New Britain herald., 1918-03-11
PRIVATE BECKER |S SERIOUSLY WOUNDED
Company E Soldier Victim Of
 BoCheS in Front Line HIS FATHER IS NOTIFIED

Prospect Street Man First New
 Britain Soldier to Feel Sting of Hun
 StccE-Extcnt Of Injuries or Loca-
 ton of Battle Unknown.
 Private Fred s. Becker, of Com pany E, 102d U. s. Infantry. son of Edward Becker, of 60 Prospect street. has been seriously wounded in actual Ill France, according to a brief tele- gram received by the young soldiers father from the War department As far as any information of an author ltatlVc nature that has been received here, Private Becker is the second New Britain soldier to fall d victim with the American Expedtionary Forces, the first soldier to fall having been Private James RouilIard, of Beatty street, also a Company E man, Private Rouillard wds killed on Feb ruary '.
 Just how seriously Private Becker has been wounded is unknown, but it is assumed that his wounds must be grave, else notice might not have been received by his parents so soon. Other than explaining that he was wounded in action on March 1,'' the War de- partments telegram announcing the casualty gives no information. Neither the place of the casualty nor the na- ture Of the young soldiers wounds Is mentioned. Edward Becker, the fath- CT, visited Mayor George A. Quigley and the War Bureau this morning in an attempt to secure some additional information concerning his sons con- ditlon, and every possible means Of securing this information, which means so much to the relatives of wounded soldier, will be used
 Private Becker, who is about 24 years of age, enlisted in Company F of the old First Connecticut Infantry early in the summer of 1916, volun- teering for service with the American troops when it appeared that war with Mexico was a certainty. During that summer he saw service along the Mex lcan border and on his return to this city was promoted to the rank of cor poral. About year ago this time, when the National Guard was called out by President Wilson, young Beck CT again donned the olive drab and remained with his company up to the day he was wounded in the first line trenches somewhere in France. Dur
 
 he did guard duty both in this city and in Hartford and later went to the Yale Field camp in New Haven, from whence the boys were ordered to go overseas.
 The news of Private Becker's serious wound is the first positive in formation that local people have had concerning the injury of a, local boy on the battlefield as the telegram con- firming Private Rouillard's death stated that he was killed by acci- dent'' and died of a fractured skull. The news of Private Becker's injuries also confirms the letters being re- ceived from New Britain boys telling how they were just coming out of the trenches after two or three weeks service there. From the time it takes to get letter to this country it would appear that Private Becker, who was wounded on March l, received his in jurieS on the occasion of the second trip to the trenches, following the ! period of repose given all the fighting men after the arduous duties of first line work for several weeks. Thus it is to be assumed that today New Britain's finest are in the thick of it lover there.'
 Contained in today's casualty list were several other names besides that of Private Becker that are familiar to local people but as far as can be learned they are not New Britain boys. One name is that of Corporal Pearl Edwards, slightly wounded. Earl Edwards of Maple street was formerly a corporal in the Hartford Machine Gun battalion but up to a short time ago he had not gone oyer seas and was attending an officers training school in the south. Another familiar name is that of Walter G Smith, slightly wounded. Walter J Smith of this city enlisted in Com pany E and is now serving with that command in France but it is not thought that this is the man referred to in the casualty list, both because the initials are different and because no word has been received here of his injury. Many who have read the casualty list were of the opinion that the name Sergeant Raymond Ouinlin. slightly wounded, referred to Sergant Rayn ond c. Queenin of Company F.. This is hardly likely however, for not only is the name different, but also Sergeant Queenin has been trans ferred from his position as sergeant in Company F. and is now a signal man. Inasmuch as the war dcpart- ment no longer prints the names of the dead and wounded it is ofttimes difficult for relatives and friends to ascertain whether or not they know the ones referred to, but the war de- partment promises to notify the next of kin Of the dead and wounded in