Gas Attack

Heroes Remember - The First World War

Gas Attack

Transcript

We were on the, ready to go over the top and they fired this gas, gas and that's the first, that's the first attack of gas, and they told us to wet our handkerchiefs and hold it over our mouth. We didn't have no masks or anything then see so that's what we did and that's what saved some of us and a lot of them died and somehow or another I was too tough, too tough. I was a tough guy, you know.

Description

Mr. Routhier describes being gassed and the troops having to hold soaked hankies to their noses because gas masks weren't yet available.

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.

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