there was one sort of unsung hero on this expedition
this expedition
this expedition Oliver wheeler who I was drawn to in
Oliver wheeler who I was drawn to in
Oliver wheeler who I was drawn to in part because he was Canadian
part because he was Canadian
part because he was Canadian in part because Malory famously hated
in part because Malory famously hated
in part because Malory famously hated Canadians and being a Canadian that drew
Canadians and being a Canadian that drew
Canadians and being a Canadian that drew my attention and I went and found rather
my attention and I went and found rather
my attention and I went and found rather serendipitously all over wheelers son
serendipitously all over wheelers son
serendipitously all over wheelers son John aged 77 living in a cottage four
John aged 77 living in a cottage four
John aged 77 living in a cottage four houses from the house in which I was
houses from the house in which I was
houses from the house in which I was born in Vancouver I went to see him and
born in Vancouver I went to see him and
born in Vancouver I went to see him and we had a splendid afternoon at the end
we had a splendid afternoon at the end
we had a splendid afternoon at the end of the afternoon he pulled off a shelf
of the afternoon he pulled off a shelf
of the afternoon he pulled off a shelf two treasures too thick volumes of
two treasures too thick volumes of
two treasures too thick volumes of journals that his father had kept in
journals that his father had kept in
journals that his father had kept in 1921 as he walked across the bet with
1921 as he walked across the bet with
1921 as he walked across the bet with George Mallory these had never been seen
George Mallory these had never been seen
George Mallory these had never been seen by historian I was to Canadian III I
by historian I was to Canadian III I
by historian I was to Canadian III I couldn’t even sputter the words to say
couldn’t even sputter the words to say
couldn’t even sputter the words to say and then in this marvelous way that is
and then in this marvelous way that is
and then in this marvelous way that is Canada I discovered that he had gone to
Canada I discovered that he had gone to
Canada I discovered that he had gone to the same boarding school as my father
the same boarding school as my father
the same boarding school as my father I had climbed many of the same mountains
I had climbed many of the same mountains
I had climbed many of the same mountains he had surveyed as a surveyor in the
he had surveyed as a surveyor in the
he had surveyed as a surveyor in the Geological Survey of Canada and at the
Geological Survey of Canada and at the
Geological Survey of Canada and at the end of this beautiful afternoon he
end of this beautiful afternoon he
end of this beautiful afternoon he simply handed me these two journals and
simply handed me these two journals and
simply handed me these two journals and said son I think these will really be
said son I think these will really be
said son I think these will really be useful to you well they certainly were
useful to you well they certainly were
useful to you well they certainly were because of course it wasn’t George
because of course it wasn’t George
because of course it wasn’t George Mallory who found the key to the North
Mallory who found the key to the North
Mallory who found the key to the North Col the East Room book lacier it was not
Col the East Room book lacier it was not
Col the East Room book lacier it was not it was Oliver wheeler he was a one who
it was Oliver wheeler he was a one who
it was Oliver wheeler he was a one who spent more time closer to the mountain
spent more time closer to the mountain
spent more time closer to the mountain photograph in its Armour he’s the one
photograph in its Armour he’s the one
photograph in its Armour he’s the one who found the doorway to the mountain
who found the doorway to the mountain
who found the doorway to the mountain and on the very day that Alexander kelas
and on the very day that Alexander kelas
and on the very day that Alexander kelas was buried this is what wheeler wrote in
was buried this is what wheeler wrote in
was buried this is what wheeler wrote in his journal well they buried the old boy
his journal well they buried the old boy
his journal well they buried the old boy in the morning thought it was going to
in the morning thought it was going to
in the morning thought it was going to be the afternoon terribly sorry to have
be the afternoon terribly sorry to have
be the afternoon terribly sorry to have missed it but I do hate funerals well
missed it but I do hate funerals well
missed it but I do hate funerals well how on earth do you miss the internment
how on earth do you miss the internment
how on earth do you miss the internment of a fellow climber that you’re marching
of a fellow climber that you’re marching
of a fellow climber that you’re marching across Tibet with there had to be more
across Tibet with there had to be more
across Tibet with there had to be more to the story and of course there was
to the story and of course there was
to the story and of course there was wheeler was born to be a soldier he was
wheeler was born to be a soldier he was
wheeler was born to be a soldier he was seconded to the seventh murder Division
seconded to the seventh murder Division
seconded to the seventh murder Division of the Indian Army he was a royal
of the Indian Army he was a royal
of the Indian Army he was a royal engineer he sailed with the Indian Army
engineer he sailed with the Indian Army
engineer he sailed with the Indian Army to France in August of 1914 by October
to France in August of 1914 by October
to France in August of 1914 by October of 1914 the entire British Home Army
of 1914 the entire British Home Army
of 1914 the entire British Home Army Regular Army of the Empire had been
Regular Army of the Empire had been
Regular Army of the Empire had been annihilated the British Expeditionary
annihilated the British Expeditionary
annihilated the British Expeditionary Force the British sector of the line was
Force the British sector of the line was
Force the British sector of the line was held by the Canadians in the north the
held by the Canadians in the north the
held by the Canadians in the north the Indian Army in the South by this point
Indian Army in the South by this point
Indian Army in the South by this point the topography of Armageddon had come
the topography of Armageddon had come
the topography of Armageddon had come into place the trench has reached the
into place the trench has reached the
into place the trench has reached the coastline from the Swiss border and both
coastline from the Swiss border and both
coastline from the Swiss border and both sides were beginning to saw each other
sides were beginning to saw each other
sides were beginning to saw each other trenches at 90 degrees to the trench
trenches at 90 degrees to the trench
trenches at 90 degrees to the trench lines so you get close and law bombs and
lines so you get close and law bombs and
lines so you get close and law bombs and raid your enemy and it came to the
raid your enemy and it came to the
raid your enemy and it came to the attention of wheelers battalion that the
attention of wheelers battalion that the
attention of wheelers battalion that the Germans had put two saps within 30 feet
Germans had put two saps within 30 feet
Germans had put two saps within 30 feet of their line he was given the order of
of their line he was given the order of
of their line he was given the order of dark November night to go over the top
dark November night to go over the top
dark November night to go over the top with his 125 men and not only to
with his 125 men and not only to
with his 125 men and not only to eliminate these saps but to do it in the
eliminate these saps but to do it in the
eliminate these saps but to do it in the way the Germans would be dissuaded from
way the Germans would be dissuaded from
way the Germans would be dissuaded from ever trying this technique again he goes
ever trying this technique again he goes
ever trying this technique again he goes over the night at the top in the
over the night at the top in the
over the night at the top in the darkness silence then all hell breaks
darkness silence then all hell breaks
darkness silence then all hell breaks loose
loose
loose very lights artillery machine-gun fire
very lights artillery machine-gun fire
very lights artillery machine-gun fire and they get to the SAP Sun to the
and they get to the SAP Sun to the
and they get to the SAP Sun to the horror they discover they’re filled with
horror they discover they’re filled with
horror they discover they’re filled with German soldiers about to attack them the
German soldiers about to attack them the
German soldiers about to attack them the result is a ferocious mullai of
result is a ferocious mullai of
result is a ferocious mullai of hand-to-hand combat beyond your
hand-to-hand combat beyond your
hand-to-hand combat beyond your magazines noses ripped off eyes gouged
magazines noses ripped off eyes gouged
magazines noses ripped off eyes gouged out clubs shattering brains eventually
out clubs shattering brains eventually
out clubs shattering brains eventually the Indians push the Germans back but
the Indians push the Germans back but
the Indians push the Germans back but not before the entire SAP is densely
not before the entire SAP is densely
not before the entire SAP is densely lined three bodies deep chest to chest
lined three bodies deep chest to chest
lined three bodies deep chest to chest of boys of both sides flailing about as
of boys of both sides flailing about as
of boys of both sides flailing about as wheeler said like trout in mic rail he
wheeler said like trout in mic rail he
wheeler said like trout in mic rail he then tried his best to the darkness to
then tried his best to the darkness to
then tried his best to the darkness to get his own wounded out but he couldn’t
get his own wounded out but he couldn’t
get his own wounded out but he couldn’t and in the end he had to bury them all
and in the end he had to bury them all
and in the end he had to bury them all alive so when he says on Everest I do
alive so when he says on Everest I do
alive so when he says on Everest I do hate funerals you begin to see the way
hate funerals you begin to see the way
hate funerals you begin to see the way that this war resonated in the lives of
that this war resonated in the lives of
that this war resonated in the lives of these men
”
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