The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-11-10
WAS taken from Pozieres to Albert

fH n Ford ambulance or, as the
TOmknies would say. a "tin Lizzie"
The man who drove this vehicle would
make a good chauffeur for an adding
machine. Apparently ne was counting
tho BUMPS I'm the road, for he didn't
hiss one OF them. However, the trip
was only n matter OF seven miles, and
was In fair condition when they lifted
me out and carried me TO an operating
table In The field dressing station.
A eharlain came along aud murmur
ed little prayer in my ear. imagine
that would have made a man feel very
solemn if he had thought there was
chance he was about to pass out. but
knew merely had leg pretty badly
smashed up. and while the chaplain
was praying was wondering IL they
would have TO cut IL of. figured, If
RW~<hs-iS9uld handicap my dancing.
The first tormality in shrapnel case
Is the administration OF an antl-tetanus
ipnoculation, and when IL Is done you
realize that they are sure trying to
save your life. The doctor uses horse
syringe. and the injection leaves
lump on your chest as big as base
ball. which stays with you for forty
eight hours. After the injection a
nurse Ellis out n diagnosis blank with
description OF your wounds and a
2 record OF your name. age, regiment.
reslmental number. religion, parentage
and previous history as far as she can
discover IL without asking questions
which would be positively indelicate.
After all OF that my wounds were Civ
en- their first real dressing.
Immediately after this was done i
was bundled into another ambulance
and Criven to Contay. where the G. c..
s. Casualty clearing station) and>rail
head were located. In the ambulance
with me were three other soldiers, an
artillery officer and two privates OF I'm.
fantry. We We're all ticketed Off as
shrapnel cases and probable recoveries,
which latter detail Is remarkable. since
the most slightly injured OF the four
had twelve wounds, and there were
sixty odd shell fragments or shrapnel
balls collectively imbedded in us. The
nurse had told me that had about
twenty wounds. Afterward her count
proved conservative. More accurate
and later returns showed twenty-five
bullets and shell fragments were In
my leg. They took these out and pre-
sented them TO me. havo been Civ
Ing them away for souvenirs.
We were fairly comfortable In the
ambulance. and I especially had great
reEef from the fact that the nurse had
strapped my Leg In n sling attached 10
the tor CT the vehicle. We smoked
cigarettes and chatted cheerfully. OK
changing congratulations on having
got "clGan oneS"-that Is. wounds not
probably fatal. The artillery officer
told me he had been supporting our
battalion that morning with one of the
sacrifice batteries"
A sacrifice battery. might explain.
II one composed Of field pieces which
are emplaccd between the front and
support lines and which I'm case OF an
attack or COunteratt8ck are fired nj
point blank range. They call them
sacrifice batteries because some of
them are wiped out every day. This
officer said our battalion that morning
had been supported by an entire divi.
sion Of artillery and that on our front
OF 400 yards the eighteen Founders
alone. I'm n curtain fire which lasted
thirty.two minutes. had discharged
1900 rounds OF high explosive shells.
i was impressed by his statement, of
course. but told him that. while this
was an astonishing lot OF ammunition.
IL was even more surprising 10 have
noticed at close range as | did, the
number of Germans they missed. To.
ward the end Of our trip to Coutay we
were much exhausted aud pretty badly