The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-12-03
YOUNG VISITOR WHO WAS ON
FRENCH FRONT, HAS A RE-
MARKABLE SERIES OF Ex-
PERIENCES TO RELATE.

With the entrance of the United
States into the war. many Americans
who were impatient to fight and en-
have arranged for discharge to join
the colors of their country. Among
these is Robert E. WILDLY, Of Troy.
N. Y, who is in Pensacola visiting
relatives, after arriving in this coun-
try in September from two years of
fighting abroad, s.
! .As soon as his discharge from the
French Fsreign Legion had been ap-
proved he promptly enlisted in the
United States army and is at present
stationed at Camp Sheridan, whence
he came to Pensacola on furlough.
Mr.. WILDLY was on the Son1me
when the British first introduced the
tanks, which have only recently in
the drive on Cambria revealed their
true worth, and apropos of general
discussion of this type of war engine.
Mr.. WILDLY was asked to describe
one..
THAT is one of the most difficult
things / was ever asked to do" he ,e-
piled, "for even after seeing one. tile
thing beggars description. and
could never hope to create anything
like an adequate word picture of a
tank, but if a combination of sarco-
phagus, caterpillar and battleship
means anything, it is 4 tank.
AS to the reported increase in size
of the engine, Mr.. WILDLY was skep-
tical. stating that after seeing one
of the gigantic machines crawl across
a field, straddle trenches, walk over
walls, and bowl over trees, he could
not believe that they could be built
larger. Then, he added with a remi-
nlscent smile, at was as much a sur
prise to us as to the Germans when
the first tank lunged out on the bat
tie field at the Sonl1ne, but FORUM
ately not as unpleasant one for us
as for the Huns"
Aside from service in the Somme,
Mr.. WILDLY said that he had been
on various battlefields. near Verdun,
and in the Vosges, it be-
ing the policy of the French military
authorities to keep the troops. NOV
ing, and never permit any units to
90 long in the same place.
'This tends to prevent desertion,
through discouragement' said Mr.
'tfor it has been the invari-
able experience that when men are
kept in one sector very long, the |
duty becomes onorous, and inevitably |
causes large number of desertions. |
"On the whole, though, trench life
is not SO bad" said Mr.. WILDLY, con- +,
tinuing, "and while there are many |
things to be desired, war is not a |
place for luxuries, and we are glad |
to get what we can. Frequently the !
supply of cigarettes and tobacco runs |
out, and that is really a calamity. I
Early in the war. when this happened, |
trench raids have been made on the |
Germans with this sole end in view |
get some smokes, regardless of the !
military considerations
"Often. the best of feeling prevails |
between the opposing forces in the |
first line trenches, for instance, on j
Christmas Eve 1916, our regiment |
was stationed in a quiet sector, with !
the enemy lines only few yards dis
tant. There had been no heavy fir
ing, and very little rifle work, when |
a rabbit ran across the intervening |
land between the lines.
"A Frenchman and German shot |
at the same time and the rabbit fell !;
Head about midway between the
trenches. Both climbed out, walked
across the short stretch of land. and
reached the rabbit about the same
time. A quarrel as to whose bullet
lid the work. ensued, and it was de-
,ided to settle the title to the rabbit
IN a fist fight. The Frenchman
won, and we had feast for Christ
mas