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MAYOR’S SON IN TIGHT CORNER ON BATTLE LINE
Held at Observation Post so Long He Was Reported as a Prisoner-Came Through Without a Scratch but He has a Bullet Hole in his Helmet
[Welland Telegraph, 30 June 1916]
Lieut. Gordon Crow, son of Mayor Crow, who is with the artillery in Ypres sector, writing home under date of June 11 (that’s two weeks ago last Sunday), tells of his lucky escape in the serious engagements of the early part of June when the Germans broke the line. He came through without a scratch, but he has some ventilation in his helmet that he never had before. Lieut. Crow got in a tight corner at his observation post and was so long out before he could return that he was reported as a prisoner.
He writes: “It must be an anxious time for you about this time, and I may send you a cable when this scrap ends. I am due for the trenches again this evening, but if I get out of them 48 hours from now safe and sound I’ll be a lucky boy. But I am bomb-proof and bullet-proof as is proved by experience when the bunch came up to visit me at the observation post and bombed me while observing, also firing with their rifles, and not a scratch. It was the tightest corner I shall ever be in and I was reported as a prisoner for a long while until I got into communication again.
I had a great time scouting after them afterward. You should have seen us crawling along looking for Fritz but he saw me first with the result that I have a fine souvenir in a hole through the cover of my tin helmet. However the main thing is that we discovered Fritz though we haven’t strafed him out yet, but we’ll do it.
This has been a great eleven days since the scrap began and we shall all be glad of a rest and believe that we have earned it. Our men have worked like heroes, and we have been fairly lucky so far as casualties, having had only one fellow killed, just outside our door here. He died almost instantly.
This is the worst scrap than the one of last year, and the casualties are appearing daily and will continue to appear. Canada will be proud of her soldiers for they have stood a bombardment the intensity of which was the greatest yet seen, on the front in the opinion of the experts. I had the good fortune to be up there and come through it and consider myself lucky beyond all measure.
We’re giving the Hun all he wants these days, all day and all night, and I’ll wager he is sick of the ground he took, but he’s a good fighter, especially the Royal Wurtembergers, who are opposite us, and he won’t give up without a struggle, and a mighty one. All honor to our infantry who made the counter attack that were unfortunately unsuccessful. I was up when a certain Hieland battalion went up the slope at the double march, and I tell you it was a sight one will never forget.”
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