The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-02-19

when I got back to the field hospital
L found that all the back of my outer
coat and my gas mask had been torn
and punctured by shrapnel bullets.
Life in France was not all ducking
OF shells; we had pleasant experiences
which seemed strangely good after
the horrible times
On convoy on the roads, when our
section was changing from one front
to another, we had quite a few good
times When we had a three or four
day trip changing sectors of the front
we used to stop overnight in some
little village along the road and the
toWnspeople were very hospitable.
Going through the country or Lor-
raine, we once stopped at Vaucou-
leurs, where Joan of Arc raised her
first troops, five hundred in number.
There we were all very interested in
looking over the old chateau in which
she had stayed, the crumbling arch
way through which the cavalcade had
marched, and the little chapel of the
chateau were Joan of Arc was accus-
toned to pray. ...-...
A little farther on we arrived at
Domremy,. the birthplace of Joan of
Arc. We saw the room in which she
lived when she was a shepherd girl
q square, dark room of brick and
mortar, damp and with only one win
dow. One of the fellows after taking
a good look at the prison like room,
remarked mo wonder she wanted to
go to war;" Her house now stands ir
Ia great enclosed park in Domremy-
and the young girl soldier is more
revered today in France than ever in
the past.
1 remember with pleasure party
we had in the famous citadel of Yer
dun. There were four of US off duty
on that day the states declared war
against Germany. Having permission,
we got staff car and drove into
Verdun to inspect the fort. The COM
mandant of the citadel gave us the
freedom of the place and a guide to
take US around. We went all about
the huge underground cellars and
vaulted corridors, through great bake
shops, meat shops, the printing estab-
lishment, banquet hall, assembly
rooms, the sleeping quarters and the
stables. The fort was fitted out like
miniature city.
(FolloWing, Flynn has given this
paper half a dozen leaves from his
diary. There as pen pictures of the
most graphic kind. They are terse
accounts, written in dugout and dress
ing station, between trips in his little
Ford ambulance, of scenes through
which he had recently passed. YOU
never in your life have read anything
more graphic than this.)
Tuesday-Got back from a seven
days furlough in Paris. Had a great
time. Saw Pershing when he arriv-
| ed. Got a staff car out at ambulance
headquarters and followed in behind
Pershing, Papa" Joffre, Balfour
Vivian and the others. Greatest re-
ception I've ever seen. Everybody in
France seemed to be lined up along
the streets-all crying, laughing
shouting and cheering
I got on duty this morning up al
the Fort de B.. Very hot, humid
weather and lots of Smelling. I hate
to go up to the lines, 1 feel clean af-
ter being in Paris; besides it's over
a week since I've heard shell break
near me, so L feel rather gun shy
| S"DetH up " lie 1lTSl 1ltlt
posts on three days duty. Severe ad.
venture, as the Boches during the two
days launched three coups de main
There are a few cherry trees neal
the lines and in front of a battery OF
French guns. Yesterday I elm bee
the tree to eat a few cherries, wher
the Boches shelled the battery posi-
ton; as each shell came screamin.
in I fell out of the cherry tree, climb
ed up again, and as the next arrived
fell down once more. Rather eating
under difficulty, but the cherries were
good! Still Smelling The roads heavily
and last night bit more gas.
Comrade Killed by Boche
Wednesday-Up at the lines agar
for regular work. Been having quite
a bit of bombardment. Yesterday
while I stood in a, dugout entrance W
at the lines, I counted forty-two q
minute for twenty-five minutes land.
ing in the dressing station az Esper.
ance.
All big ten-inch guns, too. Almos
got crowned in the afternoon at the
rossroads-crossroads been gettins
very heavy Smelling and now all brok
disappeared. And up to the post, E
K, there was a shell every ten feet
Friday-Last night poor Fred N
an awfully decent chap, who had beer
with US only two weeks, was killed by
a Boche aeroplane bomb in a little
Swiss chalet a. Il, which we useC
, as a waiting station. Three of the
| others boys were in the same room
: but, lying down, escaped.
N heard the first two bomb re
| ports, and, jumping out of his blan
} kets, stood up at the window jus
as the third bomb exploded outside
A fragment caught him across tn
: throat, almost decapitating him. G.
who was also there, got a very bal
slash across his shoulders.
We buried poor N tonight at
I ter dark. The German planes wer
t about, chasing cars on the roaGs, an
/ we had to make quick work of the flu
D rera1, as one plane turned his ma
< chine gun on us. Heavy Smelling to
: light on the forts. s
tuesday, Bocfe machine gu
;, crippled two French planes yesterda