Aboard the hospital ship

First World War Audio Archive

Aboard the hospital ship

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That night, we went down on a terrible long train just full of

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wounded. We ended up in Bologne and I climbed up three flights of

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stairs by pulling one leg after the other. It was a hospital and

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the doctor come in the morning with a nurse and said, “Make him a

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stretcher case.” So that night we were going over to England on a hospital ship and there’s four guys carrying me down them three

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flights of stairs and one was obviously a Cockney, he says,

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“These bleeding buggers walk up here and we got to carry the buggers down.” I wanted to snicker, but I was afraid they might

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drop me so I didn’t do anything. But when I was on the hospital

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ship you really saw the after-effects of war; the fellows with the legs off and arms off. The fellow next to me had an eye out.

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He was, seemed to be in terrible pain. Anyway, when the ship

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landed, why, volunteers were carrying us to the ambulance.

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I went piggy-back with quite a big Englishman. I felt kind of sore when he was holding my bum up on his back.

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But anyway, I landed up in Norfolk in Norwich hospital where I spent 34 days there before the wound healed up.

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Mr. Close describes being evacuated to England from France, and being hospitalized until his wound healed.

John Hamilton Close

John Hamilton Close was born in Mitchell, Ontario on July 4, 1896. After the death of both his parents, he went to work on his uncle’s farm in Garrett, Ontario. On March 15, 1916, Mr. Close enlisted with the 114th Battalion in Hagersville, Ontario. He started training immediately and was sent to Camp Borden. After going overseas to England he was quickly deployed to Le Havre. He was wounded at Vimy Ridge, rehabilitated in England, and returned to France to fight at Amiens and Arras where he won a Military Medal for bravery. Mr. Close ended his service with the rank of Corporal. He died in Hagersville, Ontario in February, 1993.

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 1:35
Person Interviewed:: John Hamilton Close
War, Conflict or Mission:: First World War
Location/Theatre:: Europe
Branch:: Army
Units/Ship:: 114th Battalion
Rank:: 2-stripe Corporal
Occupation:: Section Leader

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Date modified:: 2024-12-30