The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-01-07
Capt. Allie Angle
Describes Last
Hours Of Fighting
On Nov. II

In yesterdays Tampa Tribune
appears the following letter from Cap
tain Allie Angle, former Lakeland
citizen, which vividly describes the
last hours Of the fighting on November
18th. Captain Angle says:
"Since the war is over and we have
reached our rest area, I thought I
would write you letter and give You
the information that I am still among
the living.
II can give you more information
now than / have been able to do ip
the past, so will give you an idea as to
what we have seen and done since ar
irving in France.
ION August 7th we left Camp Mills.
n. Y, and sailed from New York City
Aug. 8. Our trip across was uHevent-
full, as far as we know, although 1t
was reported that submarine fred
seventeen shots at our convoy, Wheth.
er that is true or not, I do not know.
I saw nothing that looked like a sub
to me. We arrived in Liverpool or
August goth and were Immediately
sent to camp at Romsey near South
ampton where we remained for three
or four days. Then we proceeded to
Southampton and boarded a vessel and
made the trip across the Channel TO
Cherbourg In France where we stayed
for two or three days more. From
Cherbourg we took train and were
sent to st. Nazairre, where we stayed
week. It was at st. Nazairre that
saw Henry SHELLS boy from Winter
Haven. Smell was in the office Of the
finance quartermaster. From ST. Ma.
zairre we were sent to Tonnerrc and
were there several days and then sent
to Epinol, st. Die, Roron L'Etope.
Rambervillers and other towns.
while at st. Die we had our first
experience in war. One Of our trains
was shot into by machine gun from
a German airplane just as the train
was entering the station. Only one
man was killed and few wounded
The next experience we had was o
German plane came over St, Die one
Sunday and dronped lot Of propa-
ganda and then when the people gath
cred in the street to read this stuff
the German few back over the city
and fired his machine gun into the
crowd and killed two people and
wounded others.
y Sees Terrible Shellfre
at was at st. Die also that our mer
first went into the trenches and where
we were shelled with German guns
I'll never forget the first- time these
shells began to burst around US. The
noise they make is something terrible
Some of the boys said they prayed q
prayer they never knew was In
them The shrek those shells made
was different from anything ] have
ever heard before and the explosions
| were terrific. The shells fell within
! 800 feet from where we were. Manuel
Fernandez and I could not 60 to sleer
that night for some time. Every few
minutes a shell would come over and
of course It disturbed us and KEEP
US from going to sleep.
From st. Die we were sent to tn,
trenches just south OF verdun, abou
eight or ten kilometres little south
east of verdun. There Is where WI
had a regular show. On November
9th, 10th and 18th business picked vi
and don't you forget It. At night tn
whole heavens were lighted up b.
artillery fire and 1t looked like CRANE
display OF fireworks. The fighting wa
terrible, It seemed to me. saw me,
that had been blown to pieces. A ham
was the largest piece OF one man tina
we could find. saw my commandin
officer pick up mans heart that ha
been blown to pieces. The heart wa
the largest piece of this man to b
, found and 1t was hanging on som
barbed wire fencing where the shel
had scattered his whole body.
NOV. IL, just before tho flghtin
ceased, I stood by the boys who wer
sending over the last barrage and yo
never saw men enjoy baseball gam
/. more than these men did loading thei
big guns. Just as fast as they coul
FIRE those guns they showed in snothe
' shell and smiled all the time. ] &c
, one OF the last shells that was fire
for a souvenir that ! expect to keep
r 1t is a French rs.
: Tampa Boys 0. X.
within ten minutes after peace, q
J. after firing ceased, / made Wis
;. along the lines to see how the boy
from home were and 1t was grea
: pleasure to find Lieut.. W. H. Jacl