Description
Mr. Routhier describes being slightly wounded by a sniper but having to rehab in England because all of the field hospitals were full.
Harry Routhier
The third of five children, Harry Routhier was born in Chesley, Ontario on December 6, 1899. His father was a railroad engineer, and his grandfather has the distinction of having written the lyrics for “ O Canada”. Mr. Routhier's family moved to British Columbia, and lying about his age, enlisted in the 217th Battalion at Camp Hughes, Manitoba. Prior to deploying overseas, he trained in St. John, New Brunswick. Although Mr. Routhier's narrative centers on Amiens, his experiences there are typical of many of the battles which occurred during the First World War.
Transcript
We were marching and there was an overpass, you know the way those overpasses are there and under. All of a sudden I was knocked over and they kept marching and marching and everybody, don’t stop, you don’t stop. Anyway, I made myself get down underneath this overpass bridge, you know, because the bullets were still flying so down there I was safe until I got picked up. I was surprised but I think there was so many with slight wounds. I called it slight, you know, just grazed the bone, that was about it, but the places were all full so they said get him over, away. They sent me to Devonshire in England to get me out of the road, I guess.