Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-04-04
VET OF 3 Wars
SEEKS enlistment
Soldier of Fortune Who
Fought Abroad Wants to
Serve Uncle Sam
LIKES TO HEAR
THE GUNS ROAR

After having seen service as a Brit
ish soldier in the siege Of Ladysmith
in the Boer War, as a Russian sailor
aboard a blockade-runner in the Rus
so-Japanese War. and as a "bayonet
man" in Sir Douglas Haig's army in
its great drive against the Germans on
the Somme. Harry F. Ross, a native Of
Cedar Creek Hundred, Sussex county,
Delaware has applied to the naturaliz-
alton authorities in the Federal Build
ing, Philadelphia, to determine his
status as an American citizen with a
view of enlisting in the United States
Army.
Ross, whose career reads like that
OF the boldest soldier of fortune that
ever dashed through the pages OF
Richard Harding Davis war tale, says
he is now living in Milford, Del, and
Is working in the Remington arms
plant at EddystOne. 1--WE been fighting
ever since / was sixteen" he told the
Federal officials. land it's in my blood.
| can't work in a munitions factory
It's too tame. I've got to be where the
bullets fly, and ! want to join the army
IL there is any fighting to be done with
Germany"
While born an American citizen, the
naturalization authorities have raised
"a question concerning Ross title by
reason of the fact that he has sworn
allegiance to foreign flags. Ross hopes,
however, to be able to have this tech
nicality set aside and take his place
in the ranks of Uncle Sans soldiers
at the earliest possible date.
when l was 16." declared Ross, 81
went to England and enlisted in the
British Army. l was sent Immediately
70 South Africa and fought under Kit
chener at Ladysmith and throughout
the bOer campaign Later ] returned TO
England and was sent to Thibet, where
/ contracted fever and was invaded
home.
After being discharged on account
of illness, ! returned to the United
States. but ] couldn't keep away from
the war game long. I signed as mem
Der of the crew of a Russian block
ade-runner engaged in carrying MUM
tions and supplies through the Japan
csc fleet. The life of a sailor is all
right, but it's not to be compared TO
that Of a soldier, and ] couldn't stand
it long
after the fall of Port Arthur. l
came back to America again and in
October. 1915. ! sailed from New Or
leans for Avonmouth. England, where
] enlisted again in the British army.
] was assigned to the Welsh Light In
fantry and sent to France where l
fought for several months as a 'bayon-
ct man in the trenches about Ypres.
zone day a Boche struck me in the
leg with his bayOnet and another sent
a shrapnel shell bursting over my
head. and l spent several weeks in
the hospital After I recovered l was
assigned to the Home Defence Corps
but this didn't suit me at all and
enlisted again, this time with the First
North Staffordshire Regiment. This
was in January OF this year, and they
sent me Immediately to the Somme
front.
81 was in half dozen British char
ges on the German trenches but | was
never touched They almost got me
however. when five of us were hiding
in a little old church that had been
almost knocked to pieces A big Jack
Johnson landed square in the middle
blowing what was left of the battered
building into smithereens and two OF
nv companions into eternity. TWO
others were so badly hurt they died
few days later and / was buried for
an hour and three quarters in the de
brls. When the boys came and dug me
out. my mind was almost as much oil
a wreck as the little church and they
sent me to the hospital to get patched
UP. Then / was discharged, and came
back home once more"
Before we started on a charge
said Ross, the 'bayonet men and
bomb carriers made up a pool each
chipping in from 81 to IS, all he had
the pool to be divided among those
who returned Sometimes, only one
man survived. and he got all the pool
Sometimes none came back, and the
pool was left intact and added TO thai
made prior to the next assault. made
a good bit OF money this way