From the News

Dated:

Pte. T. W. May, came up from Chicago to enlist, and took on with the 113th battalion at Lethbridge. He was wounded at Vimy Ridge, after serving with the 16th battalion for 11 months. "I got a real, nice, little blighty," he said when questioned about his wound. With regard to the war, he declared it was a great war, and he would not have missed it for anything, but he was not too keen to go back. "The people in England treated me fine," he asserted. "I would like to have stayed in hospital for another six months, but it is good to be back in the land of plenty again."

Asked why he came through to the coast instead of stopping at Lethbridge, Pte. May said: "It's 35 below there now, so I came through to where I could get warm."

Awful Days of Ypres.

Sgt. G. Greig, who was a member of the 2nd Battery C.F.A., 1st division, came up from San Francisco at the outbreak of the war to enlist, and has spent over two years in France. He was not wounded, but exposure took its toll, and he is invalided home, on account of his having contracted rheumatism and chronic neuritis. "I would have liked to have seen it through," he stated, "but somehow or the other fate was against me, but believe me I am glad to be back." He was satisfied that the war was going on all right, but was convinced that it was a matter of time. He also stated that it was strange to have so much ammunition nowadays after being so short at the critical period at the battle of Ypres, when the Germans were sending over 20 for one, but he finished with a reminiscent smile, "We held them all riht and they did not get through, though it was hell."

Sergt.-Major M. Merston went overseas with the 121st battalion, but was transferred to the 7th, and after serving for eight months in France, he found that the conditions were not too good for a man over 40 years of age. He was delighted to be back, but was glad to have gone over and done his bit. They first heard of the Halifax disaster when they were 800 miles from England and had orders to go to New York. They did not spend much time there, and were rushed through as soon as possible. He was satisfied with the way they were treated coming across the continent, "Vancouver for mine," he said, as he went away in the motor bus to the hospital to enjoy a night's rest in a "still bed," as he very aptly put it.

T. Ikeda, a Japanese soldier, went over with the 52nd battalion, and was wounded twice, the first time at Messines in the hand with shrapnel, and the second time in the left arm with a trench mortar. He thought the war was a good place, but the city of Vancouver was better. He would like to go back, but he would like a rest first. Altogether he spent 20 months in France.

No Go Back; Get Warm First."

Another Japanese to go overseas was K. Yoshiatre¹, who was with the 50th battalion, and was wounded near Lens in the leg. "Trenches too cold," he said; "Vancouver nice and wet and warm. I no go back; I get warm first."

Pte. J. Johnson of the 72nd Regt., did not have the luck to go to France, as he got hurt during an air raid. Though he was not hit directly, but was in an accident as the result of the raid, and this turned to other complications, so he had to come back an invalid. His great trouble was that he did not get the chance to get to France and fight, which "after all was what I enlisted for," he finished with.

J. Deacon spent nine months in France, going over with the 192nd battalion, an Alberta unit, but as he was fairly old he could not stand the rigors of trench life and rheumatism numbered him among its victims. "It's no place for an old man like me," he said, but he expressed great satisfaction at having gone over there.

J. H. Gibbs, of Nelson, went over with the 196th Western Universities battalion and spent about eight months in the trenches, which he described "as not exactly like home, but it was the only place for a fit young man like me to be. Fritz got me so that I can't go back was all he would say about being wounded. He also stated that the front was all right, but British Columbia, especially Nelson, was much better. He and Sergt. Holmes both came from Nelson, and were looking forward to going back home.

W. J. Bowes, from Alberta, was one of the original members of the 49th battalion. He got hit by shrapnel in the back, which afterwards developed into nephritis. As for the front, it was all right, but after two and a half years of it, one got a little tired of it, and was thankful for a rest, which he was looking forward to. "It is a young man's war," he sated, but he would not have missed it for all the money in the world.