More on Koffie Reznek MC
THIS week's piece by Jauhara Khan on the rediscovered wartime photographs taken by Pietermaritzburg general practitioner Dr Koffie Reznek prompts Campbell Alexander to send in a passage from Sani Pass: Riding the Dragon, a book written by his father, David, in which he describes being seriously wounded in Italy when a shell exploded over his platoon of the Royal Natal Carbineers, led by Stan Thesen.
"Under the heavy fire that continued, Stan stuck his thumbs in the entrance and exit holes in my upper arm and staunched the flow of blood. In the meantime, fellow section soldier, tall, quietly spoken Paul Prickett, writhed in the dust clutching at a wounded leg. …."
"Unbelievably, in the distance from whence we came, a Jeep crested the rise and raced down the road towards us. A large Red Cross flag streamed from its bonnet, and it trailed a plume of dust. As if from a signal, the German gun fell silent. On the Jeep raced into the muzzles of the enemy fire. It turned to face back, and stopped. A figure leaped out, sprinted across the road and scrambled over the intervening wall. It was Captain "Koffie" Reznik, the Regimental Medical Officer. From the bag he was carrying, he fashioned a sling for my arm, administered morphine to both Paul and myself. Paul, hobbling and resting his weight on the RMO was partly carried over the wall while I slithered over, my left arm being quite paralysed. Paul was secured on a stretcher on the back of the Jeep and I climbed into the right hand passenger seat. The next minutes were utterly terrifying. As we shot along the road we must have completely filled the sights of the German gunners. One press of a button and we would have been blown away.
"That day Captain "Koffie" Reznik went back to the assistance and safe withdrawal of several of our wounded. For his fearless actions he was awarded a highly meritorious Military Cross."
Hau! Amadoda!
Eugene Hugo
I AM SADDENED to learn of the death a few days ago of Eugene Hugo, a colleague and one of the most gifted and ebullient newspapermen I have ever known.
Eugene was a man in the Hemingway mould. He had a great way with words, he had incredible energy and he played as hard as he worked. Often his carousing style led on to fisticuffs. In the 1970s he started the first fight in the Washington Press Club since 1939, when World War II broke out.
Eugene's career included stints in the press gallery at Parliament and in this company's Washington office. His health failed in recent years and he was confined to a wheelchair in a home in Pietermaritzburg, where he died.
Dud deposit
BANKS can be pretty irritating with their charges and pettifogging rules, but your money is probably safer there than in a plastic bag on the roof of your car.
A British pensioner living at Westcliff-on-sea, Essex, so mistrusted banks that he used to keep his £80 000 life savings under a mattress at home, guarded by a dog. Then the dog died and the pensioner – not named in this news snippet - started taking the money with him wherever he went.
One morning he absent-mindedly put the plastic bag full of cash on the roof of his car. Then he drove off. No more cash.
A sad little story. Maybe the bank will give him a loan.
Recognition
A GIRL said she was sure she knew me from the Vegetarian Club. I was most confused as I'm sure I've never met herbivore.
Head-on
AN ITEM from Bill Bryson's Bizarre World (Warner Books).
TWO GERMAN motorists had an all-too-literal head-on collision in heavy fog near the small town of Gutersloh. Each was guiding his car at a snail's pace near the centre of the road. At the moment of impact their heads were both out of the side windows when they smacked together. Both men were hospitalised with severe head injuries. Their cars weren't scratched.
Tailpiece
"I hear you're a great believer in free speech."
"I am that, Angus."
"Mind if I use your phone?"
Last word
The 'Net is a waste of time, and that's exactly what's right about it.
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