East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1918-09-19

SC$$ln front lines on q.
'ss - Verdun front Th'
shelIins was irregular and heavy and tbs
roads were constantly filed with traffic
that made the work doubly hard, for a!
driving was done without lights in tbs
dark and the troops, supply trains and
heavy trucks all passed from behind the
lines up to the front during the night, &c
that they could arrive at the front lines
unobserved By the Boches.
Our section. No. % Of the American
Red Cross, arrived at its headquarters in
little town named BIZ, close to Yer
dun city itself, after a run Of two days
with the ambulances from Paris. There
was no place to put the men the first
night, so we slept in our cars and made
camp as best we could for the time. Our
kitchen (Which had been lost on the road
for the entire two days since leaving
Paris) had located the section. and so, for
the first time, we had a meal from the
hands Of our own cook.
We were taking over a French ambu-
lance section. as learned from a French
infantry captain who engaged me in con-
versaton regarding ourselves and our
! cars. This section. the captain told me-
had been badly shot up and five Of its
drivers and cars had been put out Of ser
vice. So the prospects were promising
for busy time for us in that sector.
Before camp was completely made Cor
don SaRre, the chief of that section, came
In with the announcement that two cars
were to so out that same night to learn
about posts aud to get all the Information
necessary about the runs. Branch and
Harris and MAGELLAN and Hamlin were
the first two pairs to be picked for the
job, and accordingly, Immediately after
supper, the first two cars went out on
dnty, while the rest Of us put our blankets
on stxefehers and made our beds in the
back Of our ambulances.
The first two cars were to stay on post
for forty-eight hours, although svo more
cars were to be sent out the night follow
ing our arrival at Bl@. This system
we followed out until all the cars had been
over the road at each post, the first sec
ten showing the roads TO the second two
cars, the second showing the third, and so
on until all the men knew the posts and
the work to be done.
We all rather eagerly surrounded
Branch. Harris, MacClellan and Hamlin
when they came in after their first forty
eight hours, and we hesped question after
question on them until we knew fairly |
well what the work was. where the posts
were and what to expect when we got on
the job.
The Principal Posts.
As a result Of our many queries We
learned that we had two principal posts
where the cars would receive calls to 60
to other dressing stations or to hospitals. |
The first Of these headquarters was at
Fr-, about five miles from our bar
racks and just a bit behind the lines. In
the town at the time was the general
headuunrters Of the army division, which l
always moves from town to town SO that
the Germans never viii know where the
chief officers are. In this town we re-
mained "on ealP' at the Poste de Secours,
or dressing station, and when demands
for ambulances were received from the
dreesing stations close TO the lines we
were sent to the advanced posts to Get
the wounded. The men were brought In
from No Mans Land and from the
trenches to these duEouts BY French
stretcher bearers Here they vsre ban
dared and taken care Of From these ad-
vanced posts we brought TIE men back
% the principal Poste de Secours at Fr-
and here either unloaded or. II hecsssHEy,
carried the same load OF men back 70 the
nearest hospital, which was sbove live !
or six miles distant
At this hospital was situated our sec
oad headquarters. Here n different |
shiftsof cars from Sur own section was I
always~on duty and from here the am
SulEhcss carried nen-fmthsr. behind the I