Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-10-25

while and so saw it disappear ana
instead there was muzzle OF q gun
pointing out Of the tree there.
I heard the report Of a bullet and
knew right away, and what 1t was.
50 took nice little aim and let go. l
saw few pieces of bark falling on
from the outside Of the tree and knew
something was coming down inside.
/ crawled up to the tree and saw
pair Of boots sticking out OF q hole In
the bottom. Then removed part
of the tree trunk which was used as
E. door and found another good Ger
man with a bullet through the neck.
l thought l made a pretty good shot
for a fellow who could not see his
man.
started along again in the direc-
ton in which the platoon was going
hut knew that they must be long
way ahead of me by then, but
plugged along through the woods and
expected to meet Boche anytime.
had been walking about 10 min
utes when / run into a German in a
shell hole and like the other Germans
he threw up his hands, He thought
sure that was going to kill him and
he kept asking me in French not to
kill him. / thought l should have
killed him and gone on after my pla-
toon, but they told us to take a lot Of
prisoners, so I started to take him to
the rear. I walked about two kilo-
meters and came to the German old
front line trenches where we started
that morning.
Just as got there saw a German
jump in dugout. There was a man
from the 1O1st near me then so l told
him to take the one had and I would
set the other one. So he took him
and started on, and motioned to the
enc in the dugout to come out. He
started out and turned around to get
my rife which had dropped as slid
down into the trench. Just as I
started to turn I saw him move. I'm
mediately I started to turn back
again and at the same time reached
for my rifle but just as went to turn
he fired. and when he saw that he did
not kill me he began to reload his
rifle, but he was little too slow. I
pulled out my pistol and sent As
through his stomach and could hear
him rolling down the dugout- stairs.
Another good German.
If l had not turned just as I did he
would have shot me in the back, but
instead he hit me in my left hand. It
would not have been so bad if he had
used an ordinary bullet but he had
use an explosive bullet and of course
my hand does not look the same now
as it did. but it will soon look natural
again. My fingers are all here and I
think that l am going to be all right.
Right after I got hit I saw a Ger
man Red Cross man prisoner and I
made him do up my hand and he did
real good job. took ether at P.
M. that day and had my hand dressed
and came out Of it at $50. Then the
next day was put on Red Cross
trai with few others and came up
to this hospital.
This is fine place and they use us
fine. The Y. NJ. c. A. and Red Cross
are about 10 yards from our ward
and there are going to be moving pic
night they had a religious service and
it was very good.
Well ma, guess I will close now
and write to you again in a couple Of
Gays. There is no need of your wor-
rying now for am long way from
the line and will be for some time.
Give my love to all, and tell Reddy to
be a good boy, and just remember
Ma. it might have been worse. Hop
ing this finds you all well. 1 remain
Your loving son ALBERT.
The following letter has been re-
ceived by Miss Margaret Griffin Of
Gardiner from Corp. Arthur NJ. Kim
ball.
Anglers. France,
.... Sept. IS, 1918
Dear Friend Margaret:
I received your letter and was very
glal to hear from you. How is ev-
erything in Gardiner now DAYS?
Kind Of quiet l suppose, as all the
young men have gone to war. have
been over here six months now and
am getting quite used to it, but l
guess l will be ready to go home
when they say the word. / was I'D
behind the lines for about two
months and l saw quite a few
sights which l would like to tell YOU
about but the censor would cut them
out on censoring it.
I have not seen any Of the Gardi-
ner boys as they are mostly in the
infantry. and 1t is mostly artillery
around here. 1 am doing military
police and like it very much. The
cities are not much like the cities in
the States. All the buildings are
either brick or cement. no wooden
buildings here only few that the U.
5. have built for barracks.
We are in brick barracks here and
t.-ey are nice ones too, newly built
four stories high. I am in the city
OF Anglers and the population is about
$4,000. so you can see we have quite |
place to spend few hours in each !,
day. The camp is about a mile from !
the center Of the city. 1 don't know |
much more to write about this time, !
So will close, hoping to hear from |
you soon again.
Your old neighbor,
Corp. Arthur NJ Kimball,
Per Dept. c. A. CO. & T. c. T. A. |
No. "A. P. o. 1873, A. f. F.