Later, Callens lost a leg. Men
were dropping all around me,
& several bullets tore holes
thru my slicker. I ripped my
arm on some German barbed
wire. When the enemy retreated
we took posession of his
dug outs & captured great
quantities of supplies & clothing.
I ate German food, drank
German rum, & used German
blankets for covering.
A machine gun nest was
raising hell with our boys
so the 1 pounder was ordered
out again. We dashed from
shell hole to shell hole, trying
to get a good position for
firing, & when we lay in one
hole, a shell landed right
on the edge of it & lifted all
of us several feet in the
air. I thought all the boys
with me were killed, but
fortunately none were wounded
even.
|
By this time the Australians
put up a smoke screen &
under this cover charged the
German machine gun nest
& wiped out every man.
Oct. 15 - 18.
Am now resting comfortably
in a hospital in Dury
France - just outside of
Amiens. I was gassed in
my right eye, & same is
totally blind. I knew when
I left the front line that
some road was under fire
but I didn't know which
road it was. As luck would
have it I chose the danger
road & two rifle bullets
zipped close to my head
before I got under cover.
Its great here in the hospital.
My nurse is an English girl
& because I'm an American
she treats me fine. It is
hoped that my sight will
be saved but an operation
|
