Milford chronicle., 1917-01-19
BRITISH SOLDIER NOW
VISITING IN MILFORD
Harry F. Ross, Wounded In The
Trenches, Came To Native
Country After Recovery.

y
wear past has been serving in the
British army now fighting in France,
arrived in Milford this week for a
short visit with his half-sister, Mrs.
Daniel G Collins. Mr.. Ross was
born at Glendale this state, but has
seen active service in the British ar
nv in Africa and other points during
the past few years. He was seriously
injured while in action, was sent to
London. where he recovered, was dis
charged. and returned to the United
States last Sunday evening. When
seen by the Chronicle reporter, Mr..
Ross stated that because of the fact
that there were a number Of Germans
residing in this section, whose feel
ings he did not want to injure, he did
not want to give an interview. After
some persuasion. however, he told the
following story
Il was in New Orleans when the de-
sire to 90 over and Join the British
army struck me. ! accordingly went
TO Wales. where l enlisted in the First
Welsh Battalion, November p, 1915
from which l was transferred to the
Third Ratallion of Welch in a few
davs. Before three weeks had elaps-
ed l was again transferred to the
Second Battalion of the same regl-
r1ent. This battalion was in Belgium
engaged in the thickest of the fight
ing We were before Ypres for sew
eral davs. and at that place on Janu-
ary 7th, 1916, l received two wounds
one inflicted by a bayonet in the left
leg. and the other shrapnel wound
in the right knee. l was sent to the
King Edward Hospital at CardlH,
wales. where l was a patient until
March Srd. After leaving the hospl-
tai l was sent to the Channel Islands,
and from there to A1derney, where l
was transferred to the Home Ser
vice" regiments. These troops are
not subject to service outside Of the
country.
"The Home Service was too tame
.so in July l again volunteered Tor the
front | was transferred from the
Tbird Welch Battalion to the Fourth
Ratallion of the North Straffordshlre
Rapiment at Guernsey, and little
later another transfer from TINS pa
taIIon to the First Battalion OF lhe
same regiment stationed III france;
We were sent into Belgium again ana
on Julv 18th had our first experience
With "gas In this attack the Ger
mans managed to kill 300 of our men
in tbis manner. After this engage
rnent our battalion was badly cut up
so we were sent to Plugstrate fOr re-
anforcements. From there we march
"a N the Somme where bloody en-
,agements have been fought daily for
" we were in front of Guillemont
for fourteen days. our battalion pc
ING mart of the Twenty-fourth DI'I-
sion In all the fighting there we
,,ore only able to capture ana holu
the quarries, but as result Vi ','l'
o,,oa aeement we're badly cut up. Ac-
cording to the French the shellnre AZ
CuillemOnt was the worst the WI III III
has ever known, it being even worse
than that at Verdun. AFTER Oeills ~
badlv cut to pieces the Twenty-fourth
Vas relieved by the Twenty-siXth u
,,;sion composed of the irish Regl-
,nents and Guards. On August zIsI
our division was marched TO hlDe-
Tnond where we waited for nVe Gays
for re-enfOrcements' D.i,,;,io
I'VE were then sent to belVllle
Wood cDevil's Woods and It Is every
ching that the name implies) "here
we relieved the South Stanoros anu anu
Suffolks in the trenches. On tie
night of August 2Sth we advanced IN
force and captured the right OF the
front line trenches; ana TWO Vi ,th GVl
companies counter aItacAeu ',+
bOmbs and drove the Germans ou'
with the exception of a sap ABOUT ll,iI
tv wards long on the extreme IlslI. &,
The Germans held this small SUP .p
until the next evening. AlIei 'nl9
ensaeement s, we were sent to the re, re,
sarve trenches, where we stayed until
Sentember 1st, when we were asali
called up to prepare for the Septe"-
ber advance. ..-.od 70 ehelI
nc and nv three o'clock had gotteh
80 range and started to blow up our
tronches a systematically. In the sec
49,, Of trench in which was locat-
"a tbare were five men, mcludlns
,,o,,seIf A large shell burst near the
+rencb and of the FIVE men TWO were
SiIiad outright. one had his right "rlss
and knee shattered and one man nI anu
pavself we're burned. The toIlo"tL to' the
nart of the story 1 am taking from IN tne
medical reports in my case. AoGOou "Sout
me to this report 1 was buried aDouT !
one one bour and forty minutes when
was blown up by the explosion " S.a5 o.,
other shell. Ambulance men o.s.i'i lounu
me- s,0 and carried me to the Seyenty- y,
second eC Ambulance Dressing S@tstlon @
Il an unconscious condition: d FROM
this station was sent to tne -;no,,y SlASy >,
Fifth Clearing Station at Mericou, ,oUoTs
for III Roenn owing to the numerous numerous
German fSa submarines operating outslGe ,l'
mis- mort. the authorities did not snat sSa.
the wounded to England from .tio,, silJ,
oity oV but sent US to Havre. from Wnicn 81
S noyt we were sent to Southampton 20
en+oute eUr 70 London. arrived IN Lon, ll
dom on September 4th, and resaineu re
consciousness on September 6tn; ;od
when l came to was paIsiy s Tes Tee
from the waist downward. and @as as
unable to eat for seven weeks. IVA ! was
them at the Queen Alexandra tO,r;p hOSp,, ]
TAI on Cover street. Aiter nastne sov'
heen ~. kept at that institution TOT .,set,, seT,
-