The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-02-02
CLAY5V|LLE BOY WOUNDED BY
bARRACE FIRE; 10 MEN KILLED

! Uniili1ULlH II
Special Dispatch to The IntelliGcncer.
CLAYSEILLE, Pa, Feb. 1.-Now
that the American troops are occupy
ing front line sections on tho western
front in France, the experience OF a
ClaySvillr boy. Arthur Paul Grimes.
of Ohio county ancestry. being caught
between the barragc fire Of oppo sing
armies, Is timely. Of his group, IL
were killed. five OF the six remaining
wounded. and only ono escaped I'M
hurt. The story Of their tragic raid
is told in letter 10 his parents. Mr..
and Mrs, W. I. Grimes. who have an
other son at Camp Sherman. under
date of January I. at the First War
Hospital, Bclnap, near birmingham.
England. Crimes enlisted at Edmon-
ton. in q Canadian battalion, in Au-
gust. 1915, and this was his third
wound, he having been injured by a
shell and burned by a flame bomb
Grimes storw came through an I'm.
censored letter, as follows:
Told by Grimes.
"The night was hit had been
sent up The line to look OYER the
ground. | am a scout, and my bal.
TALON was OUT on rest. We expected
10 pull off 4 bombing raid when we
went into the trenches. II was my
duty to know the ground between
our front line and tho Germans. The
Twentr-scvenrh battalion. belonging
10 our brigade. was occupying the
front line at the time. After report
ing TO their scout officer had 10
wait until about 10 o'clock before
they got party together to send out,
consisting OF IS men, i corporal and
myself.
Caught In the 5arrage.
we had been out a couple OF hours
and had started back to our line,
when the Germans put a barrace hre
(heavy artillery on our line and sent
raiding party over. We tried 10 get
in the trench. and managed TO reach
our own barbed wire. but found it I'M
possible to get through the barrage,
so we decided to 80 back into No
Mans Land far enough 10 be safe
from the Germans barrage. But We
had hardly started when our artillery
dropped their barrage in No Mans
Land to prevent the Germans from
reaching our trenches, and We were
caught between the two barrages.
with no cover and no possible chance
for our lives. OF course there was
nothing 10 do but lie fiat on the
ground and wait for what meh,
come. tell you sent UP some pref
~ humble supplications In the half
hour VIC we're there. Thirteen OF our
party were killed in that time. leaving
only six alive. and when a shell DurS,
about fifty feet ovrr -Is and wounded
five of the six, ". decided our only
chance was to try 10 Se' through the
German barraEc and make our own
front line. We had only about 16o
wards to go. but one OF the hoys had
had both legs broken and We had
big task in getting him along and
through our wire. But we managed
il and the six OF us got into the
trench after what seemed an eternl'
~, though It couldn't have been more
than % minutes.
Well Looked After.
"Nv wound was dressed by Twen'
tv.seventh battalion stretcher bearer,
and I was started for the dressing
station. which was about two miles
from the line. with chap who was
hi. in the head. II took just three
hours to cover those two miles.
But once we got there our troubles
were over, for we were we'll looked al
Ter. From there We were both made
strctcher cases and brought down TO
the advance hospital in the Red Cross
ambulance cars. | was there ABOUT
ten days before they considered was
fir 10 travel, and then came through
n England. The wound was from
shrapnel which entered the right
shoulder at the point, and ranged
hack over the shoulder blade almost
10 the spine. When they operated 10
remove it they made an incision seven
inches long. The shrapnel was Cd.
long, three.quarters by one-quarter OF
an inch in size. and very ragged.
have the piece and will send 1t nome.
The wound has not yet closed. but
can use it pretty we'll, las you can sec
by this letter.
People Tired Of War
ave get well fed here in the hos
initial, but think the civilian popula.
lion of this country arc getting tired
os the shortage of food. You can go
TO almost any Of the largo cities any
,dav and see lines Of people n mile or
more long, and sometimes more than
two miles In length. waiting their Turn
TO buy a pound of sugar or butter
Christmas turkeys brought about OF
cents Mound. don't really 'hlnk
there is any shortage OF food IN inc
country. but the government controls
all food supplies and the mtstak"
thcv are making is boarding 1t too
much. There IS some plan on. 1901
for rationing now, and think Things
will be better when 1t comes INFO Ell
feet" .-.r-.
AVu@ rJrN- F1IWF