The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-08
Sergeant Major Tells Story
Of Experiences Out in
No Mans Land.
HERE FOR RECRUITS
Ealconer Seeks British and
Canadian Volunteers in
Garden City.

"By god luck they didn't get any
OF us that first advance Quietly,
yet with a Tightening Of the muscles
around the mouth, spoke Sergeant
Major Falconer Of the 42nd Royal
Black Watch Highlanders of Canada,
describing the terrific fighting he went
through on the Somme. Sergeant
Major Falconer has established Brit
ish recruiting station in the chamber
OF commerce building. He has seen
Il months OF active service on the
western 'front.' has been in the battles
Of Ypres, the Somme. Hemmel Hill,
OF. the HODGE craters and at Wulver-
Chem.
I'VE left Ypres August rs and re-
ceived train service but part of the
way. We marched from o'clock in
the morning until at night and then
billeted in some town or in barns. We
kept this up for three or four days
and finally landed outside Albert In
France. We reached the Somme dis
tfict September 10. There were no
barns for shelter. SO we made our
bivouacs in tents made of rubber
sheeting and like our army dog
tents
1.-The morning OF the fifteenth we
were having service when the order
came to get into our equipment. We
, were ordered up in line and met 200
German prisoners going back into our
line. The battalions led over the slope
and charged toward the Germans be-
low. advanced but 40 yards when
received a wound in my leg from a
machine gun bullet. This was about
$3.50 In the evening.
crawled Through Mud TO Shelter.
II crawled into a shell hole and
waited for dark. About o'clock ]
mr. naged to get out, was covered with
the mud thrown up from the shells
dropping all around and lay stiil FOL
awhile, trying to nerve myself to stan6
another shell. Finally I crawlet
along and made mile. On the wa,
met some Of the machine gun mer
and they carried me on a stretcher a.
far a. they could. then I was forced
to creep along at tedious rate unit
reached dug-out dressing station
"The sergeant major smiled ant
jokingly remarked that the Lord wa
keeping his own. for they didn't &c
me-"
Twenty four hours elapsed befor
he reached hospital bed and had hi
leg put in splints. In his broad Scotcl
accent he described the agony of tina
mile with the words, II thought m
body would he torn apart"
Didn't Want to Go Home.
Sergeant Major Falconer was sen
to England and went directly to tn
Leeds hospital.
Il didn't exactly want to come HON
then. ! thought might get back into tn
service. but they sent me anyway. w
sailed from Liverpool December ?, en-
route to Halifax. When our ship wa
about 500 miles from Halifax. we re
ceived news OF the terrible destructio
there and ordered to make port
New York. That night we gave
concert on beard and raised 5000 Il
the relief of the homeless In thu
ravaged town."
Good equipment at first? No." we
the quick answer from the Highlands
Each man had but one helmet as
protection from the gas and 1t las
but hours. Now each man has tw
gas helmets and a respirator. TT
respirators last As hours"
III our battalion could muster ha
of the 1000 men that went over VI
would be lucky" The lines of IL
Scotchman's face lost their tautness
this and dropped with IA sadness tn;
showed his loss was great. He W,
silent for a few moments.
Possibly / would hardly know
man In the battalion now. They Fl
UP the ranks rapidly" he finished.
The sergeant major praised Pres
dent Wilson for his wise step in wal
ing to educate the people before he a
lowed US to get into the struggle.
I'VE were only waiting for II
American troops. We knew they wou
come sooner or later" said the chez
full Scotchman.