Source: 18th Battalion Nominal Roll, April 1915.
Family Search: Corporal Harry Henson Dodge was born on 15 March 1884, in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom as the son of William Dodge and Jennie Randall. He married Lillian Parker on 11 July 1921. He lived in Manhattan, Riley, Kansas, United States in 1919 and London, Ontario, Canada in 1921. He registered for military service in 1907. In 1915, at the age of 31, his occupation is listed as fireman. He died on 27 March 1961, in Fayetteville, Washington, Arkansas, United States, at the age of 77, and was buried in White Oak Cemetery, Wheeler, Washington, Arkansas, United States.
LETTER FROM H. H. DODGE
Another Manhattan Boy Now a Veteran At Front, Writes of Experiences, Etc
Harry H. Dodge, in a letter to his mother Mrs. W. H. Dodge, at 220 Colorado Street, thanks his lucky stars that he is still alive, after reviewing some of his narrow escapes. He has been in the service the past two years and enlisted with the 18th Battalion, but now is with the Canadian Forestry Corps, a branch of engineers. He has been at the front for 18 months and during that time took part in the big battles at Verdun and also at Vimy Ridge. At the last named place he was a victim of the poisonous gas from the German lines and was picked up and taken to the hospital where he remained two months.
His letter follows:
Somewhere in France,
November 24th, 1917.
Dear Mother:
Just a few lines to let you know that I am O. K. and getting along fine. Mamma, don’t worry. I have something to be thankful for and that is that I am still alive, and very few can say that, when I look back over the twenty-six months and realize what I had to do and the narrow escapes, why it makes my hair stand, but nevertheless, I am not grumbling, as that is just what we came over for, and I can say twenty-six months of hard fighting isn’t a bad record after all.
Well mother, I am miles away now from the danger zone. Since I was gassed, my heart won’t stand trench life, so I have been transferred to the Forresters as an Engineer, so my fighting days are now over. I am about as far from Paris as you are from Kansas City.
With lots of love, from
Your son,
H. H. Dodge
No. 54278, Hgs. No. 2, District
Canadian Forresters Reserve Corps
B. E. F., France.
Manhattan Daily Nationalist. 20 December 1917. Page 1.
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 