Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-06-28
SOLDIERS
LETTER FROM
THEFRONT

4ne IoIIoWlng is letter published
in the Daily Ottawa, Canada, newspa-
per from a young man who is we'll
known here in Grand Rapids:
(From Lance Corp, J. Sawaskey).
Dear Aunt and Uncle-Just a line to
let you know am in hospital and get
ting along fine. seem to have struck
a pretty good place for they look after
US fine. It's some treat to get some
thing to eat again and bed to sleep
in. Well | must tell you about the ex-
citing Easter Monday we had which
will never be forgotten by the Cana
dians, or the Germans either, those
who were in front of US. We came out
of the trenches Saturday, 7th, for "a
hours rest and back in again Sunday
night, the 8th, to attack Monday morn.
9th. At l a. m. Easter Monday we fill
ed out into no mans land where a
kickoff trench or jumping off trench
as we call it, was dug and prepared
during the night so as to be out of
Fritz's shell fire in our front line. Then
the cigarettes and chewing and rum
was passed along and all we had to do
was wait until dawn, $50 M, for
the show to start. At 5:25 the word
was passed along. Five minutes to
go fix bayonets. Then is when you
feel kind of funny. | had no hayonet
so [ tried the magazine on my ma
chine gun and examined my revolver,
a fine big Smith & Wesson As. Then
all of sudden our artillery barrage
opened up and you couldn't hear your
self speak, and we were away over the
top with the best of luck Once you
get started you don't mind anything
only what's in front of you, and there
was something in front of US believe
me | was in the second line of the
first wave to go with my gun crew. We
got along fine until we reached his Sc
cond line trenches, getting lots of them
and making prisoners of those with
their hands up. AS we were getting
out to his third line one of them spot
ted me with the gun on my shoulder
and grabbed a bomb and threw it at
me, but l was too close to him and he
missed me but wounded one of my
chums and | drew my revolver and
heaved him back. They would stick
in their trench and fire and throw
bombs until we were on them and then
throw up their hands and say mercy
comarade. They have that down pat,
or they would grab one of our wound
ed to help him back to our lines to pro-
tect themselves. AS we got started
again his reserve machine guns GER
tainly got US. All my crew were kill
ed or wounded except Hollie Campbell
my No. 2. [ was hit a minute later
and he took my gun and went ahead,
but I don't know how he made out.
Please let me know if you see his name
in the casualty list in the paper. AS
soon as was hit ditched everything
| had on me, even ripped off my shirt
and crawled into shell hole and dress
ed my wound and then beat it back to
our own lines. There were a couple
of batalions coming up behind US to
go through US when we reached our
and when | saw them they
were still going strong. | was sore
and feeling pretty tough, but | helped
escort 200 prisoners back of the lines.
l reached the first dressing station and
was dressed and had good big rum
and felt jake. We had been holding
Vimy ridge ever since we came up
from the Somme last fall. I told you
once, Bill, OF being here for the big
push. Well I've certainly had my
share at the Somme and Vinny, the two
biggest fights ever pulled off. I hope
they keep driving them. I was hit in
the left shoulder by a shrapnel ball
half an inch in diameter. 1t went in
to the bone and being lead fattened
out on one side. went under an a.
ray and was operated on and had it
removed but the back of my shoulder
is pretty we'll cut up. but Pm thinking
| am a lucky boy to get off as easy as
l did, for my chums were dropping on
both sides of me. She sure knocked
me fiat when it hit me. I didn't know
for a minute. The last | saw
of Roy Shaw he was throwing bombs
down Fritz's dugouts and God help
them if there were any of them down
there. | had the whole scrap over
when l was under chloroform, so the
doctor told me. Ha! ha! I was going
to write and tell you I would be in the
of it soon but something
wouldn't let me- I've trusted to God
all along and I've won.