Any letter sent back
to Hamilton from England concerning conditions at the Salisbury Plain training
camp was always of interest to Hamiltonians. The letters which included news about men familiar to local
citizens were especially read avidly.
Such was the case
with the following letter published in the Hamilton Times, January 19, 1915.
The unnamed correspondent was with the
Canadian Contingent at Salisbury Plain and he gave some colorful information
about a man very well-known to people in the city, a former member of the 91st
Highlanders, “Josh” Gee.
Gee had once been a
British reservist. He returned to England upon the outbreak of the war, and was
one of the first Canadians to be wounded in France.
The letter read as
follows :
“Salisbury, Eng.,
Jan. 2 – Private Joshua Gee, of the Highland Light Infantry, a famous British
fighting regiment, has just been released from the local hospital. Now he may
be seen hanging about the streets of Salisbury aided by a heavy stick and
escorted by Canadians, who may have come to town on leave.
“Gee is an idol of
the Canadians for the simple reason that he himself comes from Canada. Two
months ago he was badly wounded at Ypres. He was struck by shrapnel on the left
shoulder and by bullets on the left foot and leg below the knee.
“Gee had just left
the hospital the other evening and was limping down the main street, when
suddenly a squad of Canadian Highlanders literally pounced on him.
“ ‘Well, if it ain’t
Josh,’ said one.
“ 'Josh Gee, do my
eyes deceive me?’ yelled another.
“And thereupon,
Private Gee was carried through the crowds on several shoulders to the nearest “pub,”
and the spectators couldn’t understand why the Canadians made such a fuss over
a English regular. But they didn’t know that Gee had an accent with a drawl a
yard long.
“When they had taken
their comrade to the hotel, they fired a thousand questions at him, and demanded
that they all be answered.
“Gee’s life since the
war was declared may be told briefly. He was born in Toronto, but for three
years he lived in Hamilton. Early in August, being a reservist, he was called
to the colors. He boarded the first boat he could and was in action on
September 2. On October 31, he was wounded, sent to Boulogne hospital, and
three days later to Bridport, near Salisbury.
“Eleven years ago, he
joined the Highland Light Infantry and served eight years, principally in India,
Three years ago he returned to Toronto.
“When Gee retired
from the regular army, and returned to Canada, he joined the 91st
Highlanders of Hamilton.
“ ‘You see soldiering
was in my blood, and although I cursed it, I could not quit,’ explained Gee. ‘To
me, it was like a cigarette habit, which is blamed hard to shake. When this war
broke out, I saw a chance to do some real fighting after eleven years’ service
without taking a shot at anything human. When you fellows carried me in here,
it reminded me of four months ago – it seems like four years – when I was
carried down James street, Hamilton, to the train. However, there was no band
tonight. That’s the only difference.
“ ‘ You’re the first
Canadian in a Tommy’s uniform I’ve seen,’ said an old friend.
“ ‘Guess I was the
first put out of commission, too,’ he replied.
“ ‘Bet you’re
terribly anxious to go back, Josh?’ said another.
“ ‘Don’t pull my leg,’
replied Private Gee. ‘I’ve got to return on the 20th, but, believe
me, after being in the battles of Aisne, Marne and Ypres, I’m not eager to
return. This is my first, last and only war.’
“And then Gee told of
some of his experiences. He said that he was endeavoring to be transferred to
the 91st Highlanders , but didn’t know whether it could be arranged.
“ ‘I should be with
the Hamilton bunch,’ he said.
“ ‘Nearly all my old
pals are on the Plains. When I rejoined the Highland Light Infantry, I didn’t
know a soul, but, of course, it doesn’t take long to get acquainted.’ “
“ Gee was only 24
hours in England after joining the colors. He was only a day in France when he
was fighting. He arrived in France during te retreat from Mons, but his first engagement
was really at the battle of the Aisne. He was in one of the regiments which
marched 196 miles in nine days with 36 hours’ sleep, the endurance record of
the British army.
“ ‘I was with the
boys on the Aisne and Marne,’ he said. ‘The fighting was desperate. I don’t
know how I came out alive with that constant rain of lead. My chum and I used
the same loophole to shoot through in one of the trenches, and he was shot
through the head. See, I got his belt on me just in memory of him. He was the
whitest boy I ever knew. A bullet went though my cap, but I didn’t get touched
till we got in firing distance of Ypres. We were attacking for several days,
and October 18, I was wounded in three places. I wasn’t picked up for four
hours.
“ ‘You see the
stretcher bearers aren’t allowed to collect the wounded until nightfall because
the Germans shoot at them if they see ‘em. They’re rotten fighters. Shoot at
the doctor’s too!’
“ “ ‘In any bayonet
charges, Josh?’
“ ‘Just three,’ he replied.
‘They were enough. But the Germans are yellow when it comes to using the
bayonet. Cold feet every time. They yell like pigs and run when they get a
chance. They adopt all sorts of mean tactics, as you know from all the papers.
But they don’t like the British because we are wise to them.
“ ‘Of course, we were
caught napping one or twice. I remember once while we were in a trench about 50
yards from them, they hoisted a white flag and their front line came out and
lay down their rifles. All we had to do was to go and get them. Our company got
out of the trench, but we had no sooner reached the open than the Germans fell
flat on the ground and another line in rear rose up and shot at us. How I
escaped I don’t know. Just bullheaded luck, I guess.’
“Then he mentioned
the bayonet charges and how they were executed. Each trench zig-zags across the
fields and each man constructs steps in the earth so he can get out quickly
when ordered to charge. When the command is given, the men are out in a
twinkling and dashing for the enemy.
“ ‘You wonder how you
have the nerve after it is all over,’ said Gee. ‘But you have no fear. You are
stark crazy and rush at them in the teeth of the fire, forgetful of everything
but to stick them. In my three experiences I never got a scratch, but I can
truthfully say that a few Germans did. We rushed at them, and any we missed,
well we got them coming back.
“ ‘It’s a great army,
is the Kaiser’s, but they can’t parry with bayonet worth a rap. When we would
meet them we could hear the using German oaths, but only word that sounded like
English. That was ‘swine.’ To them we are swine. To us they are – well, I’m not
saying. Using the bayonet is a terrific strain on a fellow.
“ ‘ I hear you got
doped before a charge,’ spoke up a Hamiltonian..
“ ‘No chance. We just
got a little rum every night,’ replied Gee. ‘Above everything else, the Germans
were afraid of three things – the bayonet, the Indians and the Highlanders.
“ The Indians were
the greatest fighters he had ever seen, and one of them was equal to three
Germans. They were especially brilliant in charges. The Highlanders were
daredevils, and nothing could stop them.
“Gee said he would
return with the H. L. I. on January 20 if he could be transferred and providing
his foot was alright.
“ ‘Going out on the Plain
tomorrow to see the boys,’ he said. ‘Will speak to the commanding officer and
find out whether my transfer can be fixed. I want to go back with the Canadians
and get another shot at those savages.’ ”1
1 “ ‘Josh’
Gee of Hamilton, On Battle Line : Former 91st Highlander, Made Much of By
First Canadian Contingent.”
Hamilton Times January 19, 1915.
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