New Britain herald., 1917-11-03
Somewhere in France,

"sonewhefs in France.
 Sept. 4. 1917.
 Driving last night was very dihi- cult as there was no moon and a Nheavy fog. There was Q big gas at- tack and we were all very busy. I was rolling all night. Had one hours sleep and that was on a stretcher in the abir. Fritz was smelling one stretch of the road and so I was Shooting along at a good clip when I ran into Q gas wave. Before I could stop my car and get my mask on I had inhaled some of the gas. My eyes were running. was sneezing and getting ready to shoot my lunch. I didn't get gaSsed much though. I had six wounded men in my car and when got to the hospital four of them were dead. There were a lot of fellows gassed and with gas blesses we have to go like the dickens to get to the hospital. At the post we and then rush like mad over shell holes and debris to the hospital. The victims are generally unconscious and don't know they are having a, rough ride. had six in at one time last night and when got<to the hospital. four of them were dead. Gas is the most hellish stuff . man can fight with. No wonder tho Boche has big fight on his hands. We are in it now to trim Fritz, no halfway business.
 Three men in our section were gassed. It is very hard to see with a gas mask on aS the eyes steam up Also it is difficult to breathe as we have to breathe through a chemical on layers of gauge.
 There arc two common kinds of gas, mustard gas and pineapple gas, SO called because they smell like mus tard and pineapple. The mustard Is the easiest to detect. ]. ran inte mus tard gas for the first time last night. The pineapple gas just smells faint ly sweet. It consequently gets more men than the former. After going through the mustard gas I ran into the pineapple gas. I had my mask on by that time so it was all right. There Is third kind that strangles and eats away the skin wherever there is precipitation. We haven't struck any on this front. The men take off their clothes and don't work so as to keep cool. It only affects in the spots where one perspires so the men even
  pits will become cool
 When got back this morning I went to bed as I still felt a little sick to my stomach. I have been working on my car since lunch and now am going to try and get some sleep as we may be called out to- night if there is another attack. 'I wonder If you Received both my cables.
 You can bet a fellow in this God forsaken country likes to get mail. We don't have any time hanging heavy on our hands though. had to read your letter the other day on the way to the poste. Our section has just received another citation. That makes three in less than a month. This citation was for so efficiently evacuattng the blesses from the poste to the hospital during the recent at- tack.
 T just don't manage about my laundry. I haven't had my clothes off since being at front. We are too busy. We work about 36 hours out of 24. Never mind. we are putting 1t over another section that is here. They have given up and gone on re- l pos. We had prior right to go on ESPOo Uu& "AoH BANo11 AAe CAauCe the other night we decided to see this offensive through. I think 1t was be- cause of that that we got our third 1 citation.
 ''I wear sheepskin all the time. It is fairly warm during the day. but very cold and damp, usually a drizzle at night. Fritz Is trying to crown some barracks about a half mile l away. We can hear the shells shyiek over our heads. No danger to us, we are too near a hospital.
 Lovingly.