Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-01-18
1t Was "Oper The Top
| With The Best OF Luck
For SQDDer Van Leer

For Sapper
Sherman might have been the first to
say War is He'll but he wasn't the first
to think it nor will he be the last TO
think it or say it for many think II and
follow in his historical footsteps and say
War is He'll"
What would you call by the shortest
name: Being thrown into shell hole,
gassed and shell shocked SO that months
Of quietude and rest were needed to place
you on your feet; falling into another
shell hole loaded with a can Of hard tack
and falling onto four dead Germans; waf-
lowing up to your waist in molasses'
lighting trench rats as big as cats and
cracking fieas that knew more about your
clothing than did you. wouldn't you call
that He'll? That is what Burt Van Leer.
now at the National Soldiers Home q
Togus with others went through. He has
lived to tell about it but many have not.
He was admitted to the Home Dec. :, 1917,
after 10 months continual service as a
rIember OF the Royal Engineering Corps,
having enlisted at London. Also at the
Soldiers Home is Henry Marcus, a ma
tive of Russia, who came to this country
when IS years Of age, now being q years
old, enlisted as a private in F. Company.
Sixth Division. L. S. Field Artillery,
from Boston, and saw but two months
service. although he went across. He was
taken i'll after reaching France and IS now
regaining his health at the Maine home.
Enlisted In London
Van Leer in company with a friend,
went to London from America. Ito see
the sights" as he said Let's enlist said
the friend and they went to the nearest
enlsting station, which was at Whitehall.
There they were speedily put through the
business of enlisting. being examined.
sworn in and sent to a training camp, all
before they had hardly gotten their sec
ond breath. From London they went to
a training camp where after two weeks
stay they were sent to France. There
they at once got into the actual center of
interest in double quick time. A member
of the engineer corps digs trenches,
builds railroads. puts up barbed wire en-
tanglements and fights. First and last he
nights and fights in between his other
work He's a worker and a fighter and
then some.
1t was at the battle OF Arras that Van
Leer fell into or rather voluntarily we.it
into the shell hole. They were fighting
and he heard his lieutenant yell. He saw
him fall into the shell hole and Van Leer
went after him. While there and at
tempting TO get the wounded man out Van
Ieer escaped much OF the poisonous gts
which laid out SO many of his comrades
He says that he never knew how he go;
the lieutenant back to the trench but he
got him back, although the or1icer did not
live. He described the awful devastation
In Arras, considered al one time one or
the prettiest of the villages Of northern
France. Nothing remains but pile Of
brick and rocks and debris. the result o.
the tight which took place at Arras be-
tween the English troops and the Ger
mans.
Routed BY Germans
One night at midnight Van Leer with
a company of . engineers was sent to an
outer post to repair some OF the barbeu
wire entanglements which had been torn
down by the Germans barrage fire. When
they arrived at the place they were hailed
with all kinds Of shell fire, coming from
apparently all directions. There were five
OF them who lived to crawl back to camp
and with orders to move on at once the
bodies of the % victims were left. withou,
burial.
The Germans are past masters in the
art Of trench building. In some Of the
abandoned trenches Van Leer said they
found all the comforts of nome. On the
ground Were rugs. and there were easy
chairs for the comforts Of the enemy
They also found all kinds Of drinks. in
Guiding champagne. AS so many others
have told US, Van Leer said that the
Germans appeared glad to be captured
with chance for bed and food The Ger
man soldier may receive letters from
home which are not censored Many of
the German soldiers who have been cap
tured, tell of receiving letters from home,
IN which they are told that there is no
body i'll Germany left of lighting age. All
that are left are Old men. old women and
The Prussian guard, which is considered
the finest in the German ranks met II,
combat with the English forces and
among those captured were youths not
more than Y and "A years of age
Ladies Of He'll"
In speaking Of the various nationalities
fighting against the Germans Mr. Van
Leer described the South Africans He
said. place a soldier of that contingent on
a horse and with his broad bladed knife.
which they call a cheese knife, they will
60 through anything. Right and left they
Will hew down their opponents. But let
the African rely upon his own sturdy un-
derpinnlngs and he is lost, he cannot fight
and he cannot get ahead. Without his
horse he is Of no value in the ranks The
Scotch soldiers, which the Germans cali
The Ladies Of HE'LL gre wonderful
fighters.
At the battle OF Arras Van Leer's
friend. with whom he enlisted at London.
lost his life. Just as he went up the lad
der in the trench to go over, a shell hit
him although he probably never Knew
what did hit him. His head was blown
off as was his shoulder That was most
sad incident in Van Leer's experience
lover there" The tension IN the trenches
Just before going over is nerve racking.
The soldiers are waiting. The barra &c
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