The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-07
PHYSICIAN TELLS
OF APPROACH OF
ENEMY AIRPLANE:
Bright Lights Seen and
Then Roar of Anti
Aircraft Guns

Tower City, N. D., Jan. 7.-Dr. G.
Q. Koch, one of the leading surgeons
of Chicago, stationed in France for
several months with the United
States medical corps. gives a
description of the approach Of a
German aeroplane and then the fire
of the anti-aircraft guns, in let
ter received here by his sister, Mrs.
q. G. Hoff.
In telling of a trip that he and a
number Of other surgeons made one
evening which led along a deserted
road, fanked by giant trees, through
whose branches they could catch an
occasional glance OF the full moon,
DIR. Koch writes that the party
loitered to view the wonderful moon
light splendor.
A Hostile AeroPIane.
s''Suddenly from far out to our
right q broad band Of light flashed
into the sky" writes the physician
to his sister. "Then ahead Of us a
second and at our left a third light
was seen, the brightest Of them all.
The noise which had been faint at
first, grew steadily louder, and wo
then realized that II was a hostile
aeroplane.
ain a moment it was directly over
us-the lights steadily following the
path along which the sound seemed
to travel, but never seemed 10
definitely localize the object of their
search, NV companion clutChed my
arm and said, I knew when they flew
over camp this morning, they would
be back Suddenly, We saw flash,
and a moment later heard a roar
the greeting of an anti-air-Craft gun,
and the humming of the motor
quickly diminished as Mr.. Hun new
10 the south. Only when we reached
camp an hour later did we learn that
four bombs had dropped on the camp
with Ave casualties resulting.
Troops Go Over the Top.
yesterday morning. Oct. 9. they
were over the top, so the rush be-
gan. We started at o'clock and
STAYED on until midnight-not es-
peciallv busy. working sixteen hours
instead of eight. Slept like a top
until 4:30 and found that the work
had all been cleaned up. Tomorrow
we may have more work again.
This is the head station, for ex-
ample, thew are supposed, with Nos.
AZ and "a, which adjOin, to get most
" head cases. AS a matter OF fact,
they get quite a variety. We must
have done about twenty-five cases
on our shift through wounds
OF arms, forearms, shoulder,
thigh. ETC., shrapnel wounds OF all
corners of the body-bomb wounds
Of the hand, face. etc.
Passes Through ShelIed Land
';By the time this letter reaches
you news of Sir Julian Byng's VIC
Eory will be old stuff. We are sup
portina Sir Julian at the present.
our trip was very interesting, es-
peciaIly the last part which was
through the country evacuated by
the Germans last spring when they
made their retreat to the Hindenburg
line. The villages and the towns.
blown to pieces, trees bare or half
zone, the land in every direction a
mass of shell holes and craters.
THE Immediately surrounding
country is pretty, as 1t was not
fought over, but the country side is
not desolate as 1t is farther west
In spots are dug-outs, trenches,
miles of wire, etc.-the remains OF
the German occupation. American
engineers are now in evidence ana
they are in charge of the railroads"