Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1918-01-31
SYNOPSIS

SYNOPSIS
William j Robinson. . young American
en- IA business trip in London. catches the
war fever md enists in a British cavalry
regiment and lands at Ostend In October.
1914
Made driver OF an armored car and takes
part in battles about Ypres. Transferred
TO the army service corps. has further
nghting experiences as a motorcycle rider
with machine gun attached and Us n dis
patch ridsr
n,s.r,h.. christmas Of 1914 in trenches
-, NJ WIRES Fearful losses. hliis .
.rl,.r and tells Of Belgian spies
witnesses Royal Horse artillery IN 40
ton Has narrow escape ana takes 1e1'
use In a cellar Is sent to Paris.
Describes bomb throwing and aeropians
attacks and the ho,nbardment OF IA village
Kills IA trench digger
Tho mining md capture OF Hill 90 Be-
cures leave and describes war Incidents In
Glasgow Returns to Ypres in midst Of
bOmblrdment.
CHAPTER VIII
Second Batt!o For CalaIs.
\ ny rest OF seven days seemed very
lvi short, and wnR back on the
Job ut Popcringhe all too aoon.
Yprcs. which wns six miles away.
Ind been comparatively quiet oil win.
ter In fact II had been so quiet that
our Twenty seventh divisional hcnd.
quarters had moved In there. IA the
spring drew near the Germans began
to shell around tn" city again. but
very few shells landed directly In the
city proper.
There was big gas tank ON the out
Ikirts down toward krnstndt. and
around this UlncO the shell fire would
bc rather heavy at times. The city
was much knocked about even then,
but 1t was nothing to what 1t was at
tho end of the second battle for Ca
lnis."
Before the beginning of this battle
the kaiser was quoted III having said
that II he failed to break US this time
he would lay the city OF Ypres to the
ground street by street He failed to
break us. all right. and he kept his
word. for today the fine old city Of
Ypres IL nothing but a shapeless heap
Of broken bricks.
For weeks before the attack our mir.
men were bringing In reports that the
Germans were massinS heavy bodies
OF fresh troops just in front OF our 20
sition. All our transport trains went
Through the city. our men were billeted
there. and one Of our divisional head
quarters had moved into the city.
The Germans still continued to bonn
bard our positions In this vicinity. but
they left the city Itself severely alone
All winter II had been as safe to gC
through Ypres as II would be to so tc
church. consequently an order to 80 t.
Ypres did not bother anybody very
much.
was at the divisional headquarterl
In Ypres with stat officer on the aft
ernoon the bombardment started. W.
had gone to the city on horses. and w
way. suppose II was about 2 o'clocl
when We arrived there. and put tn
horses In the yard behind several build
tngA
A. was still on duty. ! didn't dar'
70 very far away. for l didn't know 4
what moment the otncer might show
up. The hrst inkling got Of anything
unpleasant was when l heard tn
scream OF several shells coming throug
the air ut once.
Right then acted "a tAs impuls
that selzes every one at such q tim
and went through the nearest celia
window. where l landed on q pile o
potatoes. was content to stay there
too. until an orderly found me and toll
ME that my onncer wanted me. Tn
Germans had been bombardlng u
about half an hour then. and there wa
no sign OF any letting up yet.
The orderly told me that the shell
were dropping In at the rate Of fort!
one TO the minute. and l remembe
wondering who on earth would be fo'
enough to count the number of shell
falling. reported to my officer an
found him as cool as . cucumber. II
asked me where the horses were, an
when told him he said for me to lea,
them there aud to go aud find 4 car
some kind
| knew 1t was mighty serious whs
he would abandon the horses. and
started out with the fear of God In n
heart and wondering where In the die
ems would dnd car In that intern
As matter OF fact. did End one,
at least II had been car at some tin
or other II was an ambulance Will,
had had the body blown or. and sor
one had built a couple OF little buck
seats out OF empty bacon boxes.
Bacon boxes or not. IL certainly ioe
ID like o million gold dollars to me