Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1918-08-28
LETTERS FROM The
BOYS IN KHAKI
Letter From Harold Swanson.
. .. "a > France. Aug. ). 1918.

&.
..- , France, Aug. 5, 1918.
Dear folks: ..a.-- s .
1 received letter from Mamma day
before yesterday. It had a clipping
from the Warren Sheaf telling about
the parade, ETC., they had there. ;
We are in support now again-sec-
ond line trenches move up to-
morrow. We've been here six days
now and are due for the front line
again.
Last night -46 men, lieutenants and
the captain Of this company went on a
patrol into No Mans Land I was one
OF them. We left here at 900 p. m.
in big truck. We certainly were
armed to the teeth. we had 6 auto
matte rifles, every man carried his or
binary rifle, colt automatic revolver,
Trench knife. bayonet and 2 hand
grenades. A German patrol had been
reported at certain point the night
before and we were supposed to get
them-take them prisoners if possible
if not to clean 'em up. It was an
aWfully dark night and at 10 80 it
started raining. 1t kept it up all night
and we came in this morning Just
plastered with mud from head to foot.
We had to crawl under barb wire en-
tanglements, through pools of water,
etc., so you can imagine. We never
met. the patrol, I guess they weren't
out last night and we didn't even see a
German, although we. were in their
own front line trenches and quite
way back of them. You see the Ger
mans sometimes fall back to their End
line trenches for few days and this
must have been one of the times. They
had hung bells on the wire and in the
trenches (the German trenches) they
had put tin cans, pieces Of tin, etc., so
we couldn't help but make a noise
However, we all got out alright-didn't
loose man.
This is the second time I have been
on patrol, the first time there were only
20 Of us under one lieutenant. Last
night we went much farther and were
all in. I've slept all day, it's 4 40 p. m.
now and just got up.
I have shaved and washed but my
clothes are still caked with dried mud
and I hate to start to clean them
However, you've got to keep clean in
the army so will have to start on them
soon.
When we go out on patrol we have
to take all marks of Identification off
such as collar ornaments, Identification
tags, letters, etc. So if we're taken
prisoner or anything the Germans
won't get any information.
There is some talk Of our getting our
May pay tomorrow. don't need it yet
but the most of the fellows are broke
and have been for a long while.
We are CHARTERED in a little town
here, different one than the last one
we were in, in support. 1t has been
badly shelled by the Bosche and they
still drop an occasional shell here but
it is nothing like two villages we went
through last night when on patrol.
They are between the German lines
and ours and as you walk through the
streets at night it reminds you of a
grave yard-there isn't wall left
standing higher than six feet, or longer
than 10 feet. They look just like tomb
stones in the dark
The platoon I'm in has been on guard
while here, we've had hours on and
off, so you see I haven't had much rest.
Its day in and day out without any
rest-also at night. I am off for "A
hours now though, on account of being