The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-07-31
SHIPPING VERY RISKY
AMERICAN SOLDIER WRITES OF
SERVICE WITH BRITISH.
Vormded Five Times with Shot and
Shell and Near Death When Hospital
Shin Is TorpedOed-Forty-Five Ger
mans 10 Credit

Los Angeles Times; Altogether
have been laid low eight times,
including five times wounded with shot
and shell, but have one consolation
have bagged forty-five Germans
writes George Henderson Of Madison,
wis. known as the Mad Corporal" be-
cause of his exploits as a sniper and
bomber. If on my return to France
should fall all / can say is that
have had my day and the enemy Will
have got their own back.
Altogether have had three years or
service in the British army and / am
lust having a short leave before l re
turn TO the front again for, you Sec
have joined up again for twenty-one
years or for the duration of the war.
The first time the Germans hit me
was al La Bassee. at the commence
ment Of the war. Not long afterwards
| got plugged again at Messines and
had hardly got going decently before
I had shrapnel planted in my back.
AT Hin 60 my head got in the way
Of a well aimed bullet, which passed
through my head and came out az
the neck. managed to defy the i'll
hammered Hun. but | came a cropper,
again this time returning to hospital
with three pieces Of shrapnel in my
frame.
AT the time ! was felled I was carry
ing Captain skinner on my back We
80 off we went, loaded with bombs and
grenades. We had no sooner got into
the wood than the machine guns began
to speak lost my platoon officer
and sergeant and ! called upon our boys
to halt. The brave lads yelled out,
GO on, George well follow any
where"
took them on and at last got TO
the outer side without losing a man.
Not long afterwards, whilst acting as
platoon officer, was asked to try and
get connected with another company,
and whilst making my way through a
dark wood a shell burst right in front
OF me and over / went on my back.
When l was brought to my senses !
hole.
l shook myself and felt myself 10
make sure | was alive( and while I was
doing so another shell burst at the
back Of me. This reused me and | de
cided II was time to clear out.
When / got with my boys again the
Huns gave it us thick. Jack John
- 10. Inn giaa L.
gas shells, in fact, every kind Of shell
the German arsenals could produce
were poured upon US. In the midst ot
the inferno l heard some one call out
| yelled back, who are you?" ant
rushed forward with my rifle and bay
onet | called upon the stranger {
halt. The wanderer turned out to b,
Captain Skinner Of another battalion
He told me the shelling had broker
his line. l told him TO jump into a shell
hole with me and he did so. He haC
no soonee got under cover than
naughty one" burst over us. knocking
about ten Of us out. My steel helme
was shattered to pieces and got SOM
OF II planted in my back and neck.
also received a big cash in my arm
but my injuries were slight compared
with those Of the others
On regaining my senses | picked uI
Captain Skinner, but | could not ge
him through the densely wooded lines
l. however, managed to make my wa!
and left him in a shell hole and thel
ran as fast as | could for the stretche
bearers.
When / was coming hack a shel
tore a hole in my back and, as ! wa
falling. a tin fell on the back OF m!
hand, which completely Knocked m
out.
How long I remained unconscious
cannot say. but when came to
youngster was standing over me say
ing, You're all right, George"
/ asked him whore the officer wa
whom had tried to rescue. but he coul
not tell me. The last / saw Of the ir
ferno was when / was being carrie
away on a stretcher
Apart from actual wounds ] hav
received. had several narrow escapes
remember one day while / was on
bombing expedition a shell burst ahoN'
the shrapnel breaking my wrist watc
to pieces tearing off one OF my badge
and stripping the skin off my righ
hand
II was some time later when / ha
the most terrifying experience OF al
! was buried in a dugout for four soil
hours A shell demolished everythin
and before ! knew where / was larg
piece OF timber fell on my back and
was pinned TO the ground Three {
my comrades were laid out and It wa
a very trying experience. AZ last
managed 10 get the timber of my bacl
which was just about broken, and the
! set to work To grope my way 60 ga.
light / hadn't such thing as pick q