DAVIES William Arthur Shenstone

Cambrian Daily Leader

SWANSEA BATTALION

UNDER FIRE

WOUNDED OFFICER’S

PRAISED

Lieut. W. A. S. Davies Recounts His Experiences

Second-Lieutenant . A. S. Davies of the Swansea Battalion (or 14^th Welsh Regiment) when visited by a “Cambrian Daily Leader” man at his home in Sketty, wore a double eyeshade and moved about with a slight limp, yet verbally showed that cheeriness and enthusiasm we have grown accustomed to in our volunteer army.

“I don’t know what you want,” said he.

Nor I,” replied the pressman, “until I hear you talk. You can tell me of your experiences.”

“I have had extraordinary experiences and yet I suppose, having regard to what is happening, they were not extraordinary at all.”

“You have been to France?”

“I went out in December with the Swansea Battalion; We were in a coast town one night and then went up the line. – I mustn’t tell you where. Then on Monday we went into the firing line. The Swansea boys were splendid, really; you couldn’t have expected better from regular soldiers.

A Football Argument.

“That was when I got my smack. We were sitting about 3 o’clock, I and two officers from the Gloucester Regiment, and we were arguing, of course, about the respective merits of the Gloucester and Swansea football teams.

All of a sudden that shell burst and blew my cap to pieces. I have the fragments now upstairs - just the remnants of a cap!’ It was all through arguing about football!

“Of course, I was knocked up for a bit and when I came to myself, well, you know the feeling just before you are going to faint - I had that feeling all the time. The following day, I went over altogether, and the next thing I remember is being in hospital.

Our fellows seemed used to it. They were absolutely great; no doubt about it. If you like to put it that way, they seemed reconciled to their fate, they seemed used to the thing together.’ ‘About your eyes.’

‘I have practically lost the left eye – cannot see anything with it. I lost the use of both of them at first, but the sight of the right eye has come back.

The right one has practically all right and the other may come later. They say I’ll get the other one back with rest.

I was in hospital for six weeks - 14 days upline and a month at the base. Then they sent me to England and I went to Chelsea. Now I am home for two months.

Is that all you want to know? Unless, you have more to tell?"

A British Cemetery.

"On the way we passed a British cemetery, where 3,000 men were buried; and just before we started we nearly all got ‘strafed,' for the Germans put a search--light on us as we were on a little hillock, and very soon afterwards a hail of shrap- nel followed. Our fellows were splendid through it all, though they were up to their waists in mud. "We got into the trenches about seven o'clock in the night. Things were fairly quiet, though the Germans kept dropping an occasional shell. We got a bit of rest. We sat down, bat couldn't sleep at all, those machine guns going all the time! About 8 o'clock on the following morning shells began to drop as fast as ever they could and this continued till about 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

Continued -

Night Patrol Experiences.

"We had unusual experiences on the night pairol, putting our hands on skeletons and that sort of thing. It was uncanny, creeping along the ground and all of a sudden you would come against something soft and moist!

“We saw a big aeroplane hattle. Our fellows got hold of the German aviators. There were two German aeroplanes up, but two of our lellows rose above these Gormans, and fairly got hold of thom. They ‘strafed’ them absolutely. The German went back in a very half-hearted way! That was the first we saw of artillery; then next thing we had shells dropping ail about us. Our men made the best of a bad job.

"It can't be two generally known that the Swansea Battalion hare been in the trenches for a long while, and that it was only sent back for a rest.

"The men are getting everything they want as regards food; the food is splendid: and for the rest billets there are splendid arrangements. The officers get precisely the same as the men; there is no difference made at all while in the trenches.

"As to hospital arrangements, I can't praise them too highly. Everything is excellent in hospital.

The Battalion Commander.

“I saw the Chief of the Belgian Army-a soldierly fellow, the very spit of Lont Roberts!

The colonel of our battalion, Lieut. Colonel King. is splendid - a soldier every inch of him! He issues an order, but before that he thinks of the men!"

"I notice you have a iimp?

* Oh, yes: I got that at the same time. My knee was struck with the shrapnel. It gives me a good deal of trouble, and is an infallible barometer. I always know when it is going to rain!" Anv other injuries? You didn't mention the knee before

" *No. nothing else. My eyes are the worst. I cannot bear the light yet.

So, with a smile, and expression of the hope that he had been of some service. this incapacitated, but cheerfiul, young officer dismissed the pressman.