Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-03-29
PROUD OF FIRST WOUNDS
Americans Now in Paris Red CroG
HOSPITALS.

Hospitals.
Twelve American railroad engineers
who were wounded while taking part
in the big British offensive near Cam
brai in November last have been
brought to the American Red Cross
Hospital No. 2 here, where artificial
limbs will be provided for most Of
them.
All are suffering from serious
wounds, but will recover. They are in
good spirits and proud Of the fact that
they were the first Of the soldiers Of
the American army to see active SER
vice on the western front. All speak
in high appreciation of the treatment
they received in the dressing station
behind the lines and at the army hos
pitals.
Sergeant Frank Haley. Of lO3 East
Ninety seventh street. New York, one
of the wounded men, said. concerning
his experience.
We were doing general engineering
work behind the British lines. Before
| the attack we unloadcd and usscmb-
| led several hundred tanks, made IL
special roadway for them and help
| ed to get them into position. When
| the attack began we followed the Brit
ish troops, rebuilding the railroad TO
Cambria which Fritz blew up during
LII. nfIi Inc
moved so fast and we worked so hard
that we were able to hook our end of
| the railroad line to the Cambria end
| bccause. toward the last, Fritz retreat
ed SO rapidly that he did not have
time to destroy the road.
| a few days after the initial at
tack our company was near the front
doing yard work. Shells had been
falling heavily all day. We were or
dered to return to our billets. l start
ed walking down the track when sud-
denly 1 felt n powerful prod in my
back. / thought a railroad train had
struck me. Down | went with three
wounds in my back. l scrambled up
again, and found l could not use my
left arm.
Il ran scventy-five yards and then
gave up. Two Tommies carried me to
field dressing station. Just as they
were lifting me into an ambulance for
the ride back to the base we heard the
whirring sound Of Il machine gun.
felt a sharp pain in my head and saw
that one Of the Tommies had been hit
in the mouth.
"A Boche airplanc had spotted our
ambulance, swooped down and fired a
round Of machine-gun bullets. one of
which had given me scalp wound
while another hit the British soldier.
He was not stunned and did not fall,
but grasped the rear end Of the am
bulancc and said, I guess III ride to
the hospital with you"
Charles Geiger, of Chicago, was a
prisoner in the hands Of the Germans
for twelve hours.
We were up near the front line
when the shells began dropping" he
said I'VE were ordered to take re-
fuge in dugout and remained there
| for some time, but came out when
the bombardment apparently was
over. AS we emerged we saw. not
fifty yards away, an advancing line OF
gray green figures. It was Fritz. He
had counter-attacked. We just turn
ed and ran. l can hear the bullets
whistle yet Suddenly my left foot
crumpled and over I fell. AS / lay
there the Germans came up and
swept past. a German Red Cross man
gave me a drink Of water and bound
up my wounds. but none CT US were
helped to the rear.
We lay on the ground there for
twelve hours while desultory fighting
was going on all day. When the British
counter-attacked again the Germans
retreated, but did not attempt to take
US with them. Soon we were In
British hands again. Then VIC were
all rushed to the dressing station and
thence to the base hospital"
Geiger's foot was amputated before
he was brought to Paris-Paris AS
sociated Press correspondence.