The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-01-16
ZENAS JENKS
WRITES HIS FATHER

WRITES HIS FATHER
Is With the A. e. F. as Aerial
Photographer
w. H. jerks has received the fol-
lowing letter from his son, Zenas, of
the Aerial Photo Section, No. 101,
A. E. F.:
Chattalon Sur Seine,
France
Nov. %
To the Best Dad in U. S. A:
Tomorrow is the Oath Dads Let
ter Day., but as l expect to be gone
most of the day tomorrow, / am go
ing to start this letter tonight and
finish it tomorrow. The two boys
that came here with me and | are
going out for hike into the coun-
try and get our dinner at one of the
many small towns around here.
A week ago tonight we were just
leaving Tours for here. Our bunch
of so and also hundreds of others
left Merritt at 3 a. m. in the morn
ing of Sept. "a. We hiked to the
ferry from there. Went up one side
of the everglades and down the 9TH
er. It was quite hike with our packs
on, which weighed about go pounds.
After waiting there about an hour we
had a two hours ride to Hoboken,
but didn't get onto the boat, (Martha
WashingtoD) until three that after
noon. In the meanine we waited on
the wharves, watching the excite
ment, playing cards and getting hot
cup of cocoa and a cigarette from the
Red Cross every now and then.
When We went up the gangplank,
we answered to our name and had a
cord with a. card which designated
where we should bunk, eat and aban-
don ships if necessary, put around out
necks so we wouldn't loose it.
Our hunks were in the hold and
altho it was rather stuffy and close |
slept like a log and when I woke up
another fellow who was in the bunk
back OF me had his foot stuck in my
face. Our captain finally got us
better quarters.
We sailed the next afternoon and
of course we were all out on deck
yelling and singing. We circled
around number of times in the har-
Dor waiting for other transports,
while sub-chasers, destroyers, air
planes, and dirigibles guarded US. All
this was very interesting and the
time went pretty quick and it wasn't
long before we hit the hunks again.
Most of the boys were seasick the
first day but after that the majority
of them were O. K. all the way
across.
We got abandon ship drill" every
day until we struck the war zone.
Then we knew that the next call
would mean business if we heard it.
but we didn't. We had to wear our
life belts al the time and were sup
posed to either sleep with them on OF
have them under our heads as a pill
low. We had little excitement one
day but no alarm was given. One OF
the destroyers shot number of times
at what was later reported as a sub
A careful watch was taken all the
time as it was known that subs were
following.
We kept picking up new transports
and there were always the destroyers
sub chasers and two battleships
around US all the time.
We went clear out of course. Was
IN the gulf stream for a long time
and went south before changing ON
course. We arrived in Brest the
morning of the 28th. Was taken tc
the shore in small boats. Arrived II
Rest Camp" about three miles out
OF the city that night and it certainly
seemed good to be on land once
again.
We left Brest on Oct. 5 and arriv.
ed here on the 18th. Hope to be OF
my way home soon
We are assigned to the 1O1s1
Photo section here but all we are
doing IS work that the observer gets
IN his schooling. I am developinc
plates. They needed more plate mer
and sent for three expert plate men
so here we are.
| At Tours where I was in camr
there was an aviation camp ius
about like Kelly only they used wal
planes which go about twice as fas
as those we used at Kelly. This j,
also an aviation field and planes are
up all day long. Several Just wen
over the 7 tent here in Battle forma
ton. The Liberty motor and machin,
Is certainly some boat. I remembe7
when 1t first came out they said tina
ut was kind of a failure, but it is ius
the opposite from that.
This is the prettiest part of Franc,
have been in so far. It is hilly ant
more like Vermont.
A good photographer here woul,
make fortune. It is almost i'm
possible to buy films and paper an,
they cost three times as much as the,
would there. Cameras are Just tn
same. A fountain pen like min
| G10 I.