Description
Mr. Routhier describes shellfire - including Whizz Bangs.
Harry Routhier
Harry Routhier was born December 6, 1899 in Chelsea, Quebec. He is the third of five children. His father was a steam engineer and his grandfather served in Parliament and wrote the words to "O Canada". He attended school in Phoenix and Mission Junction, British Columbia. He worked on a farm in the Prairies, never finishing school. Lying about his age, Mr. Routhier joined the army at the age of sixteen. After his training in Regina, he joined the 217th Battalion and was later transferred to the 46th Battalion. Mr. Routhier was an active participant in the Battle of Amiens, France in August, 1918. After the war, he worked as a lumberjack, and later resided in Langley, British Columbia.
Transcript
We were under shellfire most of the time, Whizz Bangs going over the trenches, you know, they would be right on the line, you'd hear, Whizz Bang, and you're up against that. You never knew what minute it was gonna land right alongside of you or in your funk hole. And as we were advancing, a lot of the boys would get it. I remember a very good friend of mine, he was in the trench hole up to about here (points to chest) went to lift him out and he came in half. And so that is one thing I'll never forget.
Interviewer: When the shellfire would come in, on you men, Whizz Bangs, there would be casualties?
Oh yes.
Interviewer: You saw them?
Yup, and if you were in the trench, the platoon ahead of you may be advancing and you'd see them and you had to get them in yourself to the what you call a post.
Interviewer: To an aid post?
Ya.
Interviewer: So you men would go out and bring back wounded?
Oh yes, yes.
Interviewer: You would be under fire yourself then?
Under fire, yes, we would even crawl, but the bullets (inaudible). If the Germans saw you they'd have you as long as they didn't turn the machine gun on you, but at night you'd plow all over No Man's Land and try and catch them in their post. Sneaking, sneaking at night you know, and it was pretty cagey, you know.
Interviewer: Dangerous?
Very dangerous, very dangerous, you never knew.
Interviewer: Did you go on many of those night raids?
Oh yes, quite a few.
Interviewer: Did you ever capture German prisoners?
No, no.
Interviewer: Were you involved in fire fights during those raids?
In what?
Interviewer: Were you involved in ambushes or?
Oh yes, oh yes we were.
Interview: You would come into contact with the enemy?
Yes, oh yes.
Interviewer: When the shellfire would come in, on you men, Whizz Bangs, there would be casualties?
Oh yes.
Interviewer: You saw them?
Yup, and if you were in the trench, the platoon ahead of you may be advancing and you'd see them and you had to get them in yourself to the what you call a post.
Interviewer: To an aid post?
Ya.
Interviewer: So you men would go out and bring back wounded?
Oh yes, yes.
Interviewer: You would be under fire yourself then?
Under fire, yes, we would even crawl, but the bullets (inaudible). If the Germans saw you they'd have you as long as they didn't turn the machine gun on you, but at night you'd plow all over No Man's Land and try and catch them in their post. Sneaking, sneaking at night you know, and it was pretty cagey, you know.
Interviewer: Dangerous?
Very dangerous, very dangerous, you never knew.
Interviewer: Did you go on many of those night raids?
Oh yes, quite a few.
Interviewer: Did you ever capture German prisoners?
No, no.
Interviewer: Were you involved in fire fights during those raids?
In what?
Interviewer: Were you involved in ambushes or?
Oh yes, oh yes we were.
Interview: You would come into contact with the enemy?
Yes, oh yes.
Metadata
Shellfire
Medium
Video
Owner
Veterans Affairs Canada
War or Conflict Term
First World War
Location/Theatre
France
Person Interviewed
Harry Routhier
Duration
02:49
