Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1919-01-14
LIEUTENANT NELL RETURNS
FROM FRANCE.

Lieutenant William Neill, Jr., re-
turned from overseas last Tuesday,
arriving at Newport News on the
United States transport Powhatan.
Lieutenant Neill is a son of DR.. and
Upon reaching his home in Charles
Town on Friday an informal recep-
ton was given in honor of his return
that evening. Although Lieutenant
Neill has been a victim of gas in
France he is looking exceptionally
well. The Powhatan left Bordeaux
on Christmas day. Capt. j. P. Muir
dock, her commander, said this was
one of the most pleasant trips he had
ever experienced in twenty-five
across the Atlantic.
From the Baltimore Sun of last
Thursday we take the following:
Newport News, Va, Jan. Sup
and down the fighting line in Alsace,
with the first American casualty
team to operate on German soil,
Lieut.. (Dr.) William Neill, former
chief surgeon of Team No. IL, and a
Baltimorean, worked constantly I'M
der shell fire, dressing the wounds
of men who were falling in the
great advance along that section of
the front. Although he was in ac-
ton for more than a year he man
aged to remain whole until last
September, when he was gassed.
He arrived on recent transport
and is now patient at the debarka-
ton hospital, Camp Stuart, suffering
from the gas which not only affected
his lungs but burned his left leg.
Owing to his weakened condition
he fell a victim of pneumonia and
while in base hospital No. 1E in
France, a short time before being
transported to the United States, he
was very near death, but his vigorous
physique carried him through, and to-
day he is well on the road to recovery
Before entering the military SER
vice he was assistant to DR.. Howard
A. Kelly, at the Kelly Sanatorium,
1418 Eutaw Place.
81 found the work overthere
somewhat different from what | had
been used to in Baltimore" he said
with a smile. He is a Johns Hop
kins University man, class of 1912,
and personally acquainted with the
majority of the medical men from
that institution who are now abroad.
At one time he was chief resident at
the Church Home and Infrmary, on
North Broadway.
Lieutenant Neill was reclining on
his cot in the officers ward at the
hospital here, little dreaming that
there was another man from his
town anywhere around, when he
heard Lieut.. (Father) John C. Moore
talking about Baltimore to another
officer few feet away.
Il say Lieutenant, you are not
from old Baltimore, are you?" he
inquired from the late chaplain of.
the Three Hundred and Thirteenth
Infantry.
That's just where came FROM
replied the chaplain.
We'll, bless your heart, / sure am
glad to meet you," said the surgeon
as he rolled off the bed to his feet
and reached out an eager hand to-
ward the priest. Smiles illumined
the features of these battle-scarred
veterans, as they clasped and then,
settling down, spent the rest of the
evening in chatting about the Monu-
mental city and the people they know
there.
Lieutenant Neill entered the SER
vice back in 1917, and went across
on August l of that year. For six
months he worked with the British
Army up and down the fighting lines
IN France, until he was placed in
charge of casualty team No. II (which
was in the thick of the fighting all
around the Alsace operations. where
ne said they handled many of the
Maryland men who fought in that
section. They were kept moving al
most continuously from point to
point, but always they were under
fire.
practically all the time we were
working we could hear the rattle of
bits of bursting shell and bullets on
the roof" he said.
For a while he was WORKING with
Major Coleman, formerly resident
physician at University HOSPITAL.
who was in the old Maryland Nation
al Guard Hospital Department. He
met many of the Hospital bows. he
SAID, and the last he heard of them
they were at a place that sounds
something like 'Fluey Blooey."
j. A. S., Jr.