Show I sI I V J JEe Ee j y 1 c r jn fH i T rc r- r c r f r ii L Efi li I III f 11 3 0 If y r 1018 Continued from rom Yest Yesterday cr d By CHAPTER BLIGHT BLIGHTY lI this tins first aid post 0 I after inoculating me mo with aD u. u serum to pr prevent on look lockjaw J I T was pu put into an nn ambulance am nm en wi ed F FROM balance e and sent ell I to a I temporary cn po a r h hospital espi t I behind nd tI the lines To reach this hospital wo we had to go along a n road a about hOIl I fi five c m miles i in 0 I length II t 1 Tins This road rond was under shell fire for now and t i then n a flare w would wd d light h up the S sky y a ire tre tremendous explosion th then the S road seemed t to tremble tromble Wo did not mind I though gh no doubt doubt some of us wished that a shell would hit hit t us os and d c end dr our misery Personally Iy I was not Dot particular r It was nothing o but bump ump jolt and r I l C would turn turnaround turnaround Several Se times the driver cr around and md give gl us a mates fine fellows vs well we'll soon be there there there- those ambulance drivers a lot of ot them go west too We e gradually drew drow out of tho the fire zone and pulled up In front of Df an Immense Im- Im Im Immense mense dugout Stretcher bearers carried carried car r ried me down clown a number of steps and placed me on a white hUe table in a brightly bright bright- I ly lighted room A sergeant of oC the tho royal arm army medical medical medi medi- and cal corps removed my bandages cut out off ore my 01 tunic Then the tho doctor with rIth his sleeves s rolled up took charge He Ile winked at me and I winked back and then ho asked II How ow do you feel Ceel smashed up a bit I answered red Im all right but Id I'd give gl a quid for a drink of oC Mass Bass He lie nodded to the sergeant who disappeared disappeared disappeared dis dis- appeared and Ill I'll be darned I If he didn't return with a glass of or ale alc I could I only open my 01 mouth about a quarter of or an inch hut but I got awa away with ever every I drop of oC that ale It tasted Ju Just t like Blighty hU and that is 18 heaven to Tommy The doctor said something to an or orderly orderly or- or derl derly the on only I word I could catch was chloroform then they put some soma kind of an arrangement over m my my nose and mouth and It was me mc for dreamland dream dream- land When I opened my eyes I was lying on a stretcher In a low wooden building build build- I ing Everywhere I looked I T saw rows I of Tommies on stretchers some somo dead I Ito to the world and the rest test with fags Ings in their mouths I The main topic of their conversation con was BlI Blighty ht Neul Nearly all ail had lead a grin grinon on their fares faces except those who didn't have enough face left to grin with I grinded with my right eye the other othel wa was bandaged Stretcher bearers came In and anI began to carry the Tommies outside You could hear tho the chug of th the engines eng In Inthe Intoe inthe I the toe waiting ambulances 1 I T I was put put Into a Ford with three others others others oth oth- I ers and awa away wo we went for un ei eighteen eighteen- mile ride Keep Keel out of or a Ford when you ou are wounded Insist on walking It'll pa pay you OU I was on a a. bottom stretcher The lad right across from me was smashed up something horrible Hh Right ht above mo me was a man from tho the Royal Irish rifles fines while across across across' from Irom him was a Scotchman We e had gone gone- about three miles when I heard the rattle death-rattle in the throat of or the man opposite He had gone bone to rest across the Great Divide I think at the time I envied led him The man of oC the Royal Hoal Irish rifles Tines had had his left foot Coot blown off oct the jolting of the ambulance over the tho thorough rough road had loosened up the bandages bandages ban ban- dages on his foot and had started It bleeding again This blood ran down the the side strip of or the stretcher and started dripping i I was lying on m my back too I weak to move and the dripping of oC this blood got me in my right I eye ee I closed my mr eye and pretty prett soon could not open the lid ltd the blood had con concealed and closed It as ns ff If It were Slued glued down 1 An English girl dress dressed ell In khaki was driving the ambulance while be beside i her on the tho seat was a a. corporal of the It R. R A. A M. M 1 C. C They kept up up a running which almost almost al- al conversation about Blighty most wrecked m my nerves pretty soon from rom the stretcher above e me the Irishman Irishman Irish- Irish man nan became aware of or the fact that the bandage e from Crom his foot had become I loose it must have pained him herr horri- 1 I lIl bly ly because he lie yelled In a loud voice If JC you dont don't stop this bloody blood death wagon and fix this thi damned ban bandage e as-e on n my f foot ot I will win get et out and walk talk I The girl Irl on the seat scat turned around and in a sympathetic voice olce a asked le Poor POOI fellow are you oU ver very badly l wound wounded d The Irishman at this question let letout letout letout out a howl of indignation and answered answered an an- Am I Cf very bad badly wounded what bloody check cheek no no Im I'm not wounded wound wound- ed ed Ive I've only been kicked by hy a canary bird The ambulance Immediately Immediate stopped slopped and the corporal came to the rear and fixed him up and also washed lashed out my right eye oye I was too weak to thank I him but It was WIS a great relief reller Then I must have havo become unconscious be because because because be- be cause when I regained my senses the ambulance was at a standstill and m my stretcher was being removed from it It lt was night lanterns were wore flashing here hero and tind nd there and md I could coald see stretcher stretch stretch- er bearers hurrying to and fro Then I was carried into a hospital train The inside of or this train looked like heaven hea en to me me Just pure white and we met our first Red Cross nurses we thought the they were angels And they were Nice little soft hunks bunks and clean white sheets A 1 Red Cross nurse sat beside m me durIng durIng dur dur- ing the whole whole- rl ride c which lasted three hours She wa was holding my wrist I thought I had made n a hit and tried lo tu toll her how I got wounded but ahe ate would put h her Iter r finger to her lips and sa say Yes I kno know but you talk now try to go to sleep It It'll do you OU goof doctors doctor's orders Later on I learned that she he was taking m my pulse every cry fow minutes as I was very weak from the loss 1058 of oC blood and they expected expect expect- ed me to snuff it but I didn't Front From tho the train wo we went vent Into ambulances lances for a short ride to the hospital ship Panama Another palace and more an angels els I dont don't remember the trim trill across tho the channel I opened m my CY eyes 8 I was v being being- carried carried car car- ried on a stretcher through lanes of oC people some cheering some waving flags flaG's and others crying The flags were Union Anion Tn ion Jacks I was In Southampton ton Blighty Blight at last My 11 stretcher was wa strewn with flowers lowers cl and chocolates Tears started to run down my 10 cheek cheol from my good ee eye I like a a. booby was crying can you beat it Then into another hospital train a i hour five ride to another ambulance ambulance am am am- ride and then I was carried Into Munsey ward of or the American women's war hospital and put into a areal areal areal real bed bod This Thia real bed was too much for my unstrung nerves and I fainted When I came to a a. pretty Red fled Cross Crass c. c 1 Tommys Tommy's Dictionary of I Ii i I II I the Trenches I I I I II I A captive balloon balloon balloon bal bal- loon behind the lines which ob observes observes ob- ob i serves es the tho en enemy em The enemy 1 doesn't mind being observed observe II st so I Ii i takes tales no notice of it It gives oes I someone a job hauling It down at I Inight night so it has one Rood good point 1 lIo post pott t A position in the j I front line whore where an artillery officer orri- orri 1 car observes the fire of oC our guns Ho lie keeps keep on observing until a aGerman aGerman I German shell observes him After Arter J this there Is generally a n new off off- I and a n. now new observation post II I I O O. O C c. c Officer commanding II I I Officers Officer nice me mess Where the officers II I 0 I eat the mess that the 0 O. S. S have j I cooked 1 10 O. O S s. s Officers Officers' servants Th The Tho lowest lowest lowi low low- lowI I i est cat ranking private in the arm army i iI I who feeds better belter than the tho officers I II I ho walt walls on I II I I I Oil UCHI cnn nn nn Tommys Tommy's term for a GerI German Ger- Ger GerI I man trench mortar shell which Is Isan isI I j jan l an t n old tin tilled filled with explosive I j jand 1 and Junk that tho the Bodies have no noI I further use for t I One hOne up up Tommys Tommy's term for Cor a lance 1 corporal who wears one stripe 1 The private always alwa's wonders why Vh 1 he was overlooked when promotions promo promo- 1 lions were In order I I On On the rant When hen Tommy Tomm Is I haled before his commanding of officer of- of fleer to h he lie has hus broken brok brok- j 1 explain why en one of or the seven million kings king's i 1 I regulations for the government of or I 1 Ithe I the arm army Ills explanation nev- nev nev-J nev I c er eF gets him anywhere unless it In ii 1 I on the wheel of oC a limber Ii I II I i nurse was bending bending- over me rne bathing my forehead with cold water r then she ahe loft left and the ward orderly placed a screen around my bed and gave sa me mo a much needed bath and clean pajamas Then the screen was wan removed and a a. bowl of ot steaming soup was given gl me It Il tasted delicious Before finishing m my soup the nurse canto came back to a ask asic k me my 01 name and number She put this information down downin in a little boo book Ie and then asked Where hero do you ou como come from I answered answered answered an an- From the Iho big ble town behind the Statue of Libert Liberty upon hearing this she started jumping up and down clapping clapping clapping clap clap- ping her lice hands and calling out to three nurses across tho Iho ward Come here girls girls girls-at at last wa we have got a real Ical live Yankee with us I The They came over o and besieged me with nu questions until the doctor ar nr- nr i ni ai i i n i rived learning that I was s an American he ho almost crushed m my hand handin I in his grip of oC welcome The They also were Americans and were glad to see me The doctor ver very tenderly removed my 10 bandages and told me after alter viewing view viewing view view- ing inS my wounds that he would to take alto me to the lie operating theatre immediately Imme Imme- Personally I didn't care lare what was done with me In a few minutes four COUI Dr orderlies who looked like undertakers dressed dressell In white brought a stretcher to lo m my bed and placing me on it t carried me out of oC the ward across a courtyard to the lee op- op crating room or 01 pictures as Tommy calls it I I dont don't remember having ha the tic lic applied When hen I came to I was as again lying In a bed in Munsey ward One of the nurses had draped a largo large American j I flag Clag over the head of the bed and md clasped In n m my hand was as a smaller flag and It made matle me feel Ceel good all over toa to a again gain see the Stars and Stripes At that time I wondered when the boys boy's In tn the trenches would see the emblem emblem emblem em em- blem of oC the tho land of the free and the home of or the tho brave beside them doing Its bit In this great gleat war of oC tion Aly Iy ly wounds were ere ver very painful and several everal times at night I 1 would dream that myriads of or khaki-clothed khaki figures would pass my bed and each would stop bend over ma mO and whisper The best of luck luce mate male Soaked with perspiration I would awake vake with a cry en and the night nurse would come over 0 and hold my hand This awakening got to be a habit with 1 me until that particular nurse norse was transferred to another ward In three weeks' weeks time owing to tho the careful treatment received I was able to sit up and get my bearings Our ward ard contained sev seventy five nt patients t 0 per cent of which were surgical cases At the head of or each bed hung hunga a temperature chart and diagnosis sheet Across this sheet would be bo berlt written written writ writ- ten G G S S. S W W. W or S So S. W. W the tho former meaning gun shot wound and the latter shell wound The S So W W. predominated ed especially among amonS' the royal field artillery and royal roal engineers s About fort forty different regiments were represented and many arguments en ensued ensued ensued en- en sued aa as to the respective fighting abilIty ability abil abil- ity of each ench regiment The rivalry was wonderful A Jock nr argument with an Irishman then a strong Cockney accent accent accent ac ac- ac- ac cent would butt In in favor of oC a London London Lon Lon- don regiment Before lon long a Welshman Welshman Welsh Welsh- man followed by a member of ot a Yorkshire Yorkshire York York- shire le regiment and perhaps a Canadian Canadian Cana Cana- dian Intrude themselves and tho ho ar argument argument ar- ar waxes loud and furious Tho The patients In the beds start howling for them to lo settle their dispute outside and the ward Is in an uproar The head sister comes along and with a wave wae of the hand completely routs the doughty warriors and wait again silence reigns an flU su- preme Wednesday ny and Bunda Sunday of each week weck were ere vl visiting days s and were looked forward to b by the men because they j I meant parcels containing fruit sweets i or fags Casso W When a patient had a a alc lc regular ular I visitor ho he was kept kepl well supplied supplied sup sup- plied with those delicacies Great jealousy Jeal jeal- Is la shown among the men as to their visitors and man many word war wars s en ensue en en- sue after the visitors lo leave ve To bo be continued l tomorrow morro |