The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-05-10
LOCAL SOLDIER
TELLS OF FIRST
VIEW OF TRENCH
Richard Hildreth Writes of Visit to
First Line Trenches

Richard Hildrrth. son Of DR.. and Mrs.
: t.. \. IIildrrth. of this city. writes the
following interesting l"tt"rS from
Frame. telling If his first trip 10 the
front lin" trenches. over Sh"el-sw'pt
field. 'AiihuuSlt >ilH letters ar. intimate
10 tho family th"y ar" interesting to
: his many friends.
Mr.. Hiidr-tn was ono Of the most
popular young men nj the city and when
the call for "nhStmcrts was made he
Was ono Of thc first tn 81. lie spent
! several months in an eastern training
. camp. "S"~E over" several months aEn.
+ France. March II. 1919.
Dear Mother:
r | have l"f1 Tho British q. t. -. from
which | have Gc-n writing lately and
am about t. 20 up to the front for No-
scrvatinn before going back To my old
teaching job. our service stripes have
been awarded and | am we'll on my way
10 the second one. without having scnn
the real thing yet. We cannot 20 in as
! our baggage. containing gas masks. h"i-
! NETS. etc. has not come. Will write as
soon as something happens.
Affcctlonatcly.
Dick.
France. March Il. 1918.
Dear Father:
|
! I am visiting the west front for week
! have given you the details Of my ar
, rival, delay in getting baggage near
, friction with our charming hosts. etc.
/ in previous letters. Picture me now
! passing through that belt uf territory
! where the guns are not audible bht
where the bombing planes of the Boone
! are qute active. IL the strip where pnth
, Of the above mentioned conditions exist
| After one day in such & place l moved
to another where such unpleasantrics
are both audible and visible. 1t was
here l spent the three days l wrote you
Of waiting for my baggage and near
here that my orderly saw All old woman
aud six children killed. Today | ad-
vanccd one more step from Battalion 10
Company Headquarters. or from 1000 10
! soon yards from the front line. Back
on the battalion Headquarters We could
hear the big ones going over our heads.
! but here we arc too busy listening Ia
more interesting sounds 70 notice them.
Description of sh oil sounds Is very diff
cult. The nearest l can come to it isl
that it is cross between the noise made
by the runaway ice wagon and flat
wheeled freight car.
After lunch today. | asked and rcceiv- /,
I'd permission TO accompany the second
IN command on a trip up tho limo, which
We decided to make on bicycles. Under
my raincoat Git was cold and cloudy. as
uSual) bucklcd on my trusty pistol
lido you remember. Mother that last
year I did not know how 10 load the
thinsc Now. thank the Lord am
familiar with all its Internal workings.)
In addition TO rain coat. heavy uni
form, heavy underwear and wool socks.
/ donncd two of those nice sleeveless
sweaters. ono being the very heavy one ;
Mary made me. Then the sun came out :
and il began tn get hot in more ways
than one In the first place the road {
was very, very muddy and the bicycle .
WAS beyond words. The front mud guard
was 50 beat as 10 throw all the mud IN
the road up. acting as continuous
brake on the wheel. The seat was loose
and wnhhlcd in all four directions. The !
chain WAS about five links too long. !
ncccssitatiug pushing on tho pedals for |
about two seconds before it would catch |!
sufficiently to make tho wheels so .
round. This feature proved extremely ,
disconlfortablc on the return trip. tn" !
only other serious drawback To the BIKE !
was that ii sQueaked so terribly that II !
was very difficult To hear the noise
made by the approaching shells. which ,
believe me. it is very necessary I" pay !
the strictcst attention To.
Alter nearly IN npuI OIL lniS W. !
reached the trenches and instead "f OIL :
serving the IRON clad rule Of keeping 10 |
Them my friend, tho second in command !
pushed off across the open. Fortunate !
~ the she'll. which were falling around .
us were the kind VIC could hear as they |
approached though ii is very difficult !
TO Judge. especially for an inexperienced !
person. just where they arc going 10 I,
land. but was much relieved when VIC !
arrived ut the trenches. In few hours :
7 saw all ] wanted IL If gun and bat
terry positions. dug outs. mud. etc. and ,
VIC started back again ~ the overland
route. l wish I could describe the trip ,
back so that you might sec III" hunlnr- !
Gus side Of il, rs l did While We arc '
not under the direct observation Of IN" !
Bncho, his SauSaErS tnhSr-vatlon bal :;
l"cnsp were up and as We rod" along :
the ridge. silhnu"ir"ri against the Sky !
line I felt thai | WIS lhN very special |
object Of his regard. As the Smelling .
became moro intense. the mud got deep
err the bike NOR" w"hhly and our pro-
gross moro difficult. bat. here I ann hack
home at IA ~ J.. g.. and ais quiet .
along the Mtrn".
My captains commission has not Y"l
come hut these things move slowly. rs
cable service has been temporarily Sus- ,
pended am afraid you will be getting
pretty anxious. but l hope you Will get
this promptly and l Will write soon
again.
Love to all.
AffrCt!onatClI,