The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-06-22
By PRIVATE HAROLD R. PEAT.
Uate c Company, Sd Battalion, Is

nave MN. but lOlkS ike descriptions
and folks like detail
He was the captain Of our company
{ Company, the I'd Battalion OF the lst
Canadians. Battalions run mp TO the
two hundred and eighties now, so it is
easy to see that the 3rd were formed
quite long time ago StreiRht was his
name. Few Of us knew how he spelled
Il and the majority Of us thought of
him as Straight"
American Born. .
We understood him to be American
born though with Canadian education
and up-bringing. He was tall, broad
big man though not heavy Fair md
his eyes seemed all the bluer for the
lightness OF his hair, his close clipped
mustache and the war tan Of his face.
Among a crowd OF good-looking men,
he was handsome but We never took
time to analyze his looks beyond one or
two expressions of his face
There was that slow, steady smile, of
deep kindliness and full of under
standing sympathy. He seeped TO feel
oil the little preccadillos to which SOL
dier flesh is heir And then there was
that steel-gray look of tense determina-
ton.
Almost Crippled With Blisters.
The first time saw the smile was
after a heavy route march We had
worn only once or twice before the
strong iron-Studded ammunition boon of
The British army Many of us were
almost crippled with blisters on our
feet. We sat down on the first place
convenient in our meager billet. Grous-
ingS and grumblings colored the air as
we slid off weighty packs and then
stopped to undo the thongs which served
rs bootlaces
There was a stir at the doorway and
The captain appeared We gathered
stifiened muscles together and prepated
to stand.
Inspects Feet
"All right. lads" his CHEEKY tones had
not note of weariness, though he had
marched every step of the way with us.
"All right lads--just foot inspection,
sit down"
ALd then we sat, finished pulling off
The biting, torturing footgcar, removed
our socks. and the captain himself knelt
down before each man He touched
each foot with a gentle hand, then
quietly advised remedy for this blister
or that abrasion.
There was no need for him to do this
He was quite within his rights TO have
sent the sergeant and received thar
worthy's report But Captain Streight
loved his men He had realized the
highest type OF ideal as an officer, as
gentleman and as brother.
At Ypres in 1915.
II was at Ypres 1915 that he got his
/ saw him roll over himself with the
spittng bullet tearing way through
his hip and down the leg Was there
one man to go to his assStance-bah
were there 2009
"The captains h1w Even in the heat
OF the charge. above the noise OF the
German barrage, the machine gun fire
and our own pitiful artillery return.
Those were early days when British
shells amounted to nil in front of enemy
I supplies.
Above the noise and through the
swelter OF it all, we heard the ominous
words. Fully so percent OF our officers
had gone down already. They must
always lead, those chaps--lcap ahead
ss though they loved it,
"Seek Cover"
A score OF us reached the captain
We were on open ground the only
cover 10 hug the earth as close as one
could go, then the captains whistle
rang out-two short, sharp blasts In
stinctively we dropped flat The cap
tain had sounded the order seek
cover" The captain must be obeyed
The sergeant was speaking-then
half dozen of the men together-'Go
back. Cap--go have that leg dressed
you'll be able to crawl Well 60
ahead Wen follow the sergeant
Well take the trench. We promise"
How that smile spread over his face
white now under the tan, and streakcd
with mud and blood, Good lads" he
I}utered, then heayed himself up. but
the leg was gone. He sank heavily on
the ozzy blood-covered field.
We waited a tense second. Then
once more he. gathered himself, quirked
his long, sensitive fingers into the
yielding earth, found a purchase and
pulled his long frame forward
'lf He Could Go, why Not We"
On he crawled-one yard, two, a
dozen, 10, 50 yards-then his whistle
sounded once. We covered the ground,
il seemed in one mighty leap. Two
blasts and we lay almost winded, on
level with our adorcd officer
Again he crawled forward and again,
II seemed we could not meet the flare
OF that blazing death he'll Bullets
spattered thick, there were binding
flashes OF shell bursts, there were ma
chine guns splitting.
| looked around once. | was alone
alone. Jack had gone down on mt
left had not realized 1t but then
remembered he had Purgled Keep II
up through a weller of blood and
foam
| did not dare to turn my head but
] knew there was no one behind me
There were no reserves available
There was no way 10 get them to Us
across the lonely canal bridge OF the
User water-red water these many
days.
| looked ahead. There were german
1r.orbea and Caxp,,- .,,.r urie "a