Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-10-22
CARE OF BOYS WHO
HAVE BEEN HURT
Things Seen Back OF Firing Llnc
After Battlc--Mcn Are Ten
derby Handled.
(RY GEORGE r. HYEl

THE BRITISH FRONT. oct, 2l--Wc
set out early this morning to SEQ the
start of the battle which In IL
spreading vastnces promises to be OF
almost decisive importance. Before
dawn we mOtored through frosty
mlsts toward the lines held by
Americ ans fighting with British. We
had an idea Of the ObJeCtivrs Of the
British division which are being at
talned lOEg before schedule time ana
that the Americans part would be-
TO advance some 1000 yards aud
take the villages OF Bruucourt ana
Fremont, which they did before
noon. In fact, the speed Of the ad-
vance was such that certain ridge
beyond BeaureyOiT, recommended 10
us as the best high ground to watch
the Yanks and TOnmics fighting to
gether, was out Of the zone Of bdttlc
a little more than two hours htter
the attack At O'Clock we had 10
preas on beyond. The first We knew
that the battle was going well was
when n British Intelligence officer
reported that an hiTplanc had
dropped a message reading "Encmy
routed" That's all. This was soon
corroborated as we sped on, by the
sight OF British heavy guns being
pulled forward by tractor engines.
such big artillery would not be
dragged forward II the attack had
not succeeded In driving the Ger
mans backward.
The night. which had been thlckly
black and had gwen tho third army
It's desired color for n storming or
liense nests OF machine guns on the
CLASSY hlopeB just south OF Cambria,
4 a Hla,. Nsr.,
had u cold driving rain with two
rainbows In the night sky. which we
interpreted an Il good omen.
Through villages only recently re-
covered from the enemy, dilapidated
hulkB OF villages. we passed k0isel,
and were soon In country that the
Germans have held since 1914.
Everywhere their signs hung to
wreckage OF buildings and trunks OF
trees and everywhere We saw heaps
OF their war material.
What struck US improHdvely was
the vast number of road workers OF
the British. almost elbow-to elbow
along tho way working feverishly TO
keep the road in repair for the heavy
columns OF transport. Shell holes In
roads were quickly filled and leveled.
Great mines that Germans had plant
cd necessitated bridging. In some
cases filling up or the preparation
OF temporary seml-circular detours
around the great cavities. The I'M
mense amount OF traffic coming and
going was regulated wonderfully
we'll and we only had half minutes
delay when a ehavy truck skidded
across tho road with Its rear wheels
in a ditcn, Two other trucks hitohed
s,,.InLlxg hn |
clear. In the almost unbroken trans
port line carrying ammunition, food.
signal wire and all sorts of battle
equipment to the fighters, were II
great many British Red Cross am
balances hurrying TO the advance
dressing stations.
Away on the horizon to our left
was a steady line Of smoke which
we decided to be resumption of
barrage by tho third army. prob
ably for a further attack. Ahead
and TO the right OF US were less
thick clouds of smoke, indicating
that the fourth army artillery, under
its different plan OF action, had fin
ished most OF Its work. We could
also see British observation balloons
all along the front. SquRdrons OF
British airplanes, In formations OF
three's, four's and five's, which we
had been watching as they buzzed
over US for two hours, now flew at
right angles to our course: in other
words, up and down the front From |
low heights and at great attitudes.
around them appeared little black |
dots that smearlly changed into |
shrapnel puffs.
We saw a great many dead horses,
~ N alnnu fhA road. |
There were a number OF Tommies
engaged in burying them. Before
we realized It. we were far for
ward.
Although we had passed British
batteries OF various calibers and
had heard them firing. We concluded
That the line was stlll distant be-
cause there was absolutely no re-
taliation by the enemy. We were
not to hear or SEQ the explosion OF a
single German shell However.
to what seemed the highest
ground ahead OF tho sausage bal
looms we noticed that the shell holes
we walked around were fresh enough
to have been made a few hours be-
fore. We also noticed tho EN-
designs made In the
soft earth by bullets OF the enemy
machin guns which had evidently
trained in n barrage on this hills
then some fresh blood and sclssored
bits OF bloody khaki, evidence OF
first aid followed by dressings dur
Ing the morning.
Close at hand we came TO tho
most advanced dressing station
where British, American and tier
man wounded were being brought in
by stretcher bearers and ambulances,
The station was In an open field,
but the royal engineers had alre idy
cut a roadway up to the operating \
surgeons to lessen the handling OF
the stretchers. Tho doctors In
charge were American officers but
their orderlles and the ambulance
staff were all English. The doctor In
command apologized for not shalinG |
hands, as his were covered with
blood. Many OF the Tommies who
had helped 10 dress or carry wound
ed Yanks had blood on their 'ni-
forms A Carolina boy, very slight
OF build, was the only one crying
with pain. He had body wound
which no dope could relieve. AS
soon as he had been examined the
British sergeant in charge OF the
loading of the ambulances looked
at his tag and ordered him
lifted gently into the first amhu
lance TO leave. AS the strctcher was
lifted the boy screamed. The hir
leaned over him and stroked
the Yank's face. There, steady lit