The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-07-11
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Every half-hour I could hear the
clock in the village strike, each stroke
bringing forth muf1led volley OF
curses on the man who had dug the
well.
After two hours I heard two men
talking In low voices. recognized
Corporal Cook, an ardent might raid
.er." He heard my "siss-s-s-s" and
came to the edge Of the hole. I ex-
plained my predicament and amid lot
of impertinent remarks, which at the
time did not resent, ] was soon fished
out.
Taking OF our boots, we sneaked into
the ward. Twas sitting on my bed In
the dark, Just starting to undress,
when the man next to me, Ginger
Phillips, whispered, sop 1t, Yank, ERE
comes the matron."
Immediately got under the covers
and feigned sleep. The matron stood
talking In low tones to the night nurse
and / fell asleep.
/ When awoke in the morning the
night sister, an American, was bending
over me. An awful sight met my eyes.
The coverlet on the bed and the sheets
were a mass Of mud and green slime.
She was good sport all right, and
hustled to get clean clothes and sheets
$50 that no one would get wise, but ION
her own" she gave me good tongue
lashins6but did not report me. One Of
the Canadians in the ward described
her as being ga Jake Of good fel.
low"
Next visiting day had an awful
oyrT,Io fr3p tr -cf%4 =
had not met her at the appointed time
and place.
And for week every time passed
a patient he would call, Swell, well,
here's the Yank. Hope you are feel
ing well, old top
The surgeon in our ward was an
American, a Harvard unit man, named
Frost. We nicknamed him "Jack
Frost" He was loved by all. If
Tommy was to be cut up he had no OBJ
lection to undergoing the operation If
Jack Frost" was to WELD the knife.
Their confidence in him was pathetic.
He was the best sport have ever met.
One Saturday morning the command
ant and some thigh up" officers were
inspecting the ward, when one of the
patients who had been wounded in the
head by bit Of shrapnel. fell on the
door in a at. They brought him round,
and then looked for the ward orderly
to carry the patient back to his bed
at the other end of the ward. The or
derby was nowhere to be found-like
our policemen, they never are when
needed. The officers were at a loss
how to get Palmer into his bed. Doc
tor Frost was fidgeting around in a
nervous manner, when suddenly with
a mufled "d-n" and a few other
qualifying adjectives, he stopped down
and took the man in his arms ike a
baby-he was no feather, either-and
staggered down the ward with him, put
him in bed and undressed him. A low
murmur Of approval came from the pa
tients. Doctor Frost got very red. and
as soon as he had finished undressing
Palmer, hurriedly left the ward.
The wound in my face had almost
healed and I was a Notwithstanding
sight-the left cheek twisted into q
knot, the eye pulled down, and my
mouth pointing in a north by north.
west direction. Twas very downheart
led and could imagine myself during
the rest of my life being Stunned by
all on account Of the repulsive scar.
Doctor Frost arranged for me to 60
to the Cambridge Military hospital at
Aldershot for a special operation to
try and make the scar presentable.
I arrived at the hospital and got an
awful shock. The food was poor and
the discipline abnormally strict. No
patient was allowed to sit on his bed,
and smoking was permitted only at
certain designated hours. The face
specialist did nothing for me except
to look at the wound. made appli-
cation for transfer back to Paignton,
offering to pay my transportation.
This offer was accepted, and after two.
weeks absence, once again I arrived
In Munsey ward, all hope gone.
The next day after my return Doc
tor Frost stopped at my bed and said:
well. Empey. If you want me to try
and see what can do with that scar
I'll do it, but you are taking an awful
chance"
answered: well, doctor. Steve
Brodie took chance; he halls from
New York and so do L"
Two days after. the undertaken
squad carried me to the operating
room or pictures" as we called them
because Of the funny films we see un-
der ether. and the operation was per
formed. It was a wonderful piece Of
surgery and a marvellous success.
From now on that doctor can have my
shirt.
More than once some poor soldier
has been brought into the wand in q