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Plattsmouth Journal, December 30, 1918CENSOR BAN IS LIFTED; LETTERS NOW ARE FULLER ROY HOLLY YRITES [sic] OF HIS SEAS AND OF THE FIGHTING ON WESTERN FRONT. VIVID DESCRIPTION OF BATTLE Makes Most Interesting Story of the Way Over and Doings in the Battle Line. | |
| Barricourt, France, Nov. 22, 1918 Dear Dad: Now that the war is over and the censorship is lifted, I am going to start in and tell you about my trip since leaving New York. We came over on the steamship Battle, an English passenger boat, and landed in Liverpool on June 15 at 2:30 p.m. we stayed on the boat that night and unloaded the next morning, then we loaded on trains and rode all day, finally landing in Ramsey, England, where we stayed for a rest and a little training, leaving here on June 23 and hiking to Southampton, where we were loaded on a boat and left at 9 p.m. across the English channel and landed at La Havre, France at 6:45 a.m. We hiked about three miles and stayed over night at a rest camp. The next day we pounded through La Havre and on to the railroad station and were loaded into compartment coaches and on the twenty-sixth day of the month we landed at Lefol La Grande, staying overnight and then hiking to Grand the next morning. We spent a month in Grand, training every day. The band played concerts in Alianville and at Biarchenville, small villages and about two miles apart. We stayed until August third and then we moved in trucks to Frondes, staying there two days and then hiking to Ansonville and relieved the Eighty-second Division and took over the Toul sector. We lost about 500 men on the seventh of August in a big gas attack and it is claimed that the Germans shot over 1,500 gas shells into a small area. Most of our men just came back within the last few weeks, having been in the hospital, died and some are still in the hospitals. We had plenty of excitement while in this sector as the German aeroplanes came over regularly on bombing expeditions and after our observation balloons. They burned up three of our balloons in one day. They generally came over the balloon: at a great height and dove down firing phosphorous bullets from a machine gun at the balloon, causing it to catch on fire and burn up. We stayed on this front and went over the top on the morning of September 12 in the big St. Mihiel drive, which straightened out the salient. We finally located in Beny, which was about one and one half kilos from the front line. Our regiment had advanced this far and was holding the line. Regimental headquarters was established at Beny and it sure was a hot place as it was shelled all the time and before we left most of the buildings were torn up by shell fire. We moved to the woods near [looks like] Euvezin for a few days’ rest on September 22 and moved back again in Beny on September 29. I didn’t like Beny very well as I had to keep too close to the dugout, and believe me, I consider myself mighty lucky as men were killed by shells every day. We couldn’t have any fires in the daytime and no traffic was allowed; everything was brought up after dark. We were relieved on the eighth of October by the Thirty-seventh Division and we moved to Rececourt, stayed there until October 13, and then we moved to the Argonne Woods, staying overnight and moving the next morning a few kilos forward and camping on a hill near Appionville. It was very disagreeable here as it rained almost every day and the mud was a foot deep and sleeping on damp ground in a little two by four tent is not very pleasant. On September 20 we moved forward about four kilometers and located overnight on a hill and in a shed that was shot full of holes. I tried to find a dry spot for a bed and in the morning I work[sic] up all wet, as it was raining all night. Oh, I tell you it’s a great life, but people in the States where it’s comfortable never realize what we have to go through here. At the present time I’m sleeping on a [little] straw and it’s the best bed I’ve had in months. And the other day I took a bath with the aid of a bucket and a sponge — the first bath in four weeks. No wonder the fellows get lousy! Most of the fellows complain of having cooties, but as yet I haven’t had the pleasure. But to go on with the story: We moved the next morning to a woods about one and one-half kilos west of Romagne; here we located in a genuine camp. I’d found a good old log house with a stove and some wire bunks, had a good fire and got my clothes dry and was thinking how lucky I was landing a comfortable place and how I’d enjoy sleeping, when at 9 p.m. that evening we received orders to move back. So we started out and tramped in the mud through woods until 2 a.m. and that night I slept in an open shed. I was so tired that it was a hotel to me. The next day we located some pretty fair buildings, as it was a German camp, and we stayed here until Saturday, October 26, moving again forward, and this time in a woods near Gucsnes[sic], staying here until October 31, when the Argonne Meuse drive started. In this camp we were shelled quite often, and men were killed by shells. |
We started out in the reserve of this drive and moved out on November first, and believe me, there was sure plenty of excitement, as it seemed that artillery was banging away from everywhere along the road. We located that night just over the German line in an old house, and dead Germans and Americans and horses were lying all around. We moved again the next morning, and it was the same from then on, dead Germans, Americans, horses, ammunition, supplies, guns, everywhere.
We stayed in the woods again overnight. I happened to find a comfortable dugout with a stove but was called at 2 a.m. to move again as the next morning our regiment took over the lines. So we moved ahead again and that night we stayed in Failly. We were shelled all along this trip and had plenty of excitement. The next evening we moved to Beauclair and stayed there until November 8. On November 4, when we got into Beauclair had charge of a ration-carrying detail of about 100 men, and we carried rations to the men holding the line in a strip of woods about four kilometers northeast of Beaulieu. The Germans had blown up a bridge and had blocked the roads by cutting down large trees across the roads, so the only way the food could be gotten up was by being carried, so we carried up corned beef, hardtack and jam, coffee and sugar. This is all we had to eat from November 1 until November 9. As we couldn’t build fires in the daytime, so if we were lucky enough to find a stove at night, we could have some hot coffee. On November 8, the Captain and myself moved to Luneville and along this trip is where I had my narrow escape, lying in a ditch for about half an hour while the shells played a tune, and with most all over we just got to stay in Luneville for a few minutes and were ordered back to Beaulieu. I didn’t regret this move as it was mighty hot in the town. It was shelled continually, and I was mighty glad to go back where the shells were not coming so thick. We stayed in Beauclair until the armistice was declared and then we moved forward to Beaublau Farm, about seven kilometers from Luneville. Here we stayed for a couple of days and then moved back here to Baricourt. We have been drilling, cleaning up the town and getting new equipment here and expect to move Sunday to Germany to occupy during the armistice. I thought that we were going back soon, but it don’t look that way now, as I expect we will be about the last to leave. We are in the Third army with the first, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Twenty-sixth, Thirty-second, Forty-second, Eighty-ninth and Ninetieth Divisions which comprise the army of occupation, so I will be "hike" from now on. But one good thing, I will be home some time, and that’s some satisfaction. It is sure a relief to have it quiet and no more of the fear of shells. I am still top sergeant of the company but I play with the band as they have been giving concerts here every day. Well, this is an exceptionally long letter for me to write, so I guess I’ll call in "finis." Best regards to all my friends and tell them I’ll celebrate the Fourth in Platts. Wishing you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year, with love to all, Sapogne, France, Nov. 27, 1918 Well, we are on our way to Germany. We left Baricourt on the twenty-fourth at 8 a.m. and hiked to Stenay, arriving there at 1 p.m. It was about a 17 kilometer hike. We stayed there overnight, leaving the next morning. Stenay is quite a large city with several factories, hotels and large buildings. It is entirely abandoned, just a few civilians left, and is occupied by soldiers. We left at 8:30 a.m. and hiked again about 18 kilometers and arrived at Sapogne at 2:30 p.m. and we are resting here at the present time and expect to go on the latter part of the week. This is not a very large village and just a few civilians are left here. We had a welcome service in the village church last night and the padre told us his experiences with the Germans. He said that the people here were from the north and were brought here from captured towns by the Germans. He told many sad stories about the barbarous treatment by the Germans. We expect to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, but there won’t be any turkey and cranberries. I sent out a couple of the boys on a scouting trip this afternoon and they are going to try to buy some chickens, apples, etc. but I doubt if they can get anything as the people here are short of food. I was lucky today as I got in on some prune pie. I have a good stand-in with the cooks, so we generally try to get some fruit and have a little extra on the bill of fare. We are only about three kilometers from the Belgian line, which is less than two miles. I understand that we are going on into Germany and occupy some large town until peace is signed; then we will be sent home. I’m sure anxious to get back, and I know now that it won’t be long. With love to all, ROY |
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