The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-07-18

in the first Ypres battle, then al
Messines Ridge, both Vimy battles
tile hard fighting around Lens
where the Germans made seven
counter-attacks in one night and the
dead were so numerous that bodies
we're used to corduroy the swamps
around the city. He was in both oil
the Cambria battles, and was finally
put out of action last summer
August 20. II he had lasted ten days
longer his transfer to the American
forces would have gone into effect
for he had already applied for it
Many Americans i'm G. +. +.
5 Tho he served in the Canadian
arm yso long, Rose is stoutly Ameri-
can at heart. Under the present ar
rangements he is British subject
but provision for the repatriation OF
the thousands of American boys who
fought unde rthe Union Jack may
possibly be made.
I'm the first division there were
er cent of Americans" said Rose
in speaking of this last week, in
the second division, that went ocer
in 1915 early in the spring there
were ~ per cent; and in the third
division, later the same year, 40 per
cent were American boys. The
fourth and fifth divisions were
largely Americans. Another thing
that is not well known over here,
the Canadian air forces were almost
all American, and even the British
and French air forces hal many
Americans. There were hundreds of
American aviators killed in action
already when | went over there in
1914. The British ace of aces was
Capt Clement, an American now liv-
ing at St. Anthony. H.
Rose does not believe in the eff
ficacy of the gas mask. He affirms
that man has $3.50 chance with
out mask, but no chance with one
in close action. He believes that
for all minor wounds inflicted by ma
chine gun bullets and the like,
where no bones are cracked, a man
is much better off to be dressed on
the field and stay in action, than to
go to hospital and stiffen up lying
around. He has eleven machine gun
wounds himself, and was wounded
in all seventy-two times.
Won Military Honors
Most of these wounds were doc
tored by comrades in the trenches,
using pocket knives and first aid
bandages.
He wears the French Croix de
Guerre with two citations, one of
which was for killing five Germans,
who had him prisoner in their
trenches after a Canadian advance
an dwere trying to get information
out of him prior to finishing him off.
The Canadians and Germans had a
'no-prisoner" code which they prac-
tised for long period and thereby
saved themselves much trouble.
1t was at the second battle of
Vimy Ridge when Rose found him
self in this tight place. He relates:
They were trying to get informa-
ton out of men and had already had
me backed off against "a trench wall
and one of them had his rifle
cooked. 1t was a miserable day,
and soggy. The Germans
had only one match among them and
they all stopped to light cigarette.
thought just then of a hand
grenade in my pocket and so /
divided it among the five of them
and went back to my trench. | be-
ieve there were forty million shots
ired at me while | was running
home. They had me occupying every
=, i hole on the way"
Also at Vimy Rose was decorated
or handling eighteen enemy prison
RS in an expeditions manner His
hree companions. having been killed
while they were taking the prisoners
lone and he was unable to trust
hem to guide him to. the allied
renches, so he divided" five gre
lades among them. For this he re-
.eived the Victoria Cross, the only
decoration in the world that
Lcrries a pension with it. This cross
antilles it's owner to a captains COM
mission in the field. He also won
he Belgian CrOiX de Guerra.
The Worst Battles
At Lens the plucky young Ameri-'
an received the British MILITARY
ross. 1t was there the Germans
rst began to poison food and wine.
Asked what was the worst battle
e was ever in Rose will answer
Cambria, second battle" 1t was
Il this engagement he had the calf
f one leg almost shot away and re-
lived three shrapnel bullets in the
DOT, part of which also was carried
way. He walks with slight limp.
There must have been 1000 cannon |
on us that time" he,
aid. | stood up under it for three
avs and eleven hours, and it was
he worst hail of lead l ever saw.
hen | was hit. We left Al 900 men |