Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-12-28
Thirteen WEEKS ON
FRONT LINE BEFORE
SHRAPNEl GOT HIM
CONTINUED from page ID

people, and in six OF MS liked for cur
trip across England.
| must say that the scenery all the
way was very pretty, and We were
all amazed at the speed that our train
( Travelled, as We We're making so much .
/ fun of it at the start That was about I
Il ten-hour trip. and naturally we were
all wondering where we were going |
to land and what we would see next. /
Some had it training camps and every !
other place you could ever think OF.
We finally dismounted about / a. III.
and on inquiring found that We were
our stay there was do be short, us
that was the stepping off place for
|, sunny France.
Again We found the city in dark
ness. as our friend Jerry was IN the
= habit of coming over in the airplanes
and dropping his tail gate. which
made things quite inconyenient for
2 the inhabitants.
5 Packs on back Forward, march
we started for our rest camp. where
5 We were to feed up before starting
l our second trip. We We're all glad
to roll up in our blankets for little
5 rest. This city was full of sights fol
:, us, because it was the first place We
had stopped that had felt the terror
+ of the great war Girls working al
|. every kind of work, on street cars
q etc.
: Again our stay was short, as we
had orders to leave there that follow
II ing afternoon, and p. m. found u
on another boat ready for our trir
Is across the channel. OF course. The
n stories about the channel at that time
were very hair-raising and again oul
n destroyers were with us for protec
ton The company on this trip was
n, not so fortunate in securing state
" rooms. 1t is we'll | remember III!
I. friend Bob HUFF of Champaign, Ill.
ir and myself looking for soft spO
to lie down We knew we were TO b.
t. on the water until daylight. FINAL,
70 Bob ran onto the boat carpenter ant
he whispered to Bod that for the sun
of 10 bob he would furnish us tw'
good beds and a cup of good tea. w
learned that the 10 bob as he Gale
it, was equivalent to five good Amer
can dollars, and it was with som
,z grief ethat We parted with SAME
- However, when morning came we fe'
~ that our money was invested yer
!. we'll.
This trip, while not much for seer
:, cry, for made in good style, and o
=, arising in the morning we found thu
GU rboat was tied up at La Harvt
France We were now in the land {
he real fighting, and the first sigt
that we encountered was a Red Cros
u" train pulling in TO the station. Nat
rally that made it look more like Wa
81 and we thought we would be in I'll
'e' battle very soon.
If We only knew, our real trainln
was just starting, Again we hit
rest camp, where We were To be +,
h, few days. Here we received Il
- sad news that we had to turn in a
extra clothing. etc, and were above
to carry only what We really needt
in the line OF equipment. The ne,
n move was my first trip in the sid
>. door Pullmans known as box cars
- the United States. This trip W
made at night, and Sunday mOniI
r. found us ready for our first long hi
in France. 1t was a real hike for Il
any first time as it covered some eigl
NOR cen miles and found us all ready fl
by a muchheeaed rest Wheh 1t was owe
in We were bileted in barns, as t
chr people found difficulty in finding roc
in their homes for so many soldier
,ed We were not living long in this sm,
the French village, known by the mar
of of Esterbouf, until We became ava
+ Of the fact that we were in the re
Of zone of air raids. They genera
of started in about II p. m. and last
vas as much as three hours at times, a
ven while they were going on no one in
me radius of a few miles dared to sic,
s | They would have been out of luck
saw they tried, as every time one of the
bombs hit the ground you would thi
it was an earthquake. OF cour
there was nothing every INTEREST,"
about that, as you could never
where the next one was going
CT land We were not far from Abb
-' Vile, which was the center of
=, bombing area.
ei' We were very close to a town
mp the name of St Valory, which is
uin- the Somme Canal said we VI
l'er living in barns, but again Bob {
Quiz Bert did a little figuring on the 5
hre' and the third night found US sleep
say in very comfortable bed. At {
on time we had taken in another pi
aces ner who could handle the French
was guage in fine style and who was
wonderful asset in helping Us
uild. around. We were the first Am
half cans who had entered that part Of
the country, and in short time the
Oh a pie ceased to be afraid of us.
be. Our company headquarters "