Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-21
VETERAN OF LINE
HOME ONCE MORE
Philadelphia Surgeon, 60, De-
fled Oslerization Where
Boche Bullets Flew
GASSED, ALSO 'GOLDFlSHED'

Lieutenant Colonel William r.. Ash.
ton. NJ. c.. the oldest officer to sec
active front line service. has returned
home. He is sixty years old and took
part in all the major operations with
the First Army from the time of its
organization. His home is at 20l 4
Walnut street.
| Colonel Ashton was chief medical
officer of the 3O9th Field Artillery. He
returns with wound stripe. for he was
gassed at Graud Pre- in the Argonne
drive while going TO the rescue Of
officers and men Of snother division who
shell.
Had Enough Canned Bill
This gray haired veteran officer. who
/ is fed up on corned willie and gold
fish, - AS hc explained it today. is, in
civil life, DR.. William f. Ashton, for
twenty four years professor of abdomi-
nal surgery at Medico Chi. Goldfish y
is army slang for canned salmon.
Major General Hersey wrote Colonel
Ashton n personal letter of thanks for
his volunteer service at Grand Pre-.
, The letter thanks the veteran for his
wonderful devotion in hurrying to our
aid that evening on the 10th of October.
when we were so sorely stricken at our
lJJth Brigade headquarters. A high
explosive shell fell among enlisted men
/ and officers at this headquarters Of
the Seventy eighth Division as mess
was being served. Twelve men were
killed: and among the officers wounded
was Captain Twaddell. of Devon.
, Through Clouds Of Gas
/ Colonel Ashton went with the ambu-
lance that hurried to the brigade =. g.
and personally aided the wounded. On
the return the Germans gassed the road
and Colonel Ashton was gasscd as he
rode in the ambulance.
. He served with the division through
the Toul sector trench training period
and then in the major operations of
the st. Mihiel attack and the Argonne-
Mcuse offensive to the signing of the
armistice. He hiked from Pont a :
Mousson to Sedan and from Sedan back
to NerdUn.
Action After % Years Service
Although he has served in the army
for twenty two years with medical
units. Captain William II. Williamson.
of Frankford, said he had to 90 through
this war to experience some real thrills.
The captain was met at the pieI
by his wife, who had not seen him for
seventeen months, the time he had been
in France.
The Great Northern, sister ship OF
the luckless Northern Pacific. carried
many Philadelphians home.
On the Great Northern were Walter II
we'll; 1928 i Keyser street; John W. Paxson
mann. 2527 North Lee street: Wsiter
Cliffe, Germantown: Richard l.. Atkinson
Pill North Uber street; GeoTrey T. Hawley
SSss %ss. JShnsHn %nSt street Samuel
Georse H. shute 1888 NORTH Grstz street street
Richard l.. Townsend. Bryn Mawr: Arthu,
h, Underhill. 81! Real Estate building: Lieu
o PARCEL. 1O45 Brst oil street: Frank /.
Hale 1857 North Marshall street: John W
Jones 43l2 Wayne avenue: John II. Simon
kennaghap, 1907 Foulkrod street: George q
w. Goetz. ,362 pu Pont street; LouiH j
Daley. 5OI South Broad street: Paul Rob
erts. 1912 Wayne avenue: William Heckert
It43 SNYDER Avenue Avenue % George F; Anderson
252s North Eighteenth street: William T
e. Van Solver. 5000 Sydenham street, snC
Bernard Webster 3212 Hurley street.