The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-12-26

We were all on board the transport
"por, Lincoln" in the Boston barber.
Al a. m. we pulled out Of the Boston
dock and for two days and nights We
steamed along the coast, arriving at
Halifax. At Halifax we waited two
days for transports that were to be IN
our convoy. On July goth. at $3.50 a.
m. we left the Halifax harbor. There
were % transports in the convoy and
one battle ship with several submarine
chasers accompanied US. At 7 p. m.
man was buried at sea from one OF III.
other transports. July 23rd we passe'
over the very spot where the Titani'
was sunk and everything was quiet up
to this time. July 25th the battlcship
fired on mystery ship and the cruis
ers chased it away. There was lots
of excitement on board but nothing
happened. July 26th We were in the
neighborhood Of Devils Hole, at the
entrance Of the Irish sea. Devils
Hole got its name because it is one
place in the ocean that no man has
been able to find bottom. On July 18th
a convoy met US in the Irish sea and
escorted US the rest Of the way TO-
Liverpool. July S0th we had a hight
with several submarines that lasted an
hour. How those guns did roar, and
every time those depth bombs expiod-
ed one would think the ship had blown
up. One shell went between our
transport and the one ahead. 1t surely
was an exciting time. One submarine
was sunk and the rest driven away,
July 31st at p. m. we docked at Llv-
erpool. As soon as we landed we were
marched to Knotty Ash rest camp out
side of Liverpool. We arrived at the
camp at about midnight, dead tired
and ready for rest. August lst we
bathed. washed our clothes and clean
ed UP in general. We did need
cleaning, for we had been on the
transport 16 days, and believe me land
was a mighty welcome sight. August
End at 80 p. m. we left Knotty Ash
camp, travelling on the Great North
ern Railway. We passed through
Creme, Wolverhampton, Birmingham,
Oxford to Winchester. August Sd, we
went through the Winchester Cathed-
raj. the oldest and second largest
cathedral in the world. Here King
Arthur and the earlier kings OF Eng
land attended church. 1t was a re-
markable structure, built by the
Monks in the year 700. The stone
work is all carved by hand and the
Monks carried the stone distance Of
40 miles to build this massive struc-
ture. The camp at Winchester is
Morn Hill Camp August 4th, Sun
day. we left Winchester at 7:l5 a. M.
and went by train to South Hampton,
We loaded the boat all day and at :
D. m. we left South Hampton on the
transport "Harbardo. We crossed
the English Channel, arriving at lie
Harve at s a. m. August 5th, we went
into rest camp and stayed over
night. 1t rained continually. The
whole country was huge sea Of mud.
August 9th, at p. M, we left Le-
Havre in box cars, there being "a men
in a car and | was in charge of the
one we rode in. We tried to sleep for
two nights in these box cars but it was
almost impossible. We passed through
Rouen, Versailles, Chartres, lie Mons.
and SO on to Ponce de la Nave, near
Bordeaux, arriving at a p. m. Aug
ust 8th we pitched our tents in an
open field and stayed there until
September 5th. 1t was fearfully hot
and we suffered from the heat and
poor water. We received four AZ
guns and caissons, also our trucks.
September 5th, we moved by truck to
Camp de Songe, about l5 miles from
Bordeaux. This is the wine center OF
the world, and | never saw so many
grapes. There are miles and miles Of
nothing but vineyards. Al Campo de
Songe is the best artillery range in
! France, 50 here We did our range firing
with the AZ guns.
We left Camp de Songe on October
Both, having loaded the guns, tractors,
and all equipment on fiat cars. We
rode in box cars, but this time there
were only 10 men in a car so we rode
much more comfortable We passed
through Bordeaux, Benway, LaRoche
4 St. Florentine, Chateurox and hun
dreds of others not so important. We
arrived at Duguy about five miles
south of Verdun at p. m. and We
had to unload all that freight We got
billeted in an old barn at 2 a. m. Al
daybreak that morning several shells
burst Just outside our billets. At 8
a. m. we were marched to Rupt er
Woevre. about half way between Yer