Show tA e 1 i i 1 1 lf DB r AN j i l i lII II Ij i N SOLDIER j WHO lIO VENT l JY MACHINE FRANC E C 1517 I 17 nY OY f CHAPTER Continued 26 26 Right Bight now I 1 can see the butt of that gun trembling The Scottie made a complete turn In the air hit bit the ground rolling over oyer twice each time clawing at the e earth and then remained remained re re- re- re still about four feet from me in a It sort of sitting position I called to him Are you hurt burt badly Jock but no answer He was dead A dark red smudge was as coming through his tunic right under the heart beart The blood ran down his bare knees making a horrible sight On his bis right side he carried his water bottle I 1 was crazy for a drink and tried to reach this but for tor the life lite of ot me could not negotiate that f four ur feet Then I 1 became unconscious When I 1 woke oke up I 1 was ws in an ad advanced first-aid first post I asked the doctor if we had bad taken the trench We took the trench and the wood beyond at al all allright right he said and you you fellows did your you I bit but my lad that was thirty- thirty six hours ago You were lying In NoMans NoMan's No NoMan's NoMans NoMans NoMan's Mans Man's Land In that bally hole for a day and a half Its It's a wonder you are alive He lIe also told me that out of ot the twenty that were In the raiding party seventeen seventeen seventeen seven seven- teen were killed The officer died of oY wounds In crawling back to our trench and I 1 was severely sev rely wounded wounded but one fellow returned without a scratch without without without with with- out any prisoners No doubt this chap was wae the one ne who had sneezed and Improperly Improperly improperly Im Im- im- im properly cut the barbed wire t I In the official our our trench raid was described as follows All quiet on the western front excepting excepting excepting ex ex- In the neighborhood of ot Gom Com wood where one of ot our raidIng raiding raiding raid raid- ing parties penetrated Into into the German lines It is needless to say that we had no use for our persuaders or come longs as we brought back no prisoners and until I 1 die Old Peppers Pepper's words Personally Personally Personally Per I dont don't believe that that part of the German trench Is occupied will always come to me when I 1 hear bear some some fellow trying to get gel away with a fishy I statement VI I will judge It accordingly I CHAPTER Blighty From this first first aid aid post after Inoculating Inoculating inoculating lating me with anti tetanus serum to prevent lockjaw I was put Into an ambulance ambulance ambulance am am- and sent jent to a temporary hospital hospital hos hos- pital behind the lines tines To reach this this' hospital we had bad to go along a road about five miles mUes in length This road was under shell fire for tor now and then thena a flare fiare would light up the sky sky sky-a a tremendous tremendous tremendous tre tre- tre- tre explosion explosion and and then the road seemed to tremble We did not mind though no doubt some of ot us wished that t a shell would hit us and end our misery Personally I 1 was not I lar It w was as nothing but bump jolt rattle rattle rattle rat rat- tle and bang Several times the driver would turn turnaround turnaround turnaround around and give us ns a mates well we'll soon be th there there there- refine re- re fine fellows those ambulance drivers a lot of ot them go West too We gradually drew out of the fire zone and rind pulled up In front of an Im irn- Immense Immense mense dugout Stretcher-bearers Stretcher carried carried carried car car- ried me down a a number of ot steps and placed me on a white table bible In a brightly lighted room A sergeant of or the Royal Army MedIcal Medical Med Med- ical teal corps removed my bandages and cut oft off my tunic Then the doctor with hi his clee sleeves es rolled up took charge He winked at me and I winked back and then he asked aSke How do you feel smashed up a bit I answered Im all right but I Id I'd d give a quid for tor a drink of Bass He nodded to the sergeant who who disappeared disappeared dis dis- appeared and Ill I'll be darned If It he didn't return with a glass of ot ale I I. I could only open my mouth about a quarter of ot an inch but I got away with every drop of ot that ale It tasted just like Blighty and that is heaven to Tommy The doctor said som something to an ordeny orderly orderly or or- derly deny the only word I could catch was chloroform then they put some kind of ot an arrangement over my nose and mouth and It was was me for tor dreamland When I opened my eyes I was lying I Ion on a stretcher In a low wooden building Everywhere 1 looked I 1 saw I rows of Tommies on stretchers some dead to the world and the rest with fags In their mouths The main topic of ot their conversation was Blighty Nearly all had a grin on their faces except those who didn't have enough face left to grin with I grinned with 10 my right eye the other was bandaged Stretcher bearers came in and began began began be be- gan to carry the Tommies outside You could hear the chug of ot the engines In Inthe inthe inthe the waiting ambulances I was put Into an ambulance with three others and away we went for tor an nn eighteen mile eighteen mile ride I was on 08 a bottom stretcher The lad right across from me was smashed Dp op p something horrible Bight RIght above me was Wal a man from the Royal Irish rifles rUles while across from hint was wan o D Scotchman r We had gone about three miles when I 1 heard the death rattle death rattle In the throat of ot the man opposite He lie had gone tc to rest across the Great Divide I 1 think thing at the time I 1 envied him The man of ot the Royal Irish rifles had had his left foot blown off the thi jolting of ot the ambulance over the thi rough road had loosened up the bandages bandages bandages band band- ages on his foot toot and had started It t bleeding again This blood ran down the side of the stretcher and started starter dripping I was lying on my ba back to too weak to move and the dripping of this blood got me In my right eye I 1 closed my eye and pretty soon soar could not open the lid the blood had congealed and closed It it as If It It were glued down An English girl dressed In khaki was wn driving the ambulance while beside her on the seat was a corporal of th the R. R A. A M M. C C. They kept up a running conversation about Blighty mighty which al almost almost almost al- al most wrecked my nerves pretty prett soon Roon from the stretcher above me th the Irishman became aware of the tact fact that the bandage from his foot toot had become become become be be- come loose It must have pained him bin horribly because he be yelled In a loud low voice I If you dont don't stop top this bloody death dent wagon and fix this d d- d bandage on or ormy my foot I will get out and walk The girl on the seat turned aroun around and In a sympathetic voice asked Poor tell fellow ow are you very ball badly wounded 7 The Irishman at this question le let letout letout out a howl of ot indignation and answered answered answered an an- Am I very badly wounded what bloody cheek no Im I'm not wounded wound wound- ed ed Ive I've only been kicked by a canar canary bird The ambulance Immediately stopped and the corporal came to the rear am and fixed him up and also washed out m my right eye I was too weak to thank him but It if was a great relief relict Then The I must have become unconscious because be because cause when I regained my senses the thi ambulance was at a standstill and m my stretcher was being removed from It It was night lanterns were flashing here and there and I could see stretch stretch- er-bearers er hurrying to and fro tro Then The I was carried Into a hospital train The inside of ot this train looked like ilki heaven to m me just pure white and w we met our first Red Cross nurses w we thought they were angels And the they were Nice little soft sott bunks and clean white sheets A Red Cross nurse sat beside me mi during the whole ride which lasted three hours She was holding m my wrist I 1 thought I had made a hit am and tried to tell her how I got wounded but she would put her finger to her lips lip and say Yes I 1 know but you mustn't talk now go to sleep It'll do you yot good doctors doctor's orders Later on 1 I 1 learned that she was taking my pulse ev every ery few minutes as I was very weak weal from the loss of blood and they expected expected ex me to snuff It t but I didn't From the train we went Into ambulances ambulances ambulances lances for a short ride to the hospital ship Panama Another palace and more angels angel I dont don't remember the trip trig across the channel I opened my eyes I 1 was being carried carried car car- ried tied on a stretcher through lanes of people some cheering some waving flags and others crying The flags were Union Jacks Jocks I was In Southampton mighty flighty at ot last My stretcher was strewn with flowers cigarettes and chocolates Tears started to ruD run down my cheek from my good eye I like a booby was vas crying Can you beat it it Then into another hospital train a hour five ride to another ambulance ambulance ambulance am am- ride and then I was carried Into Munsey ward of the American Women's War hospital and put Into a teal teat bed This real bed was too much for tor my unstrung nerves and I fainted tainted When I came to a pretty Red Cross nurse was bending over me bathing my forehead with cold water then sh she left and the ward orderly placed a screen around my bed and gave me a much needed much needed bath and clean pajamas Then the screen was removed and a bowl of steaming soup was given me It tasted delicious Before finishing my soup the nurse came ame back to ask me my name and number She put this Information down downIn In a little book and then asked Where do you come from I answered answered answered an an- From rom the big town behind the Statue of ot Liberty upon hearing bearing this she start started Jumping up and down clapping her hands and calling out to three nurses across the ward Come here girls at girls at last we have got a real live Yankee with us They came over oyer and besieged me with questions until the doctor ar ar- ar- ar rived Upon learning that I was an American he almost crushed my hand handIn In his grip of welcome They also were Americans and were glad to see me meThe The doctor very tenderly remove removed my uy bandages and told m me after view view- 1 Ing lug my wounds that b ne be would have to tf t take me to the operating theater Im lm- mediately Personally I 1 didn't care car what was done with meIn me In a few minutes four tour orderlies who ho looked like undertakers dr dressed In white brought a stretcher to my bed of out and placing me on It carried me the ward across a courtyard to the Tommy Tommy Tommy Tom Tom- operating room or pictures as my calls alls It ItI itI I dont don't remember having the ane anes anes- applied When I came to I 1 was again lying In Ina Ina a bed in Munsey ward One of the nurses h had d draped a large American flag over the head bead of the bed and clasped In my hand was a smaller flag and It made me feel teel good all over to again see the Stars and Stripes At that time I 1 wondered when the boys in the trenches would see the emblem of the land of ot the free and the home of the brave beside them doing Its bit In this great war of civi chi tion My wounds were very l and several times at night I 1 would dream that myriads of khaki-clothed khaki figures would pass my bed and each would stop bend over me and whisper The The best of ot luck mate Soaked with perspiration I would awake with a cry cry and the night nurse would come over and hold my hand This awakening got to be a habit with me until that particular nurs nurse e was transferred to another ward In thre three weeks' weeks time owing to the careful treatment received I 1 was able to sit up and get my bearings Our ward contained seventy seventy five five patients 90 00 per cent of ot which were surgical cases At the head bead of ot each bed hung hunga a temperature chart and diagnosis sheet Across this sheet would be written G S. S W. W or S W. W V. V the former former former for- for mer meaning gun shot wo wound nd and the latter shell wound The S W. W predominated pre- pre dominated especially among the Royal Field artillery and Royal engh engineers About forty different regiments were represented and many arguments ensued ensued ensued en en- sued as to the respective fighting abilIty abil ability abil- abil ity of ot ea each h regiment The rivalry was wonderful A Jock arguing with an nn Irishman then a strong Cockney accent accent ac ae- ac- ac cent would butt In In favor tavor of ot a 11 London Lon Lou Loudon London don regiment Before long a Welshman Welshman Welshman Welsh Welsh- man followed by a member of ot a Yorkshire Yorkshire Yorkshire York York- shire regiment and perhaps a Canadian Canadian Cana Cana- dian Intrude themselves and the argument argument ment meat waxes loud and furious The patients In the beds start howling for tor them to settle their dispute outside and the wt ward rd Is In an uproar The head sister comes omes along and with a wave vave of ot the hand completely routs the doughty warriors and again silence reigns supreme Wednesday and Sunday of each week were visiting days and were looked forward to by the men because they meant parcels containing fruit sweets or fags When a patient had a regular visitor he was generally kept well supplied wIth these delicacies Great jealousy Is shown among limong the men as asto asto to their visitors and many word wars ensue after the visitors leave When a man Is sent to a convalescent convalescent convalescent cent home he generally turns over over his steady visitor to the man In the next bed Most 1 visitors have autograph albums and bore Tommy to death by asking him to write the particulars of his wounding In same Several Tommies try to duck this unpleasant job by t telling tell telling ll- ll ing the visitors that they cannot write but this never phases the owner of ot the album he or she generally she offers to write It for tor them and Tommy Is stung Into telling his experiences The questions asked Tommy by visitors visitors t tors r would make a a. a clever joke book to a military man Some kindly looking old lady will stop at your bed and In a sympathetic voice address you You poor boy wounded by those terrible Germans You must be suffering frightful pain l lA A bullet did you say Well tell me f fI I have always wanted to know did It hurt worse going In or coming out TO BE CONTINUED |