Shell through the roof
First World War Audio Archive
Shell through the roof
Transcript
Hill 62 Memorial Belgium.
the Somme. That first night that I was on, my company wasCourtrai Memorial Belgium.
assigned to go into the front line trenches. We were shelled onLe Quesnel Memorial Belgium.
the way in - had suffered no casualties however, but we went inGueudecourt Memorial France.
on a Monday night and by Wednesday we were getting short of water So I sent four of my men from my platoons, I had charge of 7 andDury Memorial France.
8 platoons on this trip in, and sent them out for water rightMonchy Memorial France.
after dark and came one and two o’clock in the morning and they hadn’t returned and I was terribly worried what had happenedPasschendaele Memorial Belgium.
to them. I knew they didn’t know where the water, where to go and get the water, but I was sure they could find out anyway. Oh, perhaps at about three o’clock in the morning one of theMasnières memorial France.
boys I’d sent out arrived back and said, “Oh, we were shelled on the way back with the water, and one of the lads is prettyBourion Wood Memorial France.
badly wounded,” and he said, “the other is staying there looking after him and I came up to tell you and see if I could get some help." So I sent four more men back with a stretcher to getCourcelette Memorial France.
him and take him back to the casualty station. I wondered whatBeaumont-Hamel Memorial France.
happened then when it came seven o’clock in the morning and they hadn't returned. Finally, I heard that after they had picked thisSt. Julien Memorial Belgium.
lad up and were carrying him back, a shell came and hit a direct hit on the stretcher bearer and blew this lad all to piecesCanadian National Vimy Memorial France.
and wounded the four men that were on the stretcher with him.Description
Mr. Copp gives us insight into the irony of war. He describes how he and his men safely advance to their objective amidst a shelling, only to lose men to a direct shell hit as they are transporting a wounded soldier to safety.
John Percy Copp
John Percy Copp was born on February 2, 1889 at Baie Verte, New Brunswick. He enlisted in the 65th Battalion at Saskatoon. Shortly thereafter, in June, 1916 he went overseas to England, training for a very short time at Camp Bramshott. On August 10, 1916 he shipped to France as a member of B Company, 46th Battalion. Mr. Copp held the rank of Lieutenant and led his men in several major actions: Ypres, the Somme, Lens and Vimy. He was awarded the Military Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace. His story is most compelling, for in it his concern for his men is the predominant theme. At the time of his interview, Mr. Copp lived in Lajolla, California.
Meta Data
- Medium:
- Video
- Owner:
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Duration:
- 2:31
- Person Interviewed:
- John Percy Copp
- War, Conflict or Mission:
- First World War
- Location/Theatre:
- Europe
- Battle/Campaign:
- Ypres
- Branch:
- Army
- Units/Ship:
- 46th Battalion
- Rank:
- Lieutenant
- Occupation:
- Platoon Commander
Attestation
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