Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-09-11
HOLM DESCRIBES
CHATEAU BATTLE
Corporal in 18th Infantry Was
Injured and Lost in Front
Line Trenches

At lesat one Amboy boy was in the
famous Chateau Thierry battle which
marked the beginning of the great.Al-
led offensive in July, a letter received
by Albert Krogh from Corporal Hol-
ger Holm, of this city, telling in detail
of the battle. Young Holm was
knocked unconscious during the bat
tie by a bursting shell and was re-
moved to a first aid station on the
second day of the attack, but before
being disabled he went 'over the top
three times with his brother Sammies.
Corporal Holm is well known In
this city, having been a member of
term in the army and Joined the
battery during its organization last
summer. He enlisted with the regu-
lars and was soon taken across.
His letter follows:
On Active Service with the
American Expeditionary Forces,
France, Aug. 2, 1918.
Dear Albert:
We just returned from the Allied
offensive and 1 feel so good about the
great work that we did hat / can't
wait for o III letter, but I am writing
in between. My one regret is that I
didn't go all the way, but the next
time I hope that I will be able to see
1t from start to finish.
We had been relieved from a Sec
tor on the Somme after having occu-
Pied 1t for about two morths and a
half. We were all looking for q nice
trip to a rest camp and a lcng rest.
We moved from one town to another
and eac day brought us nearer to
Paris. 1t was then we thought that
the rest camp was just outside of
Paris and we saw all kinds Of good
times ahead of us
But loi Dine morning we woke UP
in a wood right nea the Scissors
Chateau Thierry line and we started
to make guesses as to what was going
Ito happen. At last the order came
that we were going into a drive.
OF course we had to be in this drive
as we are in the first division and
we can surely 10 anything they want
us to do. You more thar likely read
of the American exploits tho first few
days, but I will give you h real dope.
At 9 D. m. w started towards the
front and the roads were some jam.
med. There was artillery. tanks. lit
ter bearers. Red Cross nurses. infan-
try, ammunition trains and what not
all trying to get there first. Son 1t
started to rain which made IL very
! nice indeed and believe me IL the
Kaiser was ever cussed you should
have heard those boys. We could
see Fritz calling for a barrage as
he must have heard the tanks as they
mako all kinds of noises. We got into
our position at about 4:30 o'clock n
we were a tired bunch.
Just then F'ritzy opened up with
his artillery fpt W minutes later
there was a roar that could be heard
all around. We knew that the battle
was on and we moved OUT. II was not
long before prisoners started coming
in and they certainly were glad to be
taken prisoners.
We soon passed our first objective
and stopped for a short rest. The
boys had their smokes and there
was even singing to be heard. Then
we played leap frog n we were in
the front during the actual fighting.
fSoon we were up against the German
heavy artillery and their SIS were
shooting at us point blank. We
couldn't let that stop us as We had a
certain point TO get to and we Just
simply had to go.
We soon shut them up and were
! again on our way. We reached the
| railroad hat goes TO Paris and pass
| ed on TO the aPris-Soissons road.
Here night overlook US and we dug in
only to be up at daylight and at them
again.
day, as the ground was more difficult
and there were lots OF fresh troops in
/ front of us with all kinds Of machine
guns. Lots OF the fellows had gone
to different companies and a gotten
lost in general 50 we went back TO re-
organize
THEN we went over the top for the
third time in two days and you bet
that those boys did some fighting. We
lust took one machine gun after the
other and killed the crews. These
Huns yelled for mercy when they
see they are beaten but the 10th take
no prisoners as these Huns pull some
very raw tricks on US.
At dusk I got my dose. A nice big
shell landed close TO me inc knocked
me for a goal. I woke up in the first
aid station and aside from the shock
In had suffered from a severe nose
bleed which left me rather weak.
The doctor told me 10 take a sleep
and see how I felt on the morrow.
When I again woke up IL vas still
dark and against the doctors wishes
I went out 20 look for my company.
Well. I wandered some time and soon
ran into an ammunition train. I
hoped aboard. They went 10 a bat
terry which had only twelve shells left
We backed h truck right up to the
gun and unloaded.
/ then went up TO report 70 Divi-
sional Headquarters that I had gone
astray and they sent me to help out
at h first aid station. This / did
gladly as I was only too anxious 10 do
something. We were finally relieved
and ! Joined my company a day later
When / walked In on them, that a.
what Was left. they rearly died OF