Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-09-16


SERGEANT WILLIAMSON
twice He has seen service on four
fronts, in the Lorraine, before
Amiens. on the Upper Marne and in
the big push of July 3 at Chateau
| Thierry. He has helped execute Ger
man spies, fought a victorious had
to-hand battle with. a Prussian
guardsman and in all, crowded into
six months time, adventures which
might well satisfy any man.
Entered in August, 1917
Sergeant Williamson. when seen
shortly after his arrival, gave the
following account of his experiences:
Il enlisted in the army in this city
on the 9Th of August, 1917, and i'm
| mediately was assigned to Company
! A, of York of the old Eighth regi-
ment, going to Camp Hancock with
them. At Hancock l was trans
ferred to the 112th Machine Gun
Battalion, and then to the 10th In
fantry, Company +, which was COM
posed largely of men from the old
Third Regiment, of Philadelphia.
I'VE left Hancock for the other
side during the month of April, and
while at Camp Merritt, waiting to be
embarked, / was promoted to SER
geant. How they came to pick me out
from all those fine Philadelphia boys
/ don't know, because those fellows
in my company sure are good SOL
diers. We arrived in England about
week after sailing, and another
week found MS in Calais, France.
Meets Captain BassIcr
From Calais l was sent to lie
Havre, where l met Captain Bassler,
(formerly pastor of the Second Re-
formed church,. Captain Bassler is
very popular among the men and
was in fine health when l saw him.
From lie Havre our regiment was
ordered to the Lorraine front, but
when we arrived there we found that
another regiment had been secured
for reserves, and we were diverted
to Amiens.
Joined Australian Troops
During the three days which
spent at Amiens, we were brigaded
with Australian troops. While there
we caught a German spy, masquer-
aiding as a French priest, who used
to come through the trenches and
ask the boys if our pork, beans and
cheese, were all right. We found that
he had a wireless concealed behind
the crucifiX in the cathedral. He was
stood against a wall and sprayed
with mdCHlHe gun.
Then we were forced to raze the
Amiens cathedral because the Ger
mans began bombarding it as soon
as the wireless messages ceased to
COME in, and it was pretty con-
spicuous target.
ION the third day of my stay there
1 was slightly 'blown-up' or shell
shocked by a high explosive shell
and then transferred to st. Aignain
hospital. From st. Aignain hospital
| was sent upon recovery to Chateau
Thierry with a number of casuals, as
newly recovered soldiers are called.
Goes Over the Top
I'VE went over the top at Chateau
Thierry on the 25th of May, which
of course was not the time of the
big drive. l barely had cleared the
top of the trnech, when a German
machine gun opened up and 1 receiv-
ed wounds in my right and left legs
Il was returned to the hospital at
st. Aignains and then rejoined the
10th at their new post at Chardreau
on the Marne. We went over the top
at Chardreau, and L got into a fight
with big Prussian guardsman who
managed to stick me in the stomach
with his saw bayonet, but 1 got him
with my automatic revolver.
Il was then sent to the Saveny
hospital where 1 remained three and
one-half weeks and then, feeling
pretty good, and as the doctors
wouldn't let met go, / took french
leave and managed to rejoin my COM
pany.
Takes Lock From Door
Il was only back few days when
a cloud of gas came over and l
managed to get some of it, so they
sent me back to Saveny. 1t was only
a slight case of tear gassing' and
felt all right in few days, but this
time they were taking no chances
on my leaving and kept the door of
my room locked. However, one day
when they sent up my dinner L took
the knife and managed to get the
screws out of the lock on the door,
got away and again rejoined old
F. Company.
From Chardeau we were moved
to Chateau Thierry to take part in
the big drive of July Is. We went
over the top and had advanced about
eight miles, when / as again 'blon
up by a high explosive shell, and
this time they invalided me home.
Il was kept at Saveny hospital for
some time, leaving France on August
IA, on the former German liner the
Vaterland, now the Levithian. We ar
rived in New York on the 10Th and
l was Immediately sent to Plattsburg,
where l have been ever since"
When asked why no notice of his
wounds had appeared in the casualty
lists, Sergeant Williamson said that
when a man is wounded the doctors
ask him who they shall notify. Each
time he replied mo one
Williamson is home on a two
months furlough and on his return
expects to enter an officers training