The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-25
SOLDIERS DOUBTED
 NEWS OF ARM|ST|CE
 UNTIL GUNS CEASED
Confirmation of News of Wars End Followed by Celebration on the
 Fighting Front
By CLIFTON O. BLAUvELr

| Fly CIIE'TON q. BLAU tELT | Word had been passed around among
 the men to hold themselves in readiness
 to move at any time; the Second division ! was going lover the top"
 1 We had been lying on a hill camped
 in the woods back of Axermont for the
 past ten days, and were expecting this order at any time Having made our hitch in the lines, we had been in reserve while the Third battalion was in the lines. The Second division had relieved them the night before and we had had. I heard that there was going to be ! push in the morning. It was the last night of October, 191s and daylight would begin the last drive before the armstice. Midnight arrived and the barrage op- ened. It seemed as though all the fiends ! of hell had given vent to their feelings. | As far as one could see, little spurts ot flame belched from every hollow and ra- vine, followed by the reports of the ex- plosions and the boom, boom, boom, as | the shells lit in the German lines. The whole heavens were streaked with flame and the whole world seemed lighted by | the flash of the guns The earth trem- | bled under the furious barrage and the shells shrieked.
 Morning broke. The Second division had gone lover the top," and the bar rage had slackened, and only the distant boom, boom, boom, as\the artillery was picking out certain localities was to be heard. We snatched nasty breakfast of bacon, coffee and bread, wrapped up a couple of pieces of bacon and bread in our mess kits and received orders to "fall in"
 About 10 o'clock we began to move. The Second division had advanced; the drive was a success and the Germans were re- treating All that day and the next ana the next day we hiked in full marching order. Every message that we received l from the rront was that the Germans were still retreating. That was good news. The second day we passed the German line which was literally blown to pieces. It seemed impossible that sln- gle man could have survived that terrific | barrage that had fallen here.
 FALSE REPORT RECEIVED On the afternoon of the third day our column suddenly came to a halt courier on horseback dashed up to the adjutant in charge of the battalion and word sped quickly along the column that the armistice had been signed Everyone was taken by surprise; not man spoke for the space of moment. Then the whole meaning of it burst upon them. and cheers swept along the whole line. The armstice was signed(O.
 This was November 3. Men came up 1 the hill just ahead of us. They had been down into a little town after water, and Ihad seen it posted on the French bulie- I tins there that the armistice had been signed at II o'clock that day and that the
 war was over at 12 o'clock. The adjutant gav0 orders to move forward to hill about three lxilometers from where we then were and pitch tents for the night. l Everyone was happy; they wanted to believe it true, that the war was really
 over.
 Wake up, men. roll packs, get your 1 breakfast and a lunch at the kitchen , and fall in" It was the sergeant shak- l ing the men awake at o'clock the | next morning. We woke up with a I start. In the distance we could hear the boom. boom, boom of the guns. It had all been a mistake. The armistice had not been signed and the war was still real.
 At o'clock we were on the road in full marching order. All day we hike6 1 in utter wearness, and camped that night on the reverse slope of hill all
 most as steep as the roof of a house. | The Germans tried to get us with their rong-range guns all night. but we slept o'clock next morning.
 l Twelve o'clock found us about 15 kilo- meters from there taking cover from l airplanes in an old hedge. Word was passed around that within a few min utese we would go lover the top" ] The zero hour arrived and we went 1 lover the top" but there were no Ger mans to meet us. nor bullets to be en- | countered nor did we see any until the | end of the following day It was almost tsundown and we were on the crest of a l hill when the Germans on the opposite | hill opened fire on us with their ma chine guns. Only one man was wounded ed and orders were given to fall back behind the hill out of range.
 DISPLAY WHITE FLAGS
 During the whole period of our ad
 vance, up to that time which was about