Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1918-08-08
CHAPTER ~.
On the Firinu Line.

When I reported on the Cassard
after my fourteen days leave, I was
detailed with a detachment of the
legion to go to the Flanders front. I
changed into the regular uniform of
the legion, which is about like that Of
the infantry, with the regimental
badge-a seven-famed grenade.
We Travelled from Brest by rail, in
third-class cars, passing through La
Havre and St. Pol, and finally arriving
at Bergues. From Bergues we made
the trip 60 Dixmude by truck-a dis
lance of about twenty miles. We car
Eied no rations with rs, but at certain
places along the line the train stopped,
end we got out to eat our meals. At
every railroad station they have booths
Dr counters, and French girls work day
and night feeding the Poilus. 1t was
wonderful sight to see these girls, and
tt' made you feel good to think you
were going to fight for them.
Il was not only what they did, but
the way they did it, and 1t is at things
like this that the French beat the
world. They could tell just what kind
OF treatment each Poilu needed, and
they saw to it that he got it. They
book special pains with the men of the
8egion, because, as they say, we are
strangers" and that means, "the best
we have is yours to the French. These
French women, young and old, could
be mother and a sweetheart and
sister all at the same time to any hairy
nj of in do
I'm way that made him feel like lit
tie boy at the time and rich church
member afterwards. The only thing
we did not like about this trip was
that there were not enough stations
along that line. There is a tip that
the French engineers will not take, I
am afraid.
There is another thing about the
French women that have noticed, and
that is this: There are pretty girls in
every country under the sun, but the
plain girls in France are prettier than
the plain ones in other countries. They
might not show it in photographs, but
I'm action there is something about
them that you cannot explain. I have
never seen an ugly French girl who
was not easy to look at.
We finally got to Dixmude, after
having spent about eighteen hours on
the way. On our arrival one company
was sent to the reserve trenches and
my company went to the front line
trench. We were not placed in train
fng camps, because most Of us had
been under fire before. I never had,
but that was not supposed to make
any difference. They say If you can
stand the legion you can stand any
string.
Before we entered the communion
ton trench, we were drawn up along
side of a crossroad for a rest, and to
receive certain accoutrementS. Pretty
soon we saw a bunch of Boches COM
ing along the road, without their guns
asfew of them being slightly wounded
Some of them looked scared and Otf-
ers happy, but they all seemed tired
Then we heard some singing, and pref
, ty soon we could see an Irish corporal
stepping along behind the Huns, witt
hts rifle slung over his back, anc
every once in a while he would shut
fe bit and then sing some more. HI
had grin on him that pushed hi
ears back
The British noncom who was de
TITLED as our guide sang out: "Wha
Kind Of time are you having, PatT
The Irishman saluted with on
hand, dug the other into his poke
and pulled out enough watches t.
make You think you were In q paw