The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1918-12-27
AMERICAN HERO, DESPITE LOSS OF
FEET, QUALITIES AS AN A|RMAN
Atlanta Man Fought With Dublin Fusieers Until Iniured-Later He
Was Made a Flight Commander in the British Air
Service and Was Going Big Until He Was
Captured by the Huns.

With American Army in France
Loss OF one foot and part of the 9th
er did not end the fighting career Of
Owen Cobb Holleran OF Atlanta, Ga.
A man with artificial feet is unfit for
infantry duty, SO owen was honorably
service. Being a soldier of fortune
Holleran refused "tO be dumped on
the army scrap heap" as he eX-
pressed 1t.
In spite of his physical handicap he
wormed his way into the British air
service, won a pilots license, operat-
ing a type of plane that did not re-
quire foot manipulation, became a lieu
tenant, captain and flight commander.
Some climb for a fellow with wooden
feet, but not surprising If you knew
HOlleran. He had all sorts of thrills
and adventures, and then one day
but | am getting ahead Of my story.
Better let Capt. K. G.. Lowry tell
it as he told 1t to me on a rainy
night while / was with the British
army. He was attached to the Amer
lean embassy in London before enter
ing the United States army. 1t was
while at the London embassy that he
first had the case Of Owen Cobb HOl-
leran called to his attention. Captain
Lowry's home also is in Atlanta.
Stranger Than Fiction.
There is material for n book In
HOlleran's experience" said Captain
Lowry. stranger than fiction in
spots. His papers came to me at the
embassy and he has kept up a CORE
sDondence. There Is n lot in the
chap. He is as clever and brave as they
make them. He was employed rs n
clerk in the office of the Southern
Bell Telephone company In Atlanta.
Like many other young Americans he
wanted to see the great war. 1t got
into his blood long before Our u
try was involved. In 1915 he started
out from Atlanta with a friend named
Gray. They had just 500 between
them for the big adventure. They
went to New York and tried to enlist
IN the British army, but the consul
said he couldn't enroll Americans.
From a crossing policeman they
learned that Il cattle boat was to sail
next day. They decided to work their
passage. They applied and got the
Job. Reaching London, they were &C
cepted at a recruiting station In Scot
land Yard. The recruiting sergeant
wanted to know what branch of the
service they preferred Holleran re-
piled: No choice. Just as soon serve
request is that you send us to a warm
climate. / came from the South and
1 like 1t hot
"'You can get it hot enough at any
part Of the 'front.' replied the SER
geant. Il see your point, lad, and
Wen see what can be done. With a
name like yours l think an Irish out
at is the place for you HOlleran was
assigned to the Dublin Fusileers. His
friend Gray went to the same regi-
ment. In q few months H~Olleran's
regiment was sent to GallipOli. He
served through that campaign and saw
hard fighting. The regiment went
with other British units to Egypt to
be refitted after the GallipOli scrap.
Feet Badly Frozen.
Next Holleran went with the Dub
lin Fusileers into Serbia with the first
allied expedition. In the mountains
many of the soldiers suffered from
frozen feet and hands. Holleran's
feet were badly frozen, and he told
me with a grin that he couldn't help
seeing the funny side Of 1t after hav-
ing asked to be sent to a hot place.
Fate began to extend a helping
hand to Holleran away out there. At
tached to the British field hospital In
Serbia we're two American surgeons.
one from Georgia and the other from
South Carolina. Learning that Hol-
leran hailed from Atlanta, they took
special interest In him. They did
everything possible to save his feet,
but, later, to avoid more serious com.
plicatons and possibly death, they