New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-07-23

we were ordered to take over anofh&<.
part of the line. We did so, who's
was in q woods There was intermit4
tent rifle and machine gun fire all
day with plenty of shells overhead.
! too.
Wounded BY Shrapnel.
| Il then received orders to take
| half of my platoon and relieve the
outpost after dark. | got everybody
ready and just before dark reconnOit-
cred to find the shortest way to cross
| the open to our new position. l lay
| beside a sergeant of another platoon
on my left and talked with him about
| it finally saying about dusk, II will go
and get my men. / had gone scarce
ly 25 yards when l heard q big shell
coming. | ducked and it struck about
where I had just left, it seemed to me
as I looked back. / was then almost
to the end Oeft of my platoon line
and heard the second one coming. I
made q flying leap for an empty shall
low trench and the shell exploded
right over ME helping me forcibly in
to the hole. I thought it had crushed
my back in but felt no pain and
possible. [ was not frightened q bit
but [ certainly prayed harder than l
ever did before. The Smelling con-
tinued nearly half an hour with I'M
abated fury and T finally realized
that no bones were broken. Then [
felt the blood running around my
BODY and it dawned on me that was
hit with a piece of shrapel.
4 Tale of the Henry Ford.
FINALLY our battalion adjutant
came down that way and / told him L
was wounded. He escorted me back
to company headquarters where l re-
ceived first aid dressing. He then |
walked with me about mile to the |
battalion dressing station when [ re- |
ceived a new dressing and shot OF !
tetanus. The doc" sent me and |
another wounded man with a first aid
man down through the woods at the
end of which, after an endless time, We
were taken by the ambulance to an
other station The ambulance was
new Ford, the driver new IN that
locality, it only ran on second speed
and pulld horribly on hills. la APP
Deared to me that he was poor
driver for wounded men, having two
Stretcher cases inside. AT one place,
while we were proceeding past one of
our auto rations trains slowly he
knocked down q man and luckily only
hurt his hand Next we passed cavalry
troop and the hub grazed a horses leg.
We then changed cars and had gone
five hundred yards when we collided
head on with another ambulance
Then we changed to another machine
and finally made the third dressing
station. They informed me that
/ had to go on to the next place, a J
hospital, about so l1ilometers distant.
[ piled in with stretcher case, an !
American and two Frenchmen. We
journeyed on for hours and reachd
our next place at day-break. There
they started us on our way to another
place which was reached about a. M
There I was put in a clean bed and felt
very we'll indeed. I was operated on
that afternoon and foreign body re-
moved. 7 felt fine and slept very well
that night being awakened at four q.
m to leave on the train for this
hospital where [ have been for seven
days tomorrow morning at which time,
I with a number of others will be
evacuated. Our treatment here has
been wonderful, delicious food, de-
lghtfuI surroundings. sunny days in
the courtyard where tea, chocolates
and cakes are served at five. The only
disa dvantages l have had were daily
dressings which are no fun We are
in the center of the big city and |
wont be able to see it, unless I get
leave later.
We'll, in this recent lighting the !
marines have covered themselves with !
glory but at the expense of heavy
casualties. They have beaten the
Boche at his own game and driven
him back several miles strengthening
out a salient which was very dan
gerous to the Allies. For their
wonderful Victories it is
they have received the 4
double citation from the French bv 4
which every man is entitled to wear
, cord over his shoulder I could h
ell you many sad tales of officers
md men lost. but that would do no
good" =