The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-10-19
LIEUTENANT MEEKINS'
PARENTS HEAR FROM HIM
Sends Very Interesting Letter From
somewhere in France" - Has
Been Very Close to The Front in
The Recent Fighting.
France, Sept. Is, 1918.

Been Very NloSe 10 Inc 'FRONT.' III
The Recent Fighting.
France, Sept. Is, 1918.
DearestMother and Dad:
Well, we'll, l am writing again, and
OF course you have read the good
news in the papers long before this;
it is all true, and in this fight l have
seen it all, and have been in it, al
most. From where l write l am in a
cellar in town occupied by the
Germans since the beginning of the
war until Friday, the 18th. l can
now hear the guns popping, and
about every ten minutes over comes
a big one, demolishing what few
buildings that are left, and occasion
ally carrying death to some unfortu-
nate one that gets caught before he
can reach soma convenient shelter.
1t seems extremely funny, and it real
ly is interesting, to see streets with
German names, and places of bust
ness with the same, but such is the
case. | was talking with Lincoln, a
classmate, yesterday; he is with the
|23rd Inf, in this Div, and he told
me when his regiment entered the
town yesterday, the French inhabi-
tants were so overjoyed to see them
that they actually kissed the shoes
of our dough-boys. He is 4 good boy
and is doing excellent work with his
regiment. l am going to try and tell
you how everything was.
About l a. m. Sept. 18th our guns
started their barrage, and really l
know of no words in the English Ian
guage to describe the noise our large
and small guns made. We were To-
Gated about two kilometers behind
our infantry, and ahead of the guns,
and the ground shook SO violently
that it was an utter impossibility to
hear one talk The barrage lasted
just four hours At 5 a. m. our boys
lwent over the top, and they kept 60
ling. They reached their objective in
lrecord time, and the salient that was
to have been cut off in two days was
accomplished in one day. At p. m
the night of the 18th, we moved VI
again and landed in the town from
which l write
The wounded all received promp'
and excellent care, and were gotter
back to the hospitals in the rear il
record time. Our casualties were
livery small and from the fight the
IBoche put up, l know our big guns
put the fear of God in their dirty
souls. At present 1 am a slight dis
lance from the actual place, anC
things have quoted down consider
able, but one never knows when the
violent stuff will begin anew.
[ Words of praise are too small tt
|bestow upon the Chaplains, the Rec
Cross and the Y. NJ. c. 4. workers
who were right up here with us il
this drive; they were absolutely won
tderful, and our khaki-clad dough
lboys-God only knows (and thu
lGermans), how brave, gallant ant
lspirited they are. 1t is being proven
every day how well that old countr.
of ours can meet emergencies, ant
today our dough-boys have to TAX
their hats off to no soldier on earth
they are in class by themselves.
l am very well, and as the Englisl
say, still carrying on" and will I'm
til the end is reached. Tell Jane
his letter was received and appreci
ated. Love to all, best to mother.
Your boy,
GILBERT MEEKINS,
> J LIST Lieut., M. R. c., F. H. 1, End Di1