"Shot clean through the head," is what the doctor wrote. Problem is the doctor wrote it about my grandfather.
Over the years, it became a goal to learn what I could about my grandfather and his time in the war. This past summer, I had the honour to visit where he was shot.
My grandfather, Herbert Bennett, was born in England. His family immigrated to Canada early in the 20th century and settled on a farm outside of Yorkton.
On Feb. 16, 1916 he enlisted. The enlistment papers describe a young man: height 5'10"; hair colour brown; eye colour brown. Problem is, the doctor who wrote "shot clean through the head" recorded his eye color as blue. Family stories allude to someone else enlisting for my grandfather.
My grandfather's army files tell a story of a young man who was forced to grow up fast. The records show his pay was deducted for losing his boots and rifle during training.
The records show a shrapnel injury, time in hospital and return to his unit. Then August, 1918 arrived. By this time my grandfather was with the 44th battalion. The 44th was part of what is known as the 100 Day Offensive. This started in Amiens, France and, after a hundred days, brought the First World War to an end. Unfortunately, my grandfather wasn't there to see the end.
In the first two days of the offensive, Canada suffered almost 13,000 casualties. My grandfather survived this. Then Aug. 10, 1918 arrived. The day started at 4 a.m. By noon, the 44th had fought their way forward after being pinned down under heavy fire. They won this battle and moved forward to the town of Fouquescourt.
While the troops were moving down the road towards Fouquescourt, a sniper waited. The sniper was probably hiding in Fouquescourt's church steeple. He had my grandfather in his sites and his shot was true.
The bullet entered the left side then exited the right side of my grandfather's head. Clean through. He landed in the ditch beside the road. Soldiers ran past shouting, "Bennett got it." My grandfather lay watching the soldiers run past and hearing their shouts as his life ebbed away.
Then a soldier stopped long enough to notice the blood pouring out of my grandfather's head. Blood flowing means there is life and where there is life, there is hope.
That young soldier didn't run away. He didn't think about his safety. Not only did he take the time to stop and look, he took the time to get my grandfather to a first aid station.
The medical records show multiple blood transfusions and days of effort on the part of many to save my grandfather's life. Then there is the doctor's note "shot clean through the head." There is even a diagram of where the bullet entered and then left my grandfather's head.
I cried at my grandfather's funeral. I cried for the man that life had been so unfair to. Little did I understand that, to my grandfather, life had been a gift and life had given him much more than he had ever hoped for.
My grandfather was 84 when he died of old age. Yes, he survived his head injury. After months of recovery in France, he came back to Canada, fell in love, wed, had a family, and watched his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up.
The little annoying things in life didn't bother him. He never got upset about anything. He always saw the humorous side of things. There was always a twinkle in those blue eyes.
I never understood what life meant to my grandfather until this summer when I stood on the outskirts of Fouquescourt where he was shot and walked amongst the headstones of the Fouquescourt cemetery where 54 headstones bear the date my grandfather was shot: Aug. 10, 1918. Who knows, one of those headstones may belong to the soldier that rescued my grandfather.
I thank my grandfather for surviving the war. The person I owe everything to, though, is the soldier that I will never know the name of, who took the time to help my grandfather. If my grandfather had not survived, I would not exist.
Visiting Fouquescourt was very personal for me. Little did I know the impact the other places I visited would have: Vimy Ridge; Abbey Ardennes; Beny-sur-Mer Cemetery; Tyne Cot Cemetery; and Menin Gate.
King George V, at Flanders in 1922: "I have many times asked myself whether there can be more potent advocates of peace upon earth through the years to come than this massed multitude of silent witnesses to the desolation of war."
What are your plans for Remembrance Day? I know what mine are.
