Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1919-06-04
LEG SAVED
BY 4r I....l.>.
Captain I'm 26th Div. wounded
at Chateau Thierry, tells of
service rendered by 'SY"

Boston, Mass.-That his leg was
saved at Chateau Thierry by the
prompt and fearless action of a Y. M
Z. A. secretary, is the statement of
capt Walter w. Austin, AZ School
ST. Brookline, Mass, who has Just re-
ceIVed his discharge from the 3rd
Bat l04th Inf., 26th Division. The
man is T. B. Lathrup, pastor of
the LIST Congregational church in
bfantoTd, Conn, church which is
soon to celebrate its 275th anniver-
sary. Mr.. Lathrop returned in jan
uary after nearly year of service
with the Yankee Division in the
'front.' lines, and marched with his men
In the parade, April 18th. For his
conspicuous valor at the field dress
ing station ON the outskirts of Tourcy
Mr. Lathrop has been recommended
Tor the Distinguished Service Cross by
MAJOR James II. McDade, also of the
Srd Battalion. who will return next
week to his former position in the
advertising department of the Boston
Transcript.
The Bird Battalion, 1o4th Infantry
went forward on July IS, 1918, at two
O'Clock In the morning. The towns of
Tourney and Gievry were taken from
the Germans In our advance that day.
/ was wounded at about Ave o'clock
In the morning by high explosive
shell. a fragment Of which passed
a..
through both thighs. tearing the LEFT
leg badly. | was taken from the field
by the stretcher bearers to dressing
station In charge of Capt. Kirkpat-
rick, M C. of Lynn. He had raised
the flag of the army Red Cross over a
stone cufvert under the road. The
Boche observers had spotted the flag
and the place was under a terrific and
constant shell fire day and night. For
tuntely there were no direct hits dur
ing the time Capt Kirkpatrick was
stationed in the culvert, nearly As
hours.
When / was brought in there were
10 other cases lying on the earth un-
der stone arch where the doctor
was working by candle light. If IL
had not been dry weather for several
days before we would surely have
been out of luck A little rain fell
that morning but not enough to get In
under the shelter.
The Captain finally came to me
and attended to my wounds. The left
leg he could not do much for and he
said that IL | were not rushed tn a
hospital | would certainly lose the
leg 1t was quite a problem to move
me from that protected place to a
hospital where could get surgical at
tentinn. The motor ambulances could
not back UP to the cttlvert The
shells were falling as thickly as rain
on every side of u.s. Before I was
wounded never felt fear of being
under fire but believe me with both
legs smashed | was scared cold To eo
out where the shells were breaking.
Mr. Lathrop, the " SECRETARY
with our battalion. was assisting Cant
Kirkpatrick in his care of the wound
ed. He was at work every minute of
those 48 hours of the advance in that
place. The moment the doctor or
dered me to hospital, without an in
stants hesitation, Mr.. Lathrop picked
me up in his arms. walked out of that
cuivert, and barely escaping death a
dozen times, placed me in a motor
ambulance that was about to leave
for the rear
II as l understand, Major Nc
Dade has recommended Mr.. Lathrou
for the Cross. l for one am here. or
any place, to back up that recommen
dation.'