Arizona republican., 1916-03-20
WITH WOUNDED
IN THE FIELD
Fred Spalding, Now At
tached to French Ambu-
lance Corps as Driver,
Writes Of Experiences in
Letter to J. A: Moore

The duty of Req Cross drivers is
graphically described in a letter which
j A. Moore of this city has just re-
Ceived from Fred Spalding. former
Phoenix boy, now at the front IN
France. Mr.. Spalding. who has lectured
here on previous visit home, will
probably deliver in lecture form his
experiences with the ambulance corps
on his return next summer.
The following is from his letter:
France, February II, 1916.
You have probably received my let
ter some time ago telling of my three
! months enlistment with the American
ambulance
When | joined the section it was
undergoing repairs at the quaint old
| French city of Beauvois, and we stayed
/ there so long that | began to think |
was not going to get any real expert
ence of shellfire, hut at last we moved
up to within two and a half miles of
! the front line and are handling the
| wounded in about ten llilos of trenches
as well as evacuating the little village
|
! ed back to safer and larger base hos
| pitfalls. We take turns at post serv
| ice, which means going to the stations
: nearest the trenches for the wounded.
These stations, or Posts de Secours
are often only dugouts 200 or 300 yards
from the lines, and the wounded are
, brought there by means Of communi-
| eating trenches. One of the posts Is
only 100 yards from the trenches, and
TO get there with the ambulance re
quires a journey along a road Which is
screened for long distances and pre-
vents the Germans from seeing the
wagons passing. The screen undoubt-
eddy helps, but is very Intellectual on
hill and in the open drawing fire.
The Germans are really pretty good
here about not firing on ambulances
for we go places it would be fatal for
an ordinary car TO go. At night or
during an attack, however, an 2mbu-
lance is just the same as any vehicle,
and last week when | went up to a
most dangerous post, shells were
whistiing and screeching overhead both
coming and going, while a good many
struck both in front and behind me on
the road. That is one thing in going
so close to the line most of the shells
are directed further back and more
shells are hitting the village from
which | started than We're bursting
right at the front, although the ruined
villages right at the front showed that
that was not always the case.
1 6It n6s COL lie
we are stationed at little town very
frequently bombarded Three of us stay
for twenty-fOur hours on duty. and
take whatever calls that come. | am
on post duty today and haven't had a
call a p. m), but last week during a
small attack the ones on post were
busy al. day and all night. | tray
elled $50 miles on my day. Five or siS
shells hit in the yard of the place We
stay and two struck the building while
| out on a call I saw a large
number break at distance of less
than 200 yards, and when | was out
on run piece of one dropped on my
mudguard, but without any force.
Il will never forget the sight a.
| night. The Germans had stopped mos
of the high explosives and were send
ing shrapnell, which burst in gorgeou.
| flashes at delights varying from 100 t.
1900 feet. | had gone on a run and haC
taken some wounded 20 a place abou
zen miles interior and was returning
about s p. m. when | saw they wer'
shelling the village where we tire,
/ stay The flashes came faster than
|
could hear the dull reports among tn,
roar of the French guns Soon thu
flashes were on every side and thu
terrifying sound of the approaching
shells, whistling and screechng, wa
added to the sound of their explosion
| and the firing cannon. | cannot sa!
really like it while | am in it, bu
there is something fascinating about i
all and fellow wants to get RICH
in the thick of it again. The day afte
I was on duty the bombardment wa
worse than ever and emergency call
were sent to our main headquarter
two anG a half miles from the pos
village. | was last on the list, havin;
been on the day before, but got per
mission to go with one of the Othe
fellows and we evacuated a hospita
and carried the wounded further bacl
because the firing was too severe ant
shell after shell was falling in the hos
pital yard. There was a good deal o
activity for three or four days, but
has quoted down now and | have onl
seen one German shell burst today, al
though the French are firing prett,
regularly