The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-06-17

back from our front line trench to get
something to cat at our base. When
we got back to the front line trench
again there were but four Of us. I
so reported to my captain and I re-
member how he laughingly remarked:
And Of course, Kelly. you had to be
one OF the four!'
"But got mine the afternoon OF
March %. after losing two horses IN
the morning. We were gallopinG along
In tho open country in pursuit OF
the retiring Germans when she'll
dropped directly under my horse and
exploded. The good old steed was
blown to pieces, but he saved my
life. Fragments OF she'll raked my
legs and arms. but not my body. be-
cause the bulk Of the horse inter-
Down we went in mass. I remember
calling out to my pals as they swept
by. Are you fellows going to let me
die here" Two Of them dropped of
their horses and tried to make me
comfortable. They thought at first l
had been killed outright. They cut
off my clothing. bandaged my wounds.
gave me flask Of liquor, made me as :
comfortable as possible and rode on
after the Germans.
For thirteen hours I lay there In
the snow until the Red Cross got me.
II was showing hard all the time. and
feel sure I would have died but for
that rum. learned afterward I had
suffered twenty-four distinct wounds.
My left knee was fractured and the
right knee blown away My legs and
arms were perforated with fragments
Of shell. A piece Of shrapnel buried
itself under my right eye close to the
nose and cut the optic nerve. When
came to was In the clearing station
on my way to Havre."
Torpedoed by the Hun
Kelly's final and miraculous escape
from death came while en- route from
Havre to Southampton. on the steam
ship La France. Arms and legs
strapped in splints. he was carried
aboard ship with many other wounded,
bound for Blighty." On the same
shin were more than a hundred Ger
man prisoners.
Two and half hours out we were
startled by a sudden sharp impact
against the side of La France, fol-
lowed by a terrific explosion" said
Eellv. 1T was torpedo from a
U-boat. Immediately the water poured
in the hold and the ship began to sink
by the bow. We wounded were down
IN the second deck, as were the Ger
man prisoners ! remember falling out
NJ bed into the water. The German
prisoners had stampeded and were
tranplIng the wounded.
Some good fellow got hold OF me
and tried 10 help ME up the gangway.
Rut we were jostled by the craZed
cermans and rolled down the stairs.
nv bandagcs and splints were all
iostled loose and the salt water poured
into my wounds. causing intense pain.
eventually we got on deck and was
literally dragged to the side, where
,bev we're launching boats. The Ger
MAN prisoners. however. had seized
number of the boats while the crew
vas bravely trying TO save the
wounded, and when we got to the
deck but few boats were lett Two
te,,ows plcked me up, and counting
.ore two, three threw me over the
cardboard side in the direction OF
hoat we'll filled with our wounded ana
cor,non prisoners. Luckily landed
SQUARE In the middle Of the boat.
For two and a half hours we hoated
,-ound I'm the sea. The U-boat stood
hv for a time and actually shelled the
fraiI craft laden with wounded ana IN
cidental|y with their own men who had
been our prisoners. The La France
wont down before our eyes within III
teen or twenty minutes. carrying with
II many Of the brave crew and the
bravo Red Cross nurses who had STOOD
hv. until the last minute supervising
tho ,escue of their charges. Eventually
We we're picked up by trawler ana
,akcn n Southampton. I spent nine
months in a Scottish hospital ana
was sent home with my discharge.
And here l am still alive after all
my adventures. My brother predicted
whom I went. away that no German
s,a,I ever would get me. I seem to
have had 4 charmed life TO have come
through It all. My only regret now Is
,hot cannot so back and stick there
for the big finish. For some OF these
DAVIS we arc going to win the war and
whip the Hun"