The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-06-07
LETTERS FROM THE
BOYS IN ARMY CAMP

bUIO AkMI GAmP
Across the Waters, May 4, 1850.
M Hatcher, Dear Sir: HeDe is TAX
ling the opportunity of dropping few
lines, knowing you like to be in touch
with the boys Well, / must say we
have had some exciting time since
leaving Hamilton, which we left on
the 18th for the coast, where we were
run right up beside giant steel side
monster of a vessel which was cam
Oudaged with about ten different
cOlors and striped like a tiger. She
sure was handsome boat built for
the German Lloyd Steam Ship com
I pany but taken over, SO l hear. We
fellows were cabined in the second
lclass on the third deck with soft
fdowny beds with springs, but oh
what change from what we had
been used to in Canada, where we had
the soft side of board. Well, we
layed in harbor over night and pulled
out one at a time, we were,
! (Several lines cut 1ut here by GEN.
| Sor)
| After this we sailed out with nice
clear morning and say it was a grand
/ sight with the troops all cheering
each other from different vessels we
met We proceeded with fine wealth
er until about four days from the
coast when it sure did pitch and roll
for about day, but otherwise it
was a dandy trip. But our excite
ment started when we ran up against
three subs. They came up between
us. Whistles were blowing to man
the boat on the left of us, but our
| destroyer soon gave chase and every
thing Gained down until next morning
when we were all lined up on deck
for roll call when they sighted sub
directly ahead, when all aboard were
ordered to be on deck and not till
then did we realize that there was
a war on. We came face to face
|. with sub about 100 yards on our
left and we boys of our battalion
were lined up on the left and could
! see it plainly. She was a little ahead
waiting for us to come up amidship
| when our sub lookout spotted her.
! Our whistles blew to stand fast and
Everybody was excited not to say a
little scared, but we accounted for
her just the same. She was one of
the three We had sighted a few days
before and all that was left to tell
the tale was a patch of thick black
oil. The other two subs had been
sighted at the same time, but we
ran into them few nights later, but
| what happens about deck at night
we don't know as we are all ordered
below at sunset and there is not a
/ light to be seen then, just mere dark
| ness.
At present we are quarantined for
fourteen days and then we get land
ing leave of about six days. Then
we get about two months more train
| ing and we are on our way again for
France. l might say we are all dis
mounted now here and l don't know
| whether l can get transferred to a
| repair depot or not, but the way
thinks look we are all trademen and
are booked for the infantry, think,
although we have an examination
| coming before we leave here regard
ing our mechanical ability, but there
are not any young men in England
any more. Only old men and wounded
and women have taken the places of
| almost every trade and profession
| here is. We have an aviation camp
| at the back of our parade grounds
here and we see some daring stunts
pulled off here when they see an
open space. While we are drilling
on the parade ground they will swoop
down and do a flip f1op,-that is a
double somersault side ways,-with
| their trailing wheels almost touching
the ground and the noise is deafen-
! ing. When they go over us, just a
few feet about our heads, the wind
takes our hats with it and it is moth
| ing to see about fifteen or twenty
machines all whirling about at once.
Our camp is about fourteen miles
from Old London and there is raid
every once in a while and they gen.
f, orally pass over us. There was one
night before last and guns were
/ booming throughout the night in the
distance. We are having some very
severe training now, ten hours steady
every day without a let up and it
certainly raises an awful appetite, but
| it doesn't get satisfied most of the
time as / was used to having at
home. The food situation here is
very serious and they are rationing
the civilians now. The rich are
treated the same way as the poorer
classes here now, as they can't afford
| to employ servants now. They are
taxed too Highly. Even our officers
get rationed and eat just the same
as we do. Everything is business
here now. No plodding along like the
old English way of doing things and
luxuries are unknown now. One never
smokes cigars here any more and SUI
gar is not to be bought,-natches
likewise Meat is so scarce that peo-
pie stay up over night to get in time
to buy enough meat to last them a
| few days, about the same as / used
to eat for one meal at home. People
know there is war mere and so do
we fellows, believe me, when we get
three English instructors out on the
parade grounds for ten hours with
lfull pack which weighs about ninety
,pounds, and then one imagines he's
lin the army in England. 1t takes me
now about one hour and twenty min
'utes to clean the brass l have now.
You thought was decorated when
/ was on leave. You should see me
NOW with about six bags and haver-
sacks with twelve straps, brass tip
ped, with brass buckles and link.
4 'onvv tho American soldier now He