“Lieut. George
Ballard, well-known football star of the Tigers, and member of the law firm of
Ballard and Morrison, who fell wounded at Langemarck on the morning of April 23
while leading his men of C company in the famous charge which won glory
immortal for the Canadian soldiers, arrived in the city last night.”
Hamilton Herald. July 7, 1915.
It had been known
widely that George Ballard would be arriving home from the front during the
morning of July 7, 1915. A large crowd was gathered at the Grand Trunk railway station to welcome
to great the young man, once known in Hamilton only as a sports star and son in
a prominent family, but who had become a wounded war hero.
After acknowledging
the many friends who had come to greet home, Ballard was taken to the home of
his parents, 196 George street.
A reporter with the
Hamilton Herald was the first reporter to be able to interview Ballard and
share with the paper’s readers his impressions of the young soldier:
“Considering the
nature of his wound and the trials he passed through, Lieut. Ballard looks
surprisingly well and fit. His wound has healed up and his nerves are none the
worse for the terrific shocks they have sustained. He will be home for several
weeks on furlough and will report for duty again early in September.
“When asked to relate
some of his experiences, Lieut. Ballard drew a hand across his brow and, with a
faraway look in his eyes, begged to be excused. There was something in that
look of the gallant, quiet, unassuming young officer which told far better than
words what a grim and black business Armageddon is. He wanted to forget it all
and was reluctant to discuss war.”1
1 “War a
Grim and Very Black Business : But Lieut. Ballard Will Return to His Duty When
Fit.”
Hamilton Herald. July 7, 1915.
When pressed for some
information about his wound and how it happened, Lieut. Ballard said that about
9 a.m. during the morning of April 23, he advanced with his men to a point
about five hundred yards from the German position, and there, in his word, his
was “potted” and had to lay where he fell for nearly ten hours before the
stretcher bearers were able to reach him:
“During that terrible
interim, he lay in an improvised dugout rudely fashion for him by two comrades,
and while he was conscious for most of the time, his senses left him twice that
he remembered, for he lost considerable blood. He said the din of shell fire
during those hours was something which beggars description.
“The Germans appeared
to have all the ammunition in the world and they used it unsparingly. Shrapnel
burst continuously around Lieut. Ballard and he said the suspense was
nerve-wracking, as the wounded never knew what minute would be their last”1
The wounded soldier
referred to his fellow soldiers with the highest praise:
:Speaking of the men
under him, Lieut. Ballard said the local men who enlisted with the Thirteenth
quota were the finest soldiers any
officer could lead.
“Indeed, he was proud
to lead such men, and it was this feeling which made him anxious to get back
amongst them. ‘Not that there is any glamor or romance to war. That all
disappeared after a few days at the
front. It is a case of stern duty now.’
“Further than this
Lieut. Ballard declined to talk. In many way the recent past seemed like a
nightmare, and, besides this, battle is so kaleidoscopic that no human mind is
capable of grasping any one of its various phases in a true sense, he said.”1
Lieut. Ballard
returned to Hamilton with him a very special uniform :
“The khaki uniform,
which he wore and which was riddled by bullets and shrapnel, some of which
found lodgment in his body, was brought home as well as other trophies.”1
Later in the day, a
Spectator knocked at the door of the George street residence of public school
inspector W. H. Ballard, asking for an interview with his son.
Lieut. Ballard after
a hearty lunch and some quiet time with his family was more willing to talk
than he was earlier with the Herald reporter, starting by saying, ‘This war is
a grim thing which few men would care to return to out of morbid curiosity, but,
out of a sense of duty, all who are able to return will willingly do so.’
Referring to the men
he went into battle with, Ballard said, ‘I couldn’t say too much in praise of
the men. They are a brave lot of fellows and it was not an uncommon sight to
see them rush out in the face of the greatest danger and rescue wounded
comrades from the field.’ ”2
2 “Officer
Pays High Tribute to the 13th Men : Braved Deadly Fire to Rescue
Wounded Comrades.”
Hamilton
Spectator. July 7, 1915.
Referring his being
wounded, Ballard noted that after being on the battlefield for nearly ten
hours, he was rescued but only removed to a nearby ‘place of safety where an
improvised dugout had been created in the side of a ditch. Lieut. Brant came to
me with food and drink, and did all he could to assist me, and the poor fellow
was shot that night. I remained in this improvised position of palatial safety
and had a splendid opportunity of viewing the progress of the fight, which was
indeed interesting.”2
Asked to describe the
effect when shot, Lieutenant Ballard said “he experienced a feeling as though
someone had suddenly hit him a terrific blow with a sledge. He was advancing on
the run at the time he received his wound and it brought him up with such suddenness
that he could hardly realize for a moment what had happened.”2
Asked about the attitudes
displayed by the soldiers in battle, Ballard said that “the men all seemed to
go into action with light hearts, although fully realizing the seriousness of
the whole thing. The suspense of waiting for an order to advance was worse than
the experience of actual battle. The noise and din of battle, however,
frequently drove men to a state of frenzy and collapse.”1
The final comment
made in the interview came not from the wounded soldier but from Mrs. Ballard:
“ ‘Mother love is
always strong, and it is nice to have him once more with me, but I would not stand
in his way if he wishes to return,’ said his mother. ‘We women cannot fight,
but we can send our sons.’ ”. 2
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