Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1916-01-14


when l was asked my name l spelled
II 'Tressler.' because l didn't want
anybody to know that l couldn't recall
where ] came from or who ! was.
Is Reported Missing.
consequently IT. F. Trusler' went
on the rolls of the missing. Conse-
quently also, failed to get mail from
my fiancee and my parents. 1t was
not until last summer when l was
wounded in the leg so badly that was
sent to England that l made any at
tempt to find out who ! was. ] con-
f1ded my story to an Englishwoman
of high rank who was interested In
the hospital. She made inquiries
among the officers of my brigade who
remembered Trusler' who came out
with the contingent.
my parents were communicated
with and my mother remembered an
old scar on my foot. Sure enough
the scar was there. Even when !
returned to Montreal ! didn't recog-
nize my mother and don't yet. l
learned l was engaged to be married
before I left for the front and on my
return home my fiancee was at the
station with my mother and father.
l didn't recognize any of them, but
they took me home"
Here Mr.. Trusler admitted that he
had fallen in love "all over again" and
with the same girl.
Although the gunner cannot remem-
Der what happened before January of
last year, he has a vivid recollection
of what has happened since, and his
description of the battle Of Ypres in
April and of the effect of the poison
gases used by the Germans is most
vivid.
About five o'clock Of the evening
of April 49," he said, I'VE were get
ting quite bored, for we were in the
reserve force along the Poperinghe
road, three miles west of Ypres. The
dull monotony was rudely broken by
the sudden appearance of swarms OF
French colonial troops, Singhalese and
Zouaves, rushing in from the front
trenches, clutching at their threats,
holding their sides, rolling on the
ground, gasping for breath, eyes blood
shot and staring, many of them bleed
ing at the mouth, but most of them
unable to explain the cause OF their
peculiar actions.
Asphyxiating Gas Cloud.
Along with them came scores OF
refugees, men, women and children,
bearing with them all they could take
from their burning and wrecked
homes. At that time we had never
heard Of asphyxiating gas and were at
a loss to make out what it all meant.
The order stand to your arms was
quickly passed along to the reserves.
The Montreal Highlanders were the
first to get on the move. 1t takes
longer to get artillery wagons on the
move, and while we were working at
feverish haste the Highlanders went
by, each man singing and smiling.
although they must have known that
many of them would never return.
AT seven o'clock the artillery
forces were all ready and waiting
for the order to move forward. shall
never forget the scene at the moment.
From the city Of Ypres there arose
high in the heavens huge jets of
flames, while overhead shells burst
by the hundreds, and in our ears was
the din of falling walls and all sorts
of indescribable noises.
when the order came to move for
ward we urged our horses with q
cheer and a song. 1t was necessary
for US to make detour south of Ypres
in order to get to the main road lead
ing to our damaged front. 1t also
was necessary to cross the User canal.
about half 4 mile south of the town,
on q po1toon bridge. The first gun
got over safely, when along came Q
German shell and destroyed 1t.
Under a deadly IRE. for the Ger.
mans had the range, We waited while
the engineers worked to construct an
other bridge. Two long thick poles
were placed across the narrow canal
and crossways on them timbers and
logs were piled. The second gun
went across precariously, but the
third was upset by rolling log. the
cannon carriage falling on one side Of
the narrow bridge and the six horses
ON the other. While the cannon and
horses seemed to be seesawing this
way and that across the bridge shell
nut an end to all the trouble.
Then q third bridge was construct.