World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, British
Meanwhile we were being shelled from a spot which we could not locate
for some time, then we learned that the firing came from a fort on the
left of the village which was known as Port Arthur. We were in the
direct line of fire from it, and our position became very uncomfortable.
The Germans who were in Port Arthur were a plucky and stubborn lot, for
they refused to surrender when they were asked to do so, and declared
that they would not cave in either for British or French or Russians.
That showed a fine and right spirit, but at last these chaps had to
stop, because our gunners got two or three “Little Harrys” into Port
Arthur, and it came tumbling down about the defenders’ ears.
It was now dark, past nine o’clock, and it seemed that the enemy was a
long time making up his mind to attack us; but at about twenty minutes
past the hour they began firing with their artillery. The very first
shell they sent came right into my two sections of trenches, and killed
one man and wounded half-a-dozen of us, including myself. The poor
fellow who was killed had his head completely taken off his shoulders.
I helped to bandage the other five before I troubled about myself. Then
I looked around again and found that the Germans were well into the
night attack; but they never got within fifty yards of our trenches.
What happened after that I am not able to tell you. I was sent to the
field ambulance to have my wounds dressed, then I learned that I had got
two shrapnel bullets in me, one in the left thigh and one on the other
side, to keep it company.
In the ambulance train I went to Béthune, then on to Boulogne, then, on
a Sunday afternoon--the 14th of March--I landed at an English Channel
port and once again had experience of the care and kindness of friends
and nurses in the hospitals at home.
For the second time I had been sent home wounded from the front. I was
proud enough when I felt that I had tried to do my duty in the glorious
rearguard fighting after Mons and in the battles of the Marne and Aisne;
but I was prouder still to know that I had shared in the victory of
Neuve Chapelle, in which we got our own back, with a lot of interest,
from some of the finest troops of Germany.
THE END
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J. L. GARVIN
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THE RED CROSS IN SERBIA
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CECIL CHESTERTON
THE PRUSSIAN HATH SAID IN HIS HEART
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