The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-12-05
euNNAR BROTHERS HAROLD AND
CHARLES BOTH IN SERVICE
LETTER FROM EACH OF THEM
Inc Sailor Tells of Trip Across the
Atlantic and Back. The Soldier
r.y, Writes of Bombs, Beds
and Bugs.

master on the U. S. S. Westford. wrote
the following letter to his parents, Mr.
and Mrs G. o. Gunnar:
On the Atlantic, Oct. l8.-Deal
Folks: We left New York first, ant
went to Norfolk where we waited fol-
a convoy. We left there Sept. 9TH. Had
me weather all the way across except
three days, when we had real bad wea
ther. The sea was awfully rough, com
ing over the bridge at times. We had
about fifteen motor trucks on our
decks, and the water came over them
with such force that it mashed the
hoods and tops of some of them. The
wind blew so hard there was a con,
tinual spray in the air, the wind just
picking the tops of the waves up and
carrying them along. Sometimes we
would be down in a trough of the sea
and couldn't see any of the convoy at
all, and sometimes We could see other
ships go down with nothing but their
tunnels showing above the waves.
a Some Ride.
There was one day We had nothing
toreat but little canned stuff because
the ship pitched so the cooks could
not, keep anything on the stove. We
had to eat standing up, for if we put
anything on the table it would shoot
from one end, to, the other and final
ly land. on the deck. We were lucky
though that the storm was not coming
from ahead. 1t hit us on the starboard
quarter, and drove us along and help
ed us get across in a shorter time.
Another thing the storm did was to
eliminate all danger of being torpe.
doed 1t was job to keep the ship on
her course, and the officers were nigh
ty tickled at the way the young fellows
handled the ship.
Chasing a Sub.
The next thing that happened was a
night, and we were having hard
time keeping together, when all at
once a sub shot a torpedo at one of
the ships and it turned loose a shot at
the sub, and then there was something
doing. The destroyer set out after the
sub and started dropping depth bombs.
We could feel cur snip tremblc when
these charges went off. They will
smash a sub all to pieces if they are
near. don't know whether they got
the sub or not.
1t was about ten-thirty when the
scare started, and | was at the wheel
till midnight. The whole crew was up
all night, with life preservers on and
standing by the guns.
The Huns didn't come back, so we
turned in after breakfast
The French Coast.
We went to Cherbourg, little place
below Havre for orders. That is sure
some pretty place, but we could not
get liberty there. The coast Is mostly
high cliffs of beautifully colored rocks
and back from that are green fields
and pastures, separated by hedges and
rows OF trees. We spent two days and
nights here and anchored outside
Havre the night of September 2Sth.
We were nineteen days from Norfolk
to Cherbourg, but that seems a short
time when you are busy.
Stevedores at Havre. ...
As soon as we locked at Havre |
was put on the dock as sentry. The
steyedofes' started unloading ouri car
go on Tuesday 1--WE got there Sunday
with cranes which are on, and can
move along the docks. They have all
old men and boys working there, and
its a shame that those kids have to
carry hundred pound sacks all day
Tho men ON the dock were tickled to
death when we saved place for them
nj our table. We fed two at every
meal. They don't get any sugar, and
candy Is impossible.
Another Storm.
Oct. 27-This is beautiful day and
seems very nice, because we have been
having rough weather. This wasn't as
had as the storm we had going over,
hut we felt il more because our ship
being empty, rolled with every swell.
Friday night was sleepless for most OF
us. The ship rolled thirty degrees
sometimes You folks can't imagine
how hard it is to walk around when II
is pitching and rolling like that, but IL
only makes us more salty.
To go back to- France-We DIDN'T
have much time ashore there. We rode
uptown on the tram cars. They have
three classes of passengers: the fare
ia two cents on the rear PLATFORM,
three cents on the front, and four
cents inside on the seats. There are
American, British and couple oil
other Y. M. C. AS in Havre.
At the British Y we had boiled eggs
bread and butter, tea without sugar.
and prunes and peaches for dessert
That's not much of feed. but the
boiled eggs tasted good, for we don't
get fresh ones on the shipr
Hayre is nice place. got few
souvenirs, but not as many as had