American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-08-16
lover the Top"
BY An American Soldier
Who Went
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY
COopyrsht, i0i7. By Arthur Guy Bmpsy)
Machine Gunner Seroins In France

My wounds were very painful, and
several times at night l would dream
that myriads of khaki-clothed figures
would pass my bed and EACH would
stop, bend over me, and whisper, "The
best of luck, mate"
Soaked with perspiratiOn I would
awake with a cry, and the night nurse
would come over and hold my hand.
This awakening got to be a habit with
me until that particular. nurse was
transferred to another ward.
An three weeks time, owing to the
careful treatment received, 1 was able
to sit up and get my bearings. Our
ward contained seventy-fve patients,
90 per cent of which were surgical
cases. At the head of each bed hung
a temperature chart and diagnosis
sheet. Across this sheet would be
written sc. s. w" or rs. w." the for
mer meaning gun shot wound and the
latter shell wound. The rs. W" pre-
dominated, especially among the Royal
Field artillery and Royal engineers.
About forty different regiments we're
represented, and many arguments en-
sued as to the respective fighting abil-
lty Of each regiment. The rivalry was
wonderful. A Jock arguing with an
Irishman, then a strong Cockney ac-
cent would butt in in favor of a Lon
don regiment. Before long a Welsh
man, followed by a member Of a York
shire regiment, and, perhaps, a Cana
dian intrude themselves and the argu-
ment wakes loud and furious. The
patients in the beds start bowling for
them to settle their dispute outside
and the ward is in an uproar. The
head sister comes along and with a
wave of the hand completely routs the
doughty warriors and again silence
reigns supreme.
Wednesday and Sunday of each week
were visiting days and were looked
forward to by the men, because they
meant parcels containing fruit, sweets
Or Tags. When a patient had a regular
visitor, he was generally kept we'll
supplied with these delicacies. Great
Jealousy is shown among the men as
to their visitors and many word wars
ensue after the visitors leave.
When a man is sent to a GONZALES
cent home, he generally turns over his
steady visitor to the man in the next
bed.
Most visitors have autograph albums
and bore Tommy to death by asking
him to write the particulars of his
wounding in same. Several TOmmies
try to duck this unpleasant job by tell
ing the visitors that they cannot write,
but this never phases the owner of the
album he or she, generally she, offers
to write it for them and Tommy is
stung into telling his experiences.
The questions asked Tommy by visi
tors would make a clever joke book
60 a military nan
Some kindly looking old lady will
stop at your bed and in a sympathetic
voice address you: you poor boy
wounded by those terrible Germans
You must be suffering frightful pain
A bullet, did you say? Well, tell me
] have always wanted to know, did /
hurt worse going in or coming outT'
Tommy generally replies that he die
not stop to figure it out when he wa
hit.
One very ~nice-looking, %overenthusi
astic young thing, stopped at my be-
and asked, "What wounded you in tn
face?"
In a polite but bored tone 1 an
swered, "a rifle bullet"
With a look of disdain she passe
to the next bed, first calculating, "Oh
Only a bullet? 1 thought it was
she'll" Why she should think a she
wound was more Of a distinction beat
me. 1 don't see a whole lot of difeI
ence myself.
The American WOmen's War hosp
tai was a heaven for wounded mel
They were allowed every privilege po
sible conducive with the rules and mil
tary discipline. The only fault wi
that the mems passes were restrlcte
To get a pass required an act of pa
lament. Tommy tried many tricks
get out. but the commandant, an o.
Boer wal officer, was wise to them a
and it took a new and clever ruse
make him affix his signature to Il
coveted slip Of paper.
As o o as it would get dark many
patient climbed over the wall and we
"Nn his own" regardless of many sig