Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-12-18
letters FROM OUR
SOLDIERS IN FRANCE
LIEUT.. WILSON AND OTHER MAN.
CHESTER MEN IN ARMY OF
OCCUPATION.
HOME BOYS GO sOvER THE TOP"
Claire Thorpe Tells of His Experiences
in Machine Gun Company and
Describes Some Of the Sights.

Lieutenant Thomas Wilson, who
landed in France with the "Sand
storm" Division last summer, has been
assigned to- the 5Sth Infantry, 4th Di-
vision, one of the regiments selected
as a part of the Army of Occupation,
and is now supposed to be at Cob
LEM, Germany Writing to his wife
in Manchester, Lieutenant Wilson re-
lates some of his experiences in an
interesting letter, which we are privi-
legged to print. Mr.. Wilson writes as
follows:
France, Nov. 18th, 1918.
"If only had freedom to write you
all that I want to l could write a
most interesting series OF letters, but
as things stand Just at present it is
almost impossible to get away from
the terse business-like form that CEN
sorship regulations impose. / have
been transferred to regular army
division. This is the first new outfit
I have ever been in and feel some
what lost for the old faces. I got to
see Major Utley and General Allen
before we left our last place of abode.
They were still casuals and had not
been assigned to any outfit as yet. The
Major told me he had been able to
send a cable from southern France
but so far we have not been allowed
to do so. The week after our division
had been broken up and before had
received my orders, was spent in try
ing to find something decent to eat.
You have no idea how hard it was to
get anything to eat, and how high the
prices were. Our quarters at first
were on a floor in an artillery bar
rack, with just our bed rolls to sleep
on, and no fire. We were later moved
to another part of the barrack and
given iron cots with huge French
mattresses and enormous pillows, nev-
err meant to be slept on.
Bathing facilities were practilally
nil and what water there was certain
ly came from the frozen north. What
the French don't know about modern
plumbing would fill book. Finally
the order came giving me my assign
ment also assigning Capt. Grossman,
but to another outfit. Then it was a
mad scramble to- pack up, draw gas
masks. etc. II you want to have the
time of your life, just try buying tick
cts, checking baggage, ETC., at a French
depot, when you hardly know word
of French.
81 left at about eight o'clock one
evening, arriving at very interest
ing city the next morning. We had
twenty-four hours here, during which
time peace was declared, and | never
hope to witness such celebration
again. L couldn't have been in bet
ter place at such a time, and l shall
certainly never forget it. You can
imagine what it meant to the French
people to know that at last after four
long years, the nightmare of war had
lifted Leaving here | travelled all
night on the slowest and coolest of
trains, until one o'clock the next
piling off at small junction
and sleeping in Red Cross hut: GER
tainly experienced the cold here too.
Leaving here we passed through many
all since this war, places where the
fighting has taken place, shell pitted
fields, old trenches, fields absolutely
torn to pieces by shell fire, the shell
craters overlapping in some places.
ARRIVING at another town We laid
over until eleven o'clock that night |
finally going out on troop train. 1t
was the slowest, most uncomfortable /,
ride l have ever had the pleasure Of
taking. About noon the next day we
arrived at the railhead where division
headquarters was supposed to be. OF |
course it was there somewhere, and
after hiking several miles we located
It, and were assigned to regiment.
Two from my old regiment were as
signed to this same regiment. Find
ng regimental headquarters was as
signed to company. The division I
am now in has made a name for it
self in this war, and it is one that you |
have seen and will see mentioned in
he papers. We located our company
n little ruined village; p we had a
good company, pleasant officers, but
t is not like the old bunch. Some of
is officers are billited in the upstairs
If an old French house, in the only
'oom that escaped the shells. We
nave a fire place and would be quite
comfortable if the weather only could
warm up a little. OF course our bed
S the floor, but we are lucky to have
hat
Il don't believe that it would be out
If place to say that we are to be
part of the army of occupation that
s to go into Germany. Six divisions,
he pick of our army in France, have
been chosen and you can see what a
privilege it is to be with one of them.
History is being made every day and
n spite of the hardships, it will mean
something in later years to know that
you took part in it. l wish l could
ell you where we are going, how we
ire going, etc. | suppose Yea nave
'ead it all in the papers by the time
his reaches you, but you will hardly
Know which outfit am with, but may
oe the censorship will be raised be
ore long and then if | have time |
IAN write pages on my experiences
and what | have seen. We are in for
, long but interesting hike, I know.
Really, in my boyhoods romantic