The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-05-14
CANADIAN. SOLDIER ...-...-.-...
I Tells OF TRENCH LIFE
A Severe Bullet Wound PHt Bombar-
der Walsh in Hospital, And Hav
ing Been Restored to Health, He
Praises Red Cross - Y

l "A severe Dullot NOtiIu Ttf6 DOIQDdd
der Walsh in a Hospital, And Ha,
ing Been Restored to Health, HI
Praises Red Cross.
Bombardier A. M. Walsh, M. M.
who was to have spoken at the cor
ner of Poplar and Gay streets las1
night, in the interest of the SeconG
War Fund of the Red-Cross. was pre-
vented from doing SO by the inclem-
ent weather, it~being necessary fol
the party, to which he was attached
: to leave early in order to get to
, Hooper's Island before the storm be-
: came too severe. Today he address
ed the students of the Cambridge
High School, Prof. Richardson, OF
Maryland State College, having also
spoken to the school children, of that
institution.s When interviewed by a
/ BombardierNka44 sail .-...,--.----4 =
! During my year and a half on
the Western Front, l went through
several large engagements, including
the battles of st. Eloi, Somme and
fVimy Ridge. I hay chad experiences
which .are. still yiyidlY impressed on
my mind, and are certainly hard to
forget Most of my comrades. who
went to France with me, are either
Ekilled or back in hospitals, suffering
from wounds received in battle.
! After crossing the English Chan
i mel and docking at one of the French
ports, we were conveyed to within a
short distance OF the front line. Here,
after resting for a week, we went in
/ to action. Conditions were most Sc
| we're at that time, for the men stuff
cred from wet weather and were I'M
| able to get sufficient dry wood to
| make a, fire. The trenches were con-
| tinuallK flooded with water, which
| had TO-. be pumped out when too
| much of it collected. .....
Except for an occasional trench
| raid, and slight bombardment by
| the artillery, nothing of importance
happened HI the first few months. We
| were content: to play a waiting game
until We were reinforced with suffl-
| Gent men and supplies. Recreation
huts and coffee stands were very few
| and far btween, SO that . when the
boys actually did come out of the fir
| ing line, many of us had no where to
| go tc forget the hardships and suf-
| fering we had endured while on the
line y iIA'G"D II 9. tir"f
l. 9TheGworse fighting l have ever
| experienced took place at the Somme,
| where the British had massed thou
| sants=of- guns and rounds OF anfmu-
milton The bombardments were ter
rife at times, and certain German
| prisoners, whom we asked how they
liked our fire, told us 1t certainly
| was hell And it certainly must
| have been, for often we had guns
placed wheel to wheel, and some of
| the batteries just clearing the guns
! in front with their fire.
| ION one occasion when l went .ov-
er the top, was working as sig
mailer. It was my duty to keep in
| touch with the infantry, and if they
! were held up at any particular point
to send back notice to our artillery,
| which would concentrate their fire on
! that portion of the line and clear
| away the obstruction.
Ito show you the spirit of the
boys over there l must tell you of
one thing.I saw on leaving our
| trench. saw two of the boys lying
| in No Mans Land. One had his leg
| shattered and the other was cut up
pretty severely. l asked them if l
could render assistance, but they an
swered in the negative, and only re-
quested that I give them cigarette.
''Our boys soon took possession of
the German front line and went on
| to the supports. This was our OBJ
| jective, and here we consolidated as
| to the wounded. The slightly woun-
ded, of course, are able to make their
| way back to the dressing stations
but it is trying work to get the Sc
IVerely wounded men off the battle-
| field
II have seen Red Cross stretcher-
bearers, bringing out the wounded,
| caught in the shell fire and instantly
killed. But the wounded who reach
| the Red Cross station are well cared
for. They are given every attention
possible and all requirements are
| met by the Red Cross people. After
a man has come out of that hell fire,
and reaches a hospital, he immedi-
| ately believes that he is at last in
heaven.
| 81 was severely wounded after the
battle Of Vimy Ridge, and was in a
hospital about nine months, having
been paralyzed from my hips down
for three months. During that
time the, Red Cross and other
volunteer organizatibnS looked after
| my every want. 1 had only to ex-
| press wish for some, -partic ulars ar
ticle and 1t was Forthcoming. NAS
| Il want to appeal to the people of
Cambridge and Dorchester county to
give to the Red Cross until it hurts.
| The boyssare bleeding and dying for
not onlt hid Glory J but to egthe
world from the terrible menace to
humanity. You people at home are,
in sense, just as much in the fight
as the boys over there and it is up
to you tp fdischafges your duty with
the santg indonita spirit shoKaSbg
the boys who are keeping back the
GermanIeasetnsf VERFrgE3