The Penn's Grove record., 1919-03-14
NOW IN GERMANY
Penns Grove Boy Now At Watch
On The Rhine
Fingers, Germany, Feb. 6, 1919.

Dear Mr.. Summerill:-
While sitting here gazing into the
Kline River my thought went drifting
back to the time when | was working
IN the Record office. Thinking you
would like to hear from me and of
some OF my experiences | have had, |
decided to write you. To begin with,
l came over here as a casual or re-
placement and was assigned to the
Sixteenth Ambulance Co. in the Sec
ond Division, which at that time was
stationed at Nancy, a very pretty city
in Southern France.
On September II, 1918, you will re-
member the st. Mihiel drive started,
which | may state was my first time
at the front. We were put into the
lines in the region of Novant and
Limey on the southern side of the
salient. The 9th and 23d Infantries
went over the first day making an ad-
vance of about eleven kilometers and
capturing the town of Thiacourt. The
next day the 5th and 9th Marines took
up the advance, the 9th and 23d were
held in reserve. | was a litter bearer
carrying the wounded back to the
dressing stations. There is one little
incident in that battle which | will
neverforget. While carrying a wounded
man back, the Germans opened up on
US, with what is known as a box bar
rage. We were in a little valley with
hardly any shelter but we were able
to get the patient in a shell hole and
crawled in ourselves. We had hardly
ducked our heads when a G. |. Can
came floating gently owe and exploded
within twenty feet of US. 1t covered
us with dirt, %wounding q man on each
side of ME. This barrage lasted about
fifteen minutes and during that time
the Boche aeroplanes sprinkled ma
chine gun bullets around US. With a
little help | was able to get the men
in without further injuries. We were
relieved after being on the front for
five days and went back for a rest.
On October 1st we entered the
Champagne front, in the region of
Somme-Py, with the French Fourth
Army, which was under the command
of General Gouand. There on the first
day the Marines, 9th and 23d In
fantries made an advance of eight
kilometers, capturing Mt. Blanc, one
of the Germans best strongholds,
leading every other division in the at
tack. We sure had hard work there,
carrying the wounded back through
continuous Smelling. We were relieved
on October 10th, making a total gain
of twenty kilometers.
When General Pershing started his
drive on November 1st, at the Argonne
front, we went into the lines in the re-
gion of st. Georges and Landres-et-St.
Georges. The first day we made an
advance of nine kilometers. The next
few days that followed, the advance
became a general pursuit and in
seven days the Second Division gained
forty kilometers, arriving at the Mouse
River. Then we stopped advancing
and held the lines to give the divisions
on our right and left TANKS a chance
to catch up. Our division being so
far ahead it was in a position to be
attacked from three sides. On the
morning of November 18th we opened
up with a barrage and the Marines
crossed the river. At eleven o'clock
the last gun was fired. On that drive
we captured at least twelve towns.
l might as we'll state now, altho |
was not with this division at the time,
it was the one that stopped the Ger
mans at Chateau-Thierry when they
were on their march to Paris and vic
tory. Also they made an advance at
Scissors, turning the wal from the de-
fensive to offensive.
Well, you can imagine how | felt
when it was yer after working eleven
days and nights getting what little
sleep | could between times and eating
whatever l could find IN the field.
Our company was motorized a few
DAYS later. We received G. NJ. c. am
balances and | was given n to drive.
On the 18th of November we started
to follow the Germans as they vacu-
ated to the Rhine. The first city we
stopped in was Arlons, Belgium, that
being a very pretty city. Then we
went into the State of Luxembourg,
stopping in the small town of
Crutchen. There we turned over u q.
NJ. C.'s and received Ford ambulances.
| also may state that there is where
| ate my Thanksgiving dinner, con-
sisting of beefsteak, gravy, spuds,
many after staying four days in Lux
emDOuTS. lHe IlfSl CONI VIC NSHl I'LL
in Germany was Oberwiess and the
first stop Bad Neuenahr. We stayed
in the Kur Hotel, famous for its min
eral water baths. Probably you have
heard of them. The city was some
thing like a summer resort. The sick
people, those that were wealthy
enough, came there to be cured. We
were there about eight days and then
came to Fingers, which is the place |
am stationed at now. We are billeted
in the "Krugsachule," which vas a
German military school and is stu
ated on the Rhine. We are about
eleven kilometers from Coblenz, that
city being very prettily situated al the
point where the Mosel River flows in
to the Rhine. At the present | am
making sick calls for the 5th Marines
which is a drive of so kilometers.
This is sure a pretty country and |
have seen many sights that l wouldn't
have missed for the world, but | think
the prettiest sight of all would be to