Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-08
WOUNDED PHILA. DOCTOR
RELATES BOCHE CIR UEL TIES
Captain E. J. Prosper Was Pris.
oner in German Camp for Six
Months
ConUalescent in London, Wants
to Go Back With Conquering
army

This article Uds ioritten by Henry NJ.
| NeeiU, Phiiddelphidn tcho is engaged in
/ reconstruction tUork abroad
/ 'copff9ht. 1919. by Public Ledger Coz
London. Jan. 25.--with a bullet in his
chest piece Of shrapnel In his thigh
ana another in his hand. Philadelphian
lay among the wounded of the British
uiVision to which he was attached. while
the men still on their feet fought des-
perately to ward off the boches who
surrounded them.
But the division--what was left OF it
was captured and the Philadelphian with
II. That was last May at Barleaux.
down by the Chemin des Danes.
Since then he has lived through all
of the unspeakable horrors Of a German
prison camp has seen his comrades die
ike flies from starvation, ill-treatment
undressed wounds. disease. But he sur
vived 1t all and is here in London now
mt as a fiddle again, but full OF hatred
for Germany and everything German.
| You Will never want to go there on
a vacation. will you?" | suggested jok-
ingly as We sat talking tonight in The
Palace Hotel.
! His eyes flashed and his jaws snapped
shut.
! III trying 10 get DacK now, lie Sdlo'
! II suffered all the humillations OF a
prisoner there now I want to go back
with conquering army"
The Philadelphia is Captain-Doctoi
In civil life at home-E. ]. Prosper, who
was born and raised at 1907 Frankford
avenue. and whose father still lives in
the old family home. Doctor Prosper.
graduate of Temple and of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania. and still
member OF Doctor Conwelrs church.
practiced at 1900 Frankford avenue
until he went to Lawrenceville. Pa,
about year before coming over here.
'I came across in May said Cap
tain Prosper. in relating his experiences,
with the first fourteen medical officers
from the United States I had held a
commission in the old Medical Reserve
Corps and I volunteered TO come over
and join the British in response to an
appeal telling of their frightful need
of medical men. With the other Ameri-
can officers ] was sent across, attached
to them, at the first opportunity after
the United States entered the war, and
before we had sent cur own men over.
Division Ordered Out to Re-equip
I'VE went out to France and I was
| assigned to the Seventh Durham Light
Infantry in the British Fiftieth Divi-
sion. We Joined in the third battle of
Ypres, but four months Of constant fight
| ing cut up our division so badly that,
after we got down to the Somme in
the retreat of March 81, we were ordered
| out to rest and re-equip.
But we had not rebuilt our strength
very much when the Portuguese began
to break up by Armentieres and we
were sent back early in April with the
Fifty-first Division and checked the rout
before the forest of Nieppe. That vas
one damned good battle, I'll say.
I'VE went down south for a long rest
then. for we were cut up worse than
before, but when the 27th of May show
started, when the boche broke through
on his way to Paris. we got word that
he was coming over for us. We made
a stand on what they called the Cali
fornia Plateau at Barieux by the Chemin
des Danes The boche surrounded the
plateau and our men fell thick, ! went
down with three wounds and. when the
thing ended, the boche captured prac-
tically all that was left of the divi-
sion.
From here, all of us wounded men