From the News

Dated: November 14, 1917

During one of the recent attacks Sergt. Oscar Samson, of Alberta, was seriously wounded in the arm.  Instead of trekking for medical assistance back in the rear he attempted to "carry on" at his job of mending lines.  Finally his arm got so painful he decided to go forward on the track that had been mended to an advanced dressing station he knew of.  Samson climbed on a tractor, which was hauling a trainload of Stokes' gun ammunition.  When they got over a junction near the front line both guard and driver were wounded by splinters from a high explosive shell.  The little train had made the crest of the grade and was gathering momentum every second with the driver of the tractor hanging limp and unconscious on his seat.  Samson pulled him up to a place of safety and shut off the engine, but the heavy train had too much headway to be stopped and in addition the brake gear had been blown away by another shell.  Climbing back to try and set the brakes on the cars Samson came across the wounded guard.  He had been knocked off the top of the truck and his foot catching in the framework of the car he was being dragged along with his head and shoulders bumping on the ballast.  The Canadian sergeant released his foot, but failed in his attempt to gather him up into the rapidly moving car.

About 100 yards ahead was another ammunition train, its cargo of high explosive shells being unloaded at a battery position.  By good luck and a knowledge of braking learned on the grades in the Rockies, Samson managed to slow down his train just as it reached the standing trucks and a serious collision and explosion was avoided.  Then, although the shell fire was extremely heavy, the sergeant went back and rescued the wounded guard.  Samson won the military medal for this splendid exhibition of pluck.