Recollections of Clarence A. McGuire - September 04, 1917
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[page 1] The morning of [September] 4th 1917 was one of the very first mornings resembling Indian Summer we were very busy that day at the Hospital and I had operated on there [ms illegible: 1 wd] in the afternoon [ms illegible: 1 wd] doing my other work and had posted two operations for the next day which I never did and one of them was never operated on as on this uneventful night a piece of shrapnel fried his brain and he lived for only a few minutes, we had our dinner at the mess house and all sitting around after a good meal smoking some of our American cigars which I had brought with me and after finishing my cigar was engaged in reading some of the American papers which I had not seen for some time, an we were on the boat for twenty one days coming our and had been so busy that I had missed out on some of the American news, so about then oclock the electric lights we turned out and I asked what was the matter and was informed that it was a warning of an air raid so Lt. Fitzsimmons and I walked out and the night was beautiful no wind and the moon was shining at its brightest so two other officers suggested we take a stroll up the road as the lights
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would be on soon and we could then finish our reading an they did not know what an air raid was then at that time so we all four strolled up the road together passed the other Hospitale which then was fine all under canvas we returned about Eleven oclock and the lights came on again only for a few minutes and Dr Fitzsimmons suggested we should retire thinking there would be no raid but the lights were turned off again but we had gone to in our tents getting ready for bed by a candle and never knew it, I had just gotten in bed when I heard a noise like an explosion which was the first Bomm that was dropped sounded like a cannon I heard the first explosion but what the man that was supposed to give the alarm was wide awake but if it had of been in the day time I could of excused him especially if it had been around five oclock as he would of taken time out of his tea and no one is supposed to molest them at that time
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[page 3] as soon as a German air plain leaves the base and gets in our territory there is a hearing device and the word is passed on down the line to look out for him that is when the lights are turned out but sorrow to say this night our noble watchman was not one the job as he alowed the plain to get as low as five hundred feet over our Hospital and did not know he was around untill he had dropped his bomms and on his way back to the German line after telling Lt Fitz good night [ms crossed out: 2 wds] and had just got in bed when I hear an awfull as his tent and mine was about seven feet apart the entrance to my tent facing the east and my cot which I was on was on the opposite side of the door so I was lying there facing the west when I heard a terrific explosion and I jumped which threw my cot on edge and which was very luck for me as I would not be here to tell the story Lt Fitz heard the hum of the plain and was standing in the door of the tent looking out and asked one of the men what was going on when a bomm was dropped at his feet which killed him instantly and another one between his tent and mine as I only taken a few seconds for all this to happen and I
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was still on my cot suspended on one side when the bomm that exploded and the fragments from it pierced four hundred holes in my tent seven going through two thickness of mattress four blankets and stopped at me but I was no longer on my cot but about five feet out side when I was completely blown out, I would not get up as I was wounded in the arms chest and leg I thought my arm was broken but I was not capable to make any dig then if you ever shot a musket and had it to kick real hard and still keep on kicking that is the feeling I had by that time the two large serchlights were playing on both sides and insted of finding the plain seemed they were centered on me as that was my first enpression before a real serchlight after I had laid there for some time attracting attention by my moaning and groaning they came to my rescue and I was placed on a stretcher and taken to the operating room when the floor was covered with stretchers of wounded my wounds were dressed after controlling the Hemmorage and I was put in a Ford ambulance and taken to another Hosp for officers when I learned what it was to be a patient of coarse there was no more
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[page 5] stuff for me that night but I could not make the nurse believe but what I was far from all pain, but after coaxing she gave me I believe a sterile Hypo saying I had got my shot before and must be contented as there was a war going on the next day I was [ms illegible: 1 wd] and found only six pieces of Shrapnel in my as one had gone through my foot and I hope stopped before it got to some one else so the next day removed one from my shoulder and I sorrow to say I still have five to take back to America and have been advised to not get wet as they may rust I was in this Hosp for three weeks and then went to Southern France to a [ms illegible: 1 wd] Home an I prepared that to going to London as at that time they were boming that place regular so I was there for two weeks and then returned back and the first night back about one oclock heard the anti air craft guns begin to fly managed to get out of bed in my pajamas one shoe on and it was on the wrong foot
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[page 6] I started for some where and the only place I could find was a large ditch near by I jumped in there and found out that I was not alone but there were other and as the shells would break over head and could hear the pieces light on every side I felt sure they would get me that time, it would be a wonderful thing to watch if you were sure that it would not hit you, there is no fire works to equal a barage but I am afraid that fire works will not have anything to equal this when it is all over and as far as a moon light night the fact that round about moon light nights never was in the Army but I have enjoyed moonlight nights before and believe after it is all over I will get like them once more
Details
| Title | Recollections of Clarence A. McGuire - September 04, 1917 |
| Creator | McGuire, Clarence A. |
| Source | McGuire, Clarence A. Recollections of Clarence A. McGuire. 04 September 1917. McGuire, Clarence A. Collection. 2009.13. National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Missouri. |
| Description | <p>Clarence A. McGuire tells his account of the bombing that occured at Base Hospital Number 5 on September 4, 1917. In his story he notes the death of Lt. William T. Fitzsimmons.</p> |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--Hospitals; World War, 1914-1918--War work--Red Cross; Bombing, Aerial |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I; United States. Army. Base Hospitals |
| Site Accession Number | 2009.13 |
| Contributing Institution | National World War I Museum and Memorial |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the National World War I Museum and Memorial: (816) 888-8100. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | September 4, 1917 |
| Language | English |