Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-08-19

SUFFERING from shell shock, and meet
ing two other Marshalltown boys -
Harry Gabelman and Wayne Cum
ming-on his way to the rear: Char
ley" Peckham seeing Gabelman and
Cumming and hearing thru them OF
Frazer's injury; and word from Bert
Newcomer. pa.hetically referring to
his expectation Of being home In a
few days, made up interesting letters
received In large batch Of soldiers
mail which reached the city Saturday
night.
The injury to Floyd Slaves from
shrapnel fire, and Roland Oppices ex-
perience in sending one over into
German territory. We're other bits Ut
Information contained In letters,
Frazer Has Close Call.
Saturday morning Mr.. and Mrs. A.
l.. Frazer received letter from their
son. Dwight L, Frazer, Battery B,
Tenth field artillery. dated July IL.
telling of the wounding of his cousin,
Frank +. Johnson Of this city, who got
piece of shrapnel thru his leg.
At 10 o'clock Saturday night two
other letters were received from
Frazef, one dated July Is, and the
other July IS. The first letter tells
Interestingly OF hts close call from
being killed by a shell that got every
other man in the section where it
struck.
Young Frazer is what is known as
| a wireless scout" He Is a radio op-
orator and Is sent In advance OF the
line to receive signals from airplanes
and convey them back 10 the line by
wireless. telephone. telegraph. or sig
nal flags.
He says in reference to this in
jury:
Il an: in a base hospital far from
the front lines. l am not Wounded; In
fact don't know what Is the matter
with me. All know Is that am SO
shaky l can hardly write or anything
else They call It shell shock and
exhaustion. There vas a shell lit in
bunch Of us and got all but me. 1t
| knocked me down, but not uncon-
| scious. bandaged l-one Of the fel-
lows who had bad wound In his
back, got a stretcher, and another
man. and starteds for a first aid sta
ton. which was about two miles
Whether or not got there ! don't
know. The .lext thing Amember |
| was In an ambulance about fifteen
miles from the front. and the fellow
| started to carry was beside me, hue
he had been dead for SONG time. He
was 3. C. detail man and one Of my
best friends.
Meets Marshalltown Bovs.
II was sitting on the seat of an am
oulance with the driver. going to a
hospital train. when Harry Gabelman
and Wayne Cumming jumped on the
side OF the car. was never so much
| surprised In my life. didn't have
| much time to talk to them, but II
seemed good to see them,
I can't teA you just what part OF
the front I have been on, but -have
been into the, worst of 1t. and can say
| that Sherman was a wise man. Don't
worry about me. as I will be O. X.
as soon as can get rest and few
square meals"
Frazer's letter ;of the 2sth, mailed
Aug. 1. and making exceptional time
in reaching its destination. said that
he was getting along fine, and that he
had not been able to locate Frank. re-
ferring to his cousin, Frank johnson.
who had been wounded, This place is
like q paradise after coming from the
front" says Frazer.
Judging from. the fact that Frazer
| wrote July 81 of his COUSINS injury,
and then again on the 26th, telling Of
his own mishap, and coupled with the
statement OF Charles Peckham on July
% that 1t was Thursday that Frazer
was seen by Gabelman and Cum
ming. it would seem probable
that Frazer was hurt on July "A.
Peekham Not German Prisoner.
It is practically. assured now that
Charles w. Peckham is not prisoner
in Germany, as indicated. late in July
when a letter to- his parents. Mr.. and
Mrs. w. l.. Peckham, from the Ameri-
can Red Cross. expressed such fear
thru information the Red Cross had
received.
The information received by the Red
Cross was dated July IS. and referred
to the burns on ,Peckham's hands as
improving Saturday night letter re-
ceived from the young sergeant by
his parents, showed that Peckham was
safe and we'll in France on the 2sth,
as the letter was written that day.
Peckham is sergeant. designated as
first chief of a repair department sec
ton, assigned to the 10sd Lafayette
escadrille.
II had another fine ride two weeks
ago" says Peckham, "and expect to go
again as soon as the weather is good.
get just enough to make me crazy to
fly. and not a chance In the world at
present. was up back Of the big drive
once last week. and believe me the
Americans sure have done some won
derful work.
"In going up toward the front from
the camp was in I ran across Harry
Gabelman. Later Harry. Wayne Cum
ming and had fine evening together.
'Gabe' and Wayne. while waiting for
me last Thursday night, saw Dwight
Frazer coming back from the front on
an ambulance. He was on hospital
train. but couldn't find him. He was
apparently knocked out by conclusion,
but was o. K. when he came to. Not
a scratch. they said. However, his pal
was killed"
Newcomer Writes Letter
Herbert 7. Newcomer, who. on July
%, fell e.0c0 feet In an airplane and
received fracture of the skull and
now in Base Hospital No. 9 in France.