Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-24
REAL WAR HERO
DSHAVEN HERE
Arthur J. Wilkensin to Live
in City After Thrilling
Experience
LOST BOTH PARENTS
Served Britain on Land and
Sea and Fired First
Shot
LOST BOTH PARENTS

Philadelphia has been adopted by the
man who started the British part
of the world war.
Arthur J. WillSensin, who claims to
have placed the first shell in the gun
which, hurled Britain's first message of
death into the ranks of the Germans at
9 a. m. on August s, 1914 is the guest
of the Benedict Service Club, 1913 Mar
ket street What is more, he is going
to find job and stay here, now that
he has been released from the British
army.
Barely twenty-one years of age, Will
kensin has record which exceeds the
widest dreams of the dime novelists for
thrilling experiences. He lost his father
by drowning when the vessel on which
the elder Wilkensin served was tor
pedoed. His mother was killed in an
air raid on London. He personally ac-
counted for seven Germans and caD-
tured forty; was wounded and gassed
on the field of battle and shipwrecked
at sea, finally to be picked up off the
American shores. These are only few
of the incidents of his experiences.
Has Several Medals for yalor
wilkensin, who wears several medals
for bravery, enlisted in the British army
in 1912 from his home in Wales. lie
says the towns name has hfty-slN let
ters in 1t and is pronounced somewhat
like a whistle. The story OF the service
in the war follows in chronological Or
der:
June 16, 1914-Stationed on H. NJ
S. Lance. u \,
August 7--Transferred TO H. M ~
August 2s-Saw action at Helgo--
land then transferred to Royal Naval
Division in France. :, a.,
battle of the Marne, in which there
were ninety-seven survived out OF =
division numbering 1900 After TINS
battle he returned to the fleet 1or sea
service. ,o,
wound in the naval battle at falKlahu
March Is, 1915-went to France
with the Hood Battalion.
March 16-Transferred back to the
| Invincible.
May 81, 1916-Received another
shrapnel wound in the battle of Jut-
land, in which the Invincioie was
sunk, and he was one Of eight sur
| vivors, this time out of 1851.
| After the battle of Jutland he was
! transferred to the armed liner lscania
/ and came here on government service
t, He was q gunner on this ship and or
| the way back to England he fired the
shots that sank one German submarine
and blew the coming tower off another
taking twenty-one prisoners. In the
first shot the conclusion from the DIG
gun smashed his shoulder and he mad tc
go to the hospital as soon as the sh'T
docked
Transferred to Destroyer
| He was awarded the Distinguished
Service Medal. On being discharged
from the hospital he was transferred tc
the P.40, a British destroyer, and five
hours after the ship left port 1t was
torpedoed and sunk. He was picked VI
by the P-17, a similar type boat, whicl
struck a mine at 6 O'Clock the mex
| night This time the Tigress save'
him from a watery grave and landed
| him at Rosyth.
| On November 10, 1916, he was trans
ferred to a naval division in France ant
took part in the capture of Beaumon
Hamel, a small village in which he re
ceived a bayonet wound in the leg.
His further chronology follows: