Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1916-01-10
MONTCLA|R MAN,
WOUNDED TWICE,
BACK FROM WAR
David Williams, Former Golf
Club EmpIoye, Praises the
Bravery of Saxons.

With two shell wounds as souvenirs,
David Williams, a former lockerman
at the Upper Montclair Country Club,
is back from the war zone. He ex-
poets to return as soon as his wounds
are healed He is stopping with
friends in New York.
Williams, now twenty-eight years
old. was a reservist of the Royal Irish
Rifles. who had seen three years
service. and when the call came he
sailed from New York August 3, 1914.
was mobilized in Belfast as a rifleman
August "a. and September he was in
France with the first cXpeditionary
force.
Lance Corporal Williams-he won
the promotion at Neuve Chapelle-
told his story of the war to a party of
New York friends at IA Third ave
nue., where he is visiting. He exhibited
his Wounds-one on the stomach and
one on his right leg.
Friendly with Saxons.
eve had SaXons against us in
Flanders and we used to exchange
friendly greetings with them every
evening"" he said in explaining he
did not cherish hatred. "They were
good chaps. those SaXons. and hu-
name. And how they could fight"
Early in September Williams COM
mand, after withstanding two at
tacks by detachment of Won
Klucll's army, was driven from It's
trenches near scissors. The Irish
Rifles marched for eight nights
each lad with a one pound tin OF
beef a day and that too salty to eat
to Bethune. later crossing La Bas-
see Canal into Belgium. Then they
had their baDtiSm of fire.
"For twelve days we advanced and
retreated alternately" said Williams.
1--WE never knew where we were go
ing or what we were to do till we
reached Neuve Chapelle. We had
barely got our trenches dug-we '5ere
in potato field and the soil was so
soft We dug with our hands-when
tine Prussians under Won Buelow at
tackled us. We drove them back
three times. the last time in handto-
hand fighting, and when we got
through there was nothing but a
thin red line left on each side.
Hold out another six hours, four
hours, two hours. till the reinforce
ments come was the constantly re-
peated order. We thought the rein
forcements never would get there.
Companies a and p, which were next
to mine, charged with bayonets and
were wiped out. Finally Chat was
my company--got the word to ad-
vance. With the achievements we
took the enemy's trenches. but of the
800 men in our command in August
only 112 remained after the last
charge
Volunteers as Scout.
Company C's captain wanted men
to volunteer to act as connecting fire
to creep along several hundred
yards to a neighboring village and
pass back information of the Ger
mans activities-and Williams and
two others responded. Near Hoo9e.
Williams acted as a grenade carrier
in a small company which took two
lines of trenches.
I'VE had advanced on the second
when a shell burst and fell" he said
last night. az mind that q comra1c
took out his first aid kit and ban-
daged me. Eight hours later some
Northumberland F'usiliers carried NO
away and | was sent to the hospital
in London"
The following March found the
lance corporal at the front again. He
saw service near kemmer, in Flan-
ders, with two rows of dead between
us and the Saxons;" was in the
charge on Hill 60 when all hell broke
loose against u.s." and fought around
Ypres. Storming a German parapet
near Ypres in June he was put out Of
action by gas
"I thought ii would strangle me"
said Williams. "My tongue got so
heavy I couldn't breathe. My lips
burned and cracked. 7 tried to swal-
low, but couldn't. I felt my stomach
and found it swollen. Then-the next
knew I was in a hospital and they
sent me back to Glasgow Then they
told me to come on home"
81 wish ! could go back to the
front now" Williams added "If this
country ever gets into war I'll enlist
| on the first day. | have first papers
and I'm going TO be real American
citizen as soon as possible.
"Some of the people in England and
France think we ought to be fighting
now, but the educated men all say
that the course the United States is
taking is the only right one.
az wish I was back there. though.
Tipperary? My hearts right there ="