Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-02
SOLDIERS AND SAILORS
CorporaI WlIeex in Liatenina Pest.


 Corporal F. E. Wilcox, son of former Selectman William E. Wilcox of the Scotland road, has been out in a listen ing post in "No Mans Land,n he writes to a friend in this city. MT. Wilcox, who is in Co. c, 307th infantry, has had one promotion since he has been in the ranks and is now a. cor poras, He writes as follows. heading his letter with the company metto. Don't Worry:
 France, July s7, 1918. Mir. Stephen Coffey, Norwich, Conn:
 It seems only few weeks ago that I left Norwich for Camp Devens, But since then I have had many strange experiences and visited many towns, but the one that still fingers in my mind is that good old town back in the hills of Connecticut, the Rose of New England. Since coming here to France we have seen quite little of the country, travelled much and slept everywhere but in a bed.
 For the last two months we have been under shell fire most of the time. Some time ago we went up the line | into the trenches and now can really say that. while not all that one reads in the papers and magazines is true, much of it is. We have passed through towns and villages that have hardly g whole house left in the whole place, I just a lot of broken and fallen walls. There at the trenches were many dugouts and deep trenches that it must ! have taken long time to build, all blown to pieces.
 The ground up there near the line is all shot full of deep holes and many unexploded shells of all sizes and kinds lay there. While there we made several raids upon the German trenches and in one case we met one of their patrols near their lines. We l gave them a warm reception, but their Epositions were all covered by their own machine guns. behind their own barb ed wire, so we could not get at them One cannot imagine the amount ot l barhed wire there is here in France In front of our lines the wire was fully one hundred feet wide, and all entan- gled together, the whole length of the line. I shall never forget the first A hours l put III out at the listening posts in No Mans Land. It raine6
 both nights and during the days bott sides shelled each other very sharply and all the shells passed over oul
 heads from both batteries. We eoulG hear the guns, then the scream of the
 shells, and then in a few seconds tht
 report of the bursting shell over bacl of the line.
 Many of the trees near the line are all battered to pieces and it is no un'
 common sight to see 8 tree two fee
 in diameter shot clean off at the butt The day after we left the trenches
 and came back to the rest camp WI
 all felt a little safer until one of oul
 anti aircraft guns put a shell througl the roof and three floors of our bar racks. It seems they shot at plan and the shell failed to explode ant dropped. It passed through our room
 and left only a large hole in the foo and then we began to think it mad little difference where we were. A
 we have to carry all our equipment il | our pack I Awe thrown away every thing that I possibly could get ol ) without except my writing paper, som pictures from home and a. sweater tha 1 the ladies at Norwich gave us. Thes [ take wherever I go and like my re t volver they are never out of my leacl 7 as this is queer country.
 Il There are only two of us from Nor 3 wich left now in this company, bu [ some of the other boys are in our bat t talion. John Brown and I have stuc t together so far and have hopes we ma e return together.
 All Ou1 PGpC1S LOIS lSll LII NiClOI all along the line, but then there mu: be some failures, although they don 7 print it. The papers here are quee sheets and not much like the paper 2 at home. Whenever I meet any of tt 2 Norwich boys they always ask: ''HaI N you heard anything from home late 7, ly?" Sunday was a big day for son 5 of us. as we found where we coul f buy some real apple pie at the Salva | ton Army rooms. The K. of C., '. :. .. A. and Salvation Army rooms 6 u are always crowded here when tI
 boys are off duty. It seems good
 come back from the wild country ar e go in and hear piano playing. W 2 are all satisfied here but we are g | | waiting for the day to come when it ia7 over and all return home.
 II II Best wishes to all my friends. r. E. WILCOX