Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-10-25
OUR BOYS
OUR COuNTRY'S SERVICE

The following letter was recently
received by Mrs. Eta Peetrie of Fair
field from her son. Albert. who is
First Sergeant, now serving in the U.
S. Army in France. and tells Of his
adventures while going over the top
and how he was injured.
Base Hospital No. Is,
Sept. 16.
My dear Mother:
Just a few lines to let you know
am getting along fine and my hand
is feeling good. There is a Y. M. c.
A. right here by the hospital and /
am in there now. have on suit Of
pa jamaS and a robe and when / am
not lying down am out walking
around and so I thought l would
walk over here and drop you a few
lines. Now Ma, there is no doubt
that you want to know just how
got hurt SO will tell you all about it.
We went over the top on the morn
ing of Sept. IL, at s A. NJ. and started
the drive on our sector. We got
started fine and met very little re-
sistance at first, but later we fought
cutie few machine guns. When we
came to. the Germans first line they
began to come out Of their dugouts
and appeared to be very glad to sur
render and be taken prisoners by the
Americans. I had charge Of the rear
wave of my platoon and the lieuten-
ant of my other two sergeants had
charge of the front wave and as I
had charge of quite a few old men in
my platoon it was chosen to be one
of the first to go over the top. When
the first half of the platoon hit their
lines they threw up their hands and
so they were told to go to te rear.
When they got to me I detailed one
man to take them to the rear. One
of this crowd could talk very good
English and had once been in the
States. He asked me what I wanted
him to do and asked me II I was go
ing to kill them. He said that their
officers told them that they would all
be killed as soon as we captured
them but told him different and said
If they went to the rear and made no
objections to what the guard told
theEl to do. that they would be used
all right and they were all very glad
to go. There were % in this group.
BY the time got started again my
platoon had advanced from me about
100 yards so I hurried to catch up
for l was needed there. It was very
hard going on account Of the barbed
wire which covered almost every foot
of the ground. You can imagine how
it was. Those lines have been held
for almost three and a half years and
barbed wire has played pretty i'm
portant part in this war and especial
going along pretty well when zing!
ling zing! and found myself duck
ing machine gun bullets.
l lay in a shell hole few minutes
and then ran to another. l hung to
that one until they got done firing
and then l would run to another and
that is the way 1 had to 60 for quite
long way. The Germans had a
number Of snipers up in the trees
and cnce in while they would take
chance shot at us, but there are two
snipers who will never shoot any one
els. in this world. One was lying in
a clump Of bushes and each time got
up to go forward l would hear him
pop at me. / got a line on where he
was and so just getting in a position
where could see him, / gently evac-
uated him from this world by sending
80 calibre through his head max
ing one good German.
went on little further and found
two Germans in a trench. They lost
no time in throwing up their hands
and as had no one near me started
to take them in my SELF
went about 200 yards and saw a
corporal from the 103d taking in a
German so / told him to take in the
two had. because 1 wanted to catch
up with my platoon, so he took them
and started back. When I walked
about three minutes realized that |
there was another sniper around and
very near. too, because l could hear
him shoot very plainly. There was
an old tree a little way to my left |
and ! had an idea that he was near |
that, so crawled nearer the tree and
started to look it over. At first l |
could not see anything or anybody in |
it or around 1t, and after studying Il !
a little closer I saw what looked to !
me like plug In the tree. II was |
supposed to represent limb that had