Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1918-11-22
After marching through crowds
of natives who lined the streets
and housetops, end AMID deafen-

md housetOps, md AMID deafen- q
ng cheers and greetings show
ng how welcome we were, we
marched 3 miles to a rest camp
spending three days camping
Under the shadows of a camp
used by Napoleon Ronapar dur
ing his wars as rest camp, it
being we'll fortified lot of build
ings of enormous stones and con-
crete. Leaving there l went
with my out fit to Calais, three
day trip by rail, which l enjoyed
very much having to sit up 3
nights in overcrowded coaches
without any sleep AT this poiut
we were fitted out with British
guns and gas masks and then
our troubles began.
We marched and liked from
town to town, through quaint
little villages and fields and
fields of abundant grain, the whole
trip being very picturesque
Along the route we spent the
nights sleeping in cow sheds,
stables, barns, and in pup .ents
out i'll some field orchard. After
wearing out a pair of shoes we
settled down III a little village
called Douderv:lle to receive in-
struction from British officers.
A few weeks afterward we went
to the British font line for
little experience in fighting the
Hun. 1t was supposed to be a
quiet sector but proved 20 be very
hot after some Of the boys went
over the top and brought some
lprisoners back.
After 2 weeks they thought
we were well fit for scra piping, so
We hikcd for 3 or 4 weeks; great
exercise, IS or 80 Kilos. a day,
about 20 miles by our measure
ment. We were sent to the
American Sector for real fight
ling. Received orders one night
to make ready to go into the line
as Big Drive was to start, left
lcamp about dark. marched 5 or
miles and lay down in trench
waiting for our barrage to be
Iput over. Now for Over the
Top About II o'clock our
ARTILLERY opened up, and, al
though we were about mile in
front of our guns, yet as often
said to myself and others, it SEEM
ed that the very pits of hell had
Iopened, as the blast and flashes
lcould be seen and heard for
miles, and we lay there while it
was kept up for 10 hours. The
barrage was raised and then
came the most exciting moment
of Doughboy's life; we went
over the top with fixed bay onets,
and after advancing about
miles came in contact with the
Hun, some of them running
toward us with their hands oyer
their heads ready TO surrender,
Tor our guns had struck terror
into their hearts and many were
ready to give up. One Hun
officer was heard to say that in
his 4 years through the war he
had never experienced a barrage
such that a rat could not survive
III it. The first attack drove him
back about miles and then they
made a stand with their deadly
machine guns, which we find our
worst obstacle in a drive. The
have nests Of them, our boys call
pill boxes, as they are built
box shape of concrete covered
with earth.
We were relieved after we had
been in the front line 4 days,
dropping back a few miles and
lay ing i'll reserve. On the night
of the 3rd day of rest (Sunday)
we were called again to face the
Hun, this time to attack him in
the center on a different sector, a
few miles to the left of the for
mer push.
About 7 O'clock in the evening
we were ordered to get our Iron
Rations, composed of boxes of |
crackers, can of corned beef, |
sugar and coffee, supposed to be
food for ? days We filled our
canteens with water to last that |
long, and then each man receiv-l
ed his ammunition, all of which
made a good load. After maxi
ing a light pack composed of
toilet articles, rain coat and Iron
Rations, we were ordered to Law
in the trenches until time to move
up. AT II O'Clock were ordered