Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-02-14
0SnabrOCk War
Hero in Hospital
G. r. Sherwin Wounded Lies
in Hospital Escapes Death
by Narrow Margin

CUuHIy Ldu space IN CEe OSnaDrOck In
dependent of last week, being re-
ceived from George R. Skerwin, who
was in the restaurant business there
before his enlistment over two years
ago at Winnipeg with one of the first
Canadian contingents to go overseas
The letter is dated January l1th and
is written from the Granville special
Canadian hospital at Buxton, Derby
shire, England, where he was inva.
lided since recently having been
wounded for the third time since his
enlistment:
81 take the pleasure of answering
your letter which I was glad to re.
ceive and hear that all my old
friends at Osnabrock are getting
alongall right. AS far as my health
goes I can now say that am pretty
we'll myself, but am still more than
little lame in my left leg, but it
seems to me that they are fixing that
up so thatI will soon have the full
use of it again, I have written 80
many letters and got no answers to
them that | had begun to think that
you folks back in Osnabrock were all
sore at roe about something or other.
may as we'll tell you now as later
on that | have had some pretty real
hard experiences since coming over
here. l have been wounded twice so
far since coming here to fight
with the allies, once in a bayonet
charge on the 18th of April last
year at Censored here) but the
wound though severe did not put
Y me out of the game. was stuck
by ba onet in the left thigh ane
spsDs i. ally two weeks in hospita
, in France, l think the name of it was
! Bullincote, and from there went
right back into action. 1t wa not
until along in August, l think about
the 18th, that they got me for the
second time, at the battle of (cen.
sored here) 80 you can begin to see
for yourself that it is not all play
in this soldier life across the seas.
1 have most certainly done my bit
with good heart, and without any
Dragging think that I could write
quite an interesting book on my ex.
periences at the front in this world 's
war, fighting the enemy in the
trenches of the mud of Flanders.
When you are up in the front line OF
trenches it is so close to each other
that the men would seem to be simply
numbering one another 1t is not some
thing to be very much wondered at
if murder becomes more common
after this war is over, it certainly
seems that Humanity will have be.
come much hardened in its finer
feelings as consequence of the war.
1t was indeed a pleasure to realize
that someone remembers and thinks
of me among my old friends in the
Brock when l am under fire in the
trenches. Personally | care for moth
ing and expect to go back to France
in a few days time There seemed
to me to be some chance of being in.
valided back to Canada on this last
wound of mine, but guess l an
patched up good enough for another
fight. To summarize my experien.
ces l got pretty badly smashed up with
machine gun and liquid fire charge,
was shot through the left foot, also
have bullet wound in my right leg
az well as burns on my body wher
wrecked airplane Unfortunately came
my way. We were in the midst OF
one of the heaviest battle charges
have ever experienced at the time
and l Jay for nine hours on the field
where l fell before being moved
Fact of the matter is that had givei
up all hope of ever being taken of
alive. | don't like to say too much
but i f spared to see Canada again :
will mos certainly cross the bordel
line and look up my old friends in
Osnabrock. Some four hundred and
3 five days of hardships here in Franc,
on the fighting line sure tell on I
man; sometimes for week at time
? in mud and water in the trenches,
almost dragging your body through
} it; but its no use to Morry we have
this war to win if it takes ever
: man that can be found to enlist O.
: draft, victory we must have. Las
!, winterI got lots of parcels from m.
friends across the sea, but 80 far thi
winter it would seem that have
} either not been remembered in thi
way, or the mails have miscarried.
am ready and willing to go back ant