Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1918-07-19

smashed up a bitT'
answered. I'm all right. but I'd |
give a quid for n drink of Bass"
He nodded to the sergeant, who dis
appeared, and I'll be darned IL he |
didn't return with glass of ale. |
could only open my mouth about
quarter of an inch, but got away with
every drop of that ale. II tasted just
like Blighty, and that is heaven to
Tommy.
The doctor said something to an or
Derby the only word could catch was
'"chlor FORM then they put some kind
of an arrangement over my nose and
mouth and it was me for dreamland.
When l opened my eyes l was lying
on stretcher. in low wooden
building. Everywhere | looked | saw
rows of Tommies on stretchers, some
dead to the world, and the rest with
fags in their mouths.
The main topic of their conversation
was Blighty. Nearly all had grin on
their faces, except those who didn't
have enough face left to grin with. u
grinned with my right eye, the other
was bandaged.
Stretcher-bearers came in and be-
gan to carry the Tommies outside. You
could hear the chug of the engines In
the waiting ambulances.
/ was put into an ambulance with
three others and away we went for an
elghteen-mile ride.\
was on bottom stretcher. The
lad right across from me was smashed
up something horrible.
Right above me was man from the
Royal Irish rifles, while across from
him was Scotchman.
We had gone about three miles when
heard the death-rattle in the throat
of the man opposite. He had gone to
rest across the Great Divide. l think
at the time | envied him.
The man of the Royal Irish rifles
had had his left foot blown off, the
jolting of the ambulance over the
rough road had loosened up the band
ages on his foot, and had started 1t
bleeding again. This blood ran down
the side of the stretcher and started
dripping. l was lying on my back, too
weak to move, and the dripping of this
blood got me in my unbandaged right
eye. l closed my eye and pretty soon
could not open the lid; the blood had
CONCEALED and closed 1t, as If ii were
glued down.
An English girl dressed in khaki was
driving tho ambulance, while beside
her on the seat was a corporal of the
II. A. NJ. c., They kept up a running
conversation about Blighty which al
most wrecked my nerves; pretty
soon from the stretcher above me, the
Irishman became aware of the fact
that the bandage from his foot had be
come loose; 1t must have panied hin
horribly, because he yelled In a lout
voice:
IF you don't stop this bloody dealt
wagon and fix this d bandage or
: my foot, l will get out and walk"
The girl on the seat turned arount
l and In sympathetic voice asked
"Poor fellow, are you very badl.
, 'woundedT
!, The Irishman, at this question, lie
out howl of Indignation and an
- swered, Am l very badly wounded
t what bloody cheek no, I'm not wound
| ed, I've only been kicked by canar.
e bird"
y The ambulance Immediately stopped
:. and the corporal came to the rear ant
fixed him up, and also washed out m
right eye. l was too weak to than
him, but 1t was a great relief. The
must have become unconscious, be
: cause when I regained my senses, tn
n ambulance was at a standstill, and m
i stretcher was being removed from it.
! 1t was night, lanterns were fiashin
q here and there, and l could see stretcl
Il er-bearers hurrying to and fro. The
Il l was carried into n hospital train.
n, The inside of this train looked Xix
= heaven to me. just pure white, and W
n met our first Red Cross nurses; W
|. thought they were angels. And the
n were.
Nice little soft hunks and clear
white sheets.
A Red Cross nurse sat beside m
during the whole ride which Taste
three hours. She was holding m
wrist; thought had made a hit, an
tried to tell her how l got wounded
but she would put her finger to her liz
and say, "Yes, know but you muslin
talk now, try to go to sleep, it'll do 40
good, Doctors orders" Later on
learned that she was taking my pulls
every few minutes, as / was very wea
| from the loss of blood and they e!
pected me to snuff it, but | didn't
| From the train we went into amb'
\ lances for short ride to the hospit;
\ ship Panama. Another palace and MOI
II angels. | don't remember the fri
| across the channel.
| i opened my eyes; | was being ca
| ried on stretcher through lanes
| people, some cheering, some wavir
| flags, and others crying The flags wei
| Union Jacks, / was in SOuthamptO
| Blighty at last. My stretcher W,
| strcwn with flowers, cigarettes, an
L | ,I,g TO, I,,v