|
A LIVING WONDER
SOLDIER SHOT THROUGH HEART AND YET LIVES.
WALKS THREE MILES THROUGH TRENCHES TO AMBULANCE.
The war has brought with it many remarkable incidents of surgical curiosities and hairbreadth escapes from death. Stomachs have been removed, nerves replaced, and the most delicate operations successfully performed. One case is on record where a soldier who had been blown up by a land mine had his heart completely turned upside down by the force of the explosion and his passage through the air. On being placed on a bed inclined at a certain angle and adjusted by gymbals, the heart righted itself gradually.
A case just as wonderful as this is being treated, and causing amazement amongst the medical profession. The patient is Pte. J. Cheffers, a former member of the Essendon Rifle Club, and who lived in Maribyrnong road, Moonee Ponds. He received a bullet in the shoulder, which passed through the lung, lodging in the heart, and yet, most marvellous to relate, the soldier is alive and well. Writing to his brother, Mr. H. Cheffers. of Clarinda road, Essendon, Pte. J. Cheffers says: -
"On the 2nd August I was hit. We were just outside Pozieres-25 men and one officer to do some special job. It was to take a machine gun position that Fritz had, but our officer got lost, and it was while waiting about that I was hit. I was taken to the hospital by a motor ambulance and Red Cross train, and kept there just on four weeks before I came here to "Blighty." We left the hospital 11.30, and arrived at Calais at 6 a.m., where we were placed on board a hospital boat which did not leave the wharf till 11.30 a.m. We arrived at Dover at l p.m. I was sick nearly all the way, and was not sorry when the journey was finished. We were put on board another Red Cross train when we landed, and were brought up to a hospital at Stoke-on-Trent, which we reached at about 9 o'clock. We had a good reception-I think all the youngsters must have turned out to cheer us, and the St. John's Ambulance men were waiting on the station with stretchers laid along the platform in one long neat row. There were also nurses from the local hospital, and they could not do enough for us-offering us cigarettes, coffee, bovril, etc. After waiting on the station about half an hour we were brought up here to the country hospital, which was a workhouse before the war. It is pretty hard lines when we come all the way from Australia to England to go to the workhouse, isn't it? We are being well treated here, and, of course, being Anzacs, we are picked out for special attention by the visitors who are allowed in Thursdays and Sundays.
SHOULD HAVE DROPPED DEAD.
"Well, now, Herb, l have come to the most important part of this letter. You must prepare yourself for a bit of a shock as my wound is more serious than you might expect. I am a bit of a curiosity here, and what the doctors call an interesting case. I think that, by all the laws of science, etc., I should have dropped dead the moment I was hit, as I have been under the X-ray in France, and they found that the bullet has gone in at the left shoulder, just behind the arm-pit, passed through the lung and lodged in the heart, where it is now.
WAITING FOR THE END.
"I tell you, Herb., I am quite prepared to go if I shall be called upon, and am not a bit afraid, as I have been as close to death as it is possible to be, and I found it would be quite, easy to die-that was when I was hit. I went down, and could feel myself going, for I started to go numb all over the body, and I just lay there waiting for the end to come, when suddenly the feeling left me.
EASY TO DIE.
"It seems such an easy, pleasant way to go that afterwards, when I had time to think over it. I felt a slight pang of regret that I had been spared but that would be rather on the selfish side on account of Alice and the youngsters, and of course, I want to live for their sakes. After the numb feeling left me I got up; for how long I do not know. It might have been a minute or perhaps two. Then the next thing I knew was that I thought I was just waking up out of a sleep and had been dreaming about the war, etc., but when I put my arm up and felt the side of the trench and heard the guns going off and the shells exploding, of course that put the kybosh on as far as dreams were concerned. Then I had to wait there half an hour, as the trench was full of some engineers who were preparing to do some important work, so I had to wait till they were out of the way and then I had a three miles walk through the trench before coming to the ambulance waggons, and then I was brought along in different stages until I arrived here.
STILL HOPING.
"Phew I Thank Goodness that lot is over. It has taken a couple of days hard thinking to compose that little lot, and now I have just read it over it looks that doleful as though I have given up all hope that I feel inclined to tear it up, but I feel as though I would like someone at home to know how things are going. Well, I am not down-hearted, and I have not given up all hope-in fact, I think I am coming out of this all right, although it hardly seems feasible, does it? I have never heard of a man walking about with a bullet in his heart, have you? I have been walking about in the ward here the last couple of days, but I seem to suffer a bit for it in the nights, as I cannot lie on my back or side without feeling pain-a thing I never had until I started walking about, so I have to be propped up with pillows and a back-rest, and sleep in a sitting position.
CONCLUSION.
"The 'docs' here are greatly interested in my case and I seem to be talked about a great deal with the heads. Officers come in looking for the interesting case. For instance, yesterday the Scotch 'doc.' came in and said: 'Are you the interesting case?' When I said 'Yes,' he said: "My word, they are delighted at having you here.' Of course, by that he meant the 'docs.,' so you can see that they are going to do all they can to make a good job of it. Then, again, I am told that when I am operated on I will have the best skill that. England-or, in fact, the world-can produce, one whose name is Sir Bartholomew something. I forgot his other name, but when you get the full name down you add the alphabet to it to make it complete. I believe he has taken all the championships in England at the "heart-juggling biz," so you see I have got every chance of coming out all right. As far as health goes, I am as healthy as ever I was, and can always get outside a good feed. I was going to put in for a pass to go into the town, but yesterday there was a concert here for the patients in a hall across the road, and I wanted to walk over to it, but the nurse would not hear of it, so I had to be carried over in a chair, so that settles it as far as passes are concerned, doesn't it? Well, I think I will have to come to a full stop again, as I have seven or eight other letters to write, and if they are all going to take as long as this one, I don't know how I can keep up with my correspondence. I must ask the nurse if she can recommend a reliable secretary. There were a couple of chaps in the trenches and another one in hospital over here I have to write to yet, so you can see I am right up to my neck in work, which is worse than dodging shells or digging trenches." Latest reports say that Pte. J. Cheffers is walking about and is expected home shortly, but there is to be no operation as at first intended. One of his brothers. Pte. W. G. Cheffers, has recently returned to the front after being wounded in the hand.
A LIVING WONDER. (1917, February 8). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 6 Edition: Morning.. Retrieved April 2, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74601637
|
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.