounds, and as he finished Garner looked up and asked, 'Now, Doc, as man to man and square dink, what sort of a sporting chance have I got?' The doctor said, 'Well, old man, you can keep your heart up?' 'My oath,' replied Garner. 'Well, you've got a very fair sporting chance with a spirit like that,' said the doctor. 'Right oh, sir,' said Garner, and then to a stretcher-bearer, 'Give us a fag, chum, and a light, please.' Although you could see the muscles twitch and the lips tighten as the stretcher was lifted away he went bravely down to the hospital ship to fight his losing battle with death."

Major Tubb, V.C., related at Euroa that he was near Garner when the latter's legs were blown off, and as he caught Garner in his arm the latter looked up and said, "I'll come back, sir." Major Tubb verified the foregoing incident of the medical examination, and added that Sergeant Garner died a few minutes after being taken away.

BENDIGO MILITARY OFFICERS. (1918, May 23). Bendigonian (Bendigo, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 13. Retrieved June 20, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89089373