American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-03-29
AMERICAN BOYS GRAPHIC STORY
or TRAINING UNDER FIRE.

A letter from a Young American Of
ncer in France telling Of his first ex-
perience AZ the front contains inter-
esting details Of the trench-training
Of army officers from the states. The
letter is written 70 his uncle By Lieut..
Paul Kennel. Of Little Rock. Ark, and
is dated from "A Dirty Little Town iu
France on November -. II one may
Judge from his description Of his first
dinner and breakfast under fire. The
British officers were not then suffer
ing any great privations. Here are
parts Of the letter as printed in the
Arkansas Gazette:
AT the close Of school, each Ameri-
can left with a British officer fhls
friend for a different division which
held a different sector in the ever
changing boundary line Of war-the
trench. # was my good fortune 70
visit in company with a "a young
English officer. Captain Bond. a sec
tor upon which ensued enough excite
ment for any live American. After q
day and a half Of travelling 0y train
we arrived in the war area. eight miles
from the German lines. the tivision
headquarters Of the British army
first army. Here my friend took
off his hnery ana put On his trench
clothes and He both were fitted OFT
with steel hats. gas r~espirarors. and
the long. Webly pistols 10 take our
last lar to The trenches edge. We
were given Two horses and tao sol
diers TO accompany us the remaining
eight miles.
We passed through several French
villages. through which raced back
and forth English ambulances. am
munition carts. and huge automobile
trucks bearing fresh fuel lmeu) 70
the hell that is forever waging on
that front. As we came close. We
passed through villages in which there
stood no house that was not complete
IS ruined By shell fire. These villages
you would easily recognize If I could
only tell you their names Village
after village. ruins after ruins. utter
d~esolation mitely spoke Of wild bar
barrie treatment at the hands Of The
Germans. Not one soul did We see IN
these villages as we drew nearer the
booming guns we could so distinctly
hear.
In the heart Of a deserted village
we we're compelled to leave % horses
and strike out on foot. and after a
three-quarters Of an hour walk along
a camouflaged wood we reached ar
last the mouth Of the trenches. As
we bid farewell 10 level ground and
walked down into the trench. I look
ed overhead and saw seven British
planes flying overhead observing fol
the artillery that was at that moment
sending screeching shells into the Ger
man lines
At last they entered the trenches
the entrance to which was situated in
the center Of a ruined and deserted
village. They were German trenches
very we'll made. though somewhat
battered by shells. They we're con.
stantly drawing nearer 10 the German
lines. and the writer says:
AT last. after walking around anC
around. We finally reached the bat
talon headquarters Dt a then 1 p
m. and gradually growing dark
hitch was quartered. as everything is
in a dugOut - 10 81 faet/under the
EIDAlQ- A-.EL LlaAA+--= 41W % -4E
steep steps I came 70 the dugouJ. and
it was certainly a surprise. The mrs.
/, thing that greeted my eye was a long
/. table. upon which was q cover Of spot
2 less linen. with silver placed all
/, around. and grouped around were hv5
) English officers drinking TEA. Oh
: these English. YOU a not beat them
Z They 20 to var with a -eacup In ons
hand and a revolver in the other.
This dugout was an old German
. one. which consisted 81 four rooms .
3 large dining room. a signal room.
2 kitchen. and bedroom Imagine tha.
! Il YOU can. all dxed up with huge mir
Z rors. lOuusing chairs. stoves. lighte,
! candles in brass holders These me-
! were sitting around calmly dr.nkin.
I Tea ard whisky while Is feet overhead
2 the shells were screaming by. ! wa.
L introduced as the American who wa.
2 attached for a few days for instruc
Z ton. and / was made quite welcome
p such a welcome ! had never had be
< lore anywhre. Ny hosts were q col
]. onel. captain. two majors. ably assist
i ed. and several privates whose onl,
g duty il seemed vas 70 look after M
2 and to be sure l saw everything in IN
: way Of excitement. and believe me.
did. l was just in time for tea. so
sat down after taking off my tin hat
& as the steel helmet is called.
: As I drank my tea l was piled Wit
Z questions. for l was the first American
= officer they had seen. l seemed 10 b
refreshing 10 them because they wer
constantly laughing at my answer.
: Just before dinner I was led by III
= colonel. the two majors. and the cap
d tain up the steps 70 see the heavy gun
5 belch into the night. sending hug
missiles of death into the Germar
lines. also the heavy guns of the Hun
$ would grunt in retaliation.
= From young Kennels description
6 his first night in the trenches was no
e tinged in any way with the horrors O
. . - 60 ID- .a-a= ~aa~a -M.ff 49,