The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1918-07-18
Written BY Sergeant VIM. 4. Vec-
queray
SOME THRILLING INCIDENTS
Humorously, but vividly Related
Bombed by German Aircraft,
Bombarded by Hun Great Guns,
Serenaded by the Incessant
Roar of Artillery and Treated
to Spectacular Exhibitions of
Surprising Splendor.
Co "C", 9th, U. S. Engrs.
American Ex. Force.
June Goth, 1918.

| June zUCn, 1910.
Dear Mr.. Jordan:-
| am afraid | have neglected my
correspondence with you for a
longer time than | had intended,
so will try to make up for it by
telling you as much as Mr.. Censor
will let me, about what we have
been doing. We were still doing
routine work, building hospitals,
laying waterworks, making roads,
etc, in a quiet part of France
when rumors began to circulate
that we were to see active service
at the front. Then we got orders
to dispose of surplus kit and sup
piles and rumors grew to certain
Ity, and one day we entrained,
headed for-well, some said one
place, some said somewhere else.
In fact it was a case of 81 don't
know where / I'm going, but I'm on
my way" However we finally
arrived and found that we were
attached to the 4th British Army,
and were going close to one Of the
warmest sectors Of the British
front. | might as well tell you
right now that this company did
not take part in any big battle,
but we have seen enough to get a
mighty good idea of what war
looks like close up. Two Of our
companies did get into one of the
big scraps, but that is another
story.
Our first intimation that we
were getting into the actual war
zone was on noticing large shell
and bomb holes along the rail
road right of way. In fact the
second section of our train was
held up on account of an aero
plane raid, which tore up the rails
ahead of it. From that time on
we got used to seeing shell holes,
although, it was some time before
"Fritzie" actually introduced us
to some of his "Whizz-Bangs."
We moved up to little village
behind our own artillery lines,
and although we could hear lots
of noise from our own guns, we
were not bothered by any of
"Fritzie s." His aeroplanes used |
to fly over us once in while, es-
pecially at night, but at first he
didn't drop any bombs. We would |
hear machine guns and anti-air
craft guns banging away at him
in the distance, and orders would
go around, Lights out. Then
we would wait until he either
went off in some other direction
or passed overhead, and on his
way. There is no mistaking the
hum of his aeroplanes, and once
heard it is never forgotten. At
first we didn t take them very Sc
riously, but later on we gave them
all the respect due to them, and |
were not bit ashamed to head
for the nearest dugout or cellar,
when we heard him coming: but |,
that was after we had learned our
lesson.
Our work while in that village
consisted of digging trenches and
putting up wire entanglements. A
lot of the work was well back of I
the lines; but one day we got or
ders to roll our packs and take a
few days provisions with us and
40 some work close to our front
line. 1t was here that we really
first came under fire, although on
one or two other occasions, a few ]
shells had landed few hundred {
feet away. Now they began to II