Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-06-13
EARL NORMAN ALIVE IN FRANCE
Announcement OF Death at Viny
Ridge Proved to BE mcoIrec,.

Earl Norman, son OF Mr.. and Mrs.
Richard e. Norman. formerly of
Walhalla, but now Of Florida, who
was officially reported as killed in
battle at Vimy Ridge, in France, still
lives. cablegram from young Nor
man to his mother proves an inauccu-
racy Of the official announcement.
The following article from the Jack
sonyille Metropolis of May 80 will be
read with interest in upper Carolina,
and especially in Walhalla and Oco-
nee:
Earl Norman Still Lives.
Gables from France to MRS. Kathe-
sssIineeA AoRfn anSs!l 81 4~dsnt,r et;;-tffa
nounce that her son. Earl r. Norman.
whom she believed had perished in
the great battle Of Vimy Ridge, is
alive. There was one happy mother
IN Jacksonville when the short mes
sage came. A week previous Mrs,
Norman received official notification
from France to the effect that her
son had been killed in the fighting.
Until the cablegram was received,
Mrs. Norman had not left her home,
but had hoped through all her fears
that her son still lived. The official
notification of her sons death reach
ed Mrs. Norman on May 8, and until
a few days ago she had believed him
dead, despite her hopes to the con-
trary.
Capture of Vtmy Ridge.
In the great battle on Vimy Ridge
the American and Canadian troops
accomplished gain that the French
and English had repeatedly failed to
do. They drove the Germans before
them like shepherd drives his fold,
going over the ridge "like men on a
dress parade" as a young soldier
wrote Mrs. Norman after telling her
OF her sons part In the fight. "The
Germans we're lying six and eight
deep in their trenches after We rout-
ed them from their strongholds," con-
tinued the letter. The letter from
the young soldier came to Mrs. Nor
man when he was believed to have
been killed In the great fight. Even
his closest comrades lost sight of him,
and 1t Is still mystery to Mrs. Nor
man as to how he escaped being kill
ed. She believes he was badly
wounded, and was carried away from
the battlefield to some remote hospi-
tai camp.
A short history Of young Norman,
who Is we'll known in Jacksonville,
follows:
NOFman'S Record.
r. R. Norman, known as 4111, s
Company, II Platoon, Royal Cana
dian Regiment Of the British Expedi-
tionary Force in France, enlisted in
the Royal Canadian Dragons at To-
ronto, Canada, May 20, 1916, and was
transferred to the 9th American Le-
gion Battalion, which was recruited
by Lieut.. Col. Jolly, an American and
veteran Of the U. S. Marines, who
went through the Boxer uprising in
China.
The battalion trained for service at
Aldershot Camp, Nova Scotia, after
which the men sailed from Halifax
for oversee duty on September 18th,
1915, with 1,160 American soldiers.
They arrived in England about Octo-
Der 1. When the call came to the le-
gion for the first draft of 150 men to
cross the channel to France, young
Norman signed up. After two weeks
he qualified with the gun, which was
necessary, as England accepts no
country's musketry. This is some
thing but few know All other train
ing can be done in this country, but
England requires qualifications with
the gun on her own soil. France
pursues the same course.
Interesting Facts.
Phil Walsh, Norman's comrade,
could not make the draft, owing to
the necessity Of some dental work, so
they both fell back for the second
draft. When this came the work on
Walsh's teeth was not finished, and
so young Norman left his comrade