Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-01-21
DR.. PETIT TELLS
OF B0CHE BIRDMEN'S
VISIT 70 ENGLISH



and grass are covered with frost.
and The roads hard and frozen.
took a walk this morning and ex-
cept for the occasional boom OF a
big bun. or angry clatter OF n ma
cline gun. II was Just Ike any other
clear winters morning at home |
stopped and looked ont across q
valley and for the moment. ior-
got.that was In France In the
mids, % 4 horrible war until some
one al my side said. At looks like
n hlooinin' Christmas card from
home. doesn't i. sir This from a
Tommy that had come behind me,
He knew what | was thinking about
and | gueas he was linking about
the same thins
Love 10 all
ROSWELL
Colonel an English Lord.
December 81. 1911.
Dear Father:
viii you please excuse the paper
az am away from the bases OF sup
ply and | have 10 write on what
scraps of paper can find and SO
must use the back OF your letter
have changed again can't com
plain. however. because want 10
sea il all, anyway Ny orders came
Through about four days ago. di
rectng me 10 join regiment a.
! medical officer. ! went TO the most
] recent position OF tho regiment and
! found they had gone into the line,
. was also informed that the com
manding officer, Colonel Thyme, was
an English lord ana a member Of
parliament. Should have been
very much impr. SEED hui am afraid
, vas not
came UP with the ration party
by road az Tar as the wagons came
then followed the party, carrying
the rations on their shoulders NJ Z
foot-path and reached the trenches.
II was dark, cold night and wc
were not bothered much except for
the whiz and whine OF an occa sioIal
I she'll passing overhead After 20
INK up o long line OF trench | tin
ally reached The regiments head
quarters. down about forty steps m
to dne0ut about thirty feet under
ground. / waA an old German due
out and yory Ven built and lined
with boards There | was intro
! duced to Lord Thyme, or rather
Colone! Thyme. whom ! was to Join
My ideas concerning English
! lords | found TO be AL wrou@ ii this
y one Vas a fair example expected
I, to hnd man with blond hair par
= ed in the middle, too much nose
. and too little chin, dfa"ltn.
speech and a mouoCle.
Instead | found big Six-ioote
Il with square jaw and black shor
= cropped ndstache, smoking bli'
u dog pipe. Whcn | introduced mysei
ha TOOK his pipe out Of his mouth
shook hands warmly and shouted /
u his adjutant in the next room
= Hey, Frazer, come il here van
: you to meet the new Doc. | mus
8 say Was surprised.
Down to Front Lines,
= At this place we we've in The SUI
port trench The next night "
:, moved INTO the front line. TQE.n
= over system at trenches is rot
simple thing. Trenches are 10
= straight or slightly curved, rnnnip
in fairly straight lines, as | ha
th0uaht, tWt ran every way. depend
ine upon the terrain, the eharaato
OF Inc oil and many other thing.
= Instead III being straight thcN ar
crooked RS q DOES hind lc2 anA Ia
maize q main trenches, traverse
switch trenches communicate
& trenches and supports, is terribl
s copfusnc know ] should be los
} in fte minutes ii ! went any plac
in them without guide.
We started up to She front lne
Q Just after dark in the worst enb'
q storm this country has seen inetr
T. years. The Wind was blowing an
7 III places the drifts in the irene
r. were three 10 four feet deep
a To move 4 thousand men in IN
out OF this maize, in passages ha!ei
4 wide enough for two men TO pas
Il and Stiit he on guard against ali 4
u tack was, az you must see, far iroi
g simple thing. And yee all OF tn
n Old platoons were relieved and III
Z, new platoon. III position i'll a coUpl
Of hours.
Sleeps in Clothing.
" We got settled in fairly con
u Portable duguut had eomcthing
II eat, and turned in thirty feet b
low ground. Up here it is Dece
y sary 10 sleep with all our elothc
~ on. includna our hoo's-~no telIln
when We may be called oft. "
arc to hc in here for six days an
s. the iiiJl three days u our tour
70 duty are passed, and believe H.,
NJ shall be clad to cot oni and get n
=" clothes eff aud get 4 bath lif 20
Ia siblel Ii is quite task Gclill
az up la,ona-especilliy Watet~~lt q