The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1919-03-20
BERT Mckenzie WRITES.


Bert Mckenzie. an old Hickman boy
writes Us from Mnycn. Germany. as
follows:
To Editor. Hickman Courier. After
reading some copies of the home paper
today. and enjoying reading them So
well: also the letter from Tom Bivcns.
wonder III yOu would allow me 20
say few words in regard to my trip
When / was ia civil life : always
had desire 20 cross the pond. 80
enlisted ia the army. crossed the pond
and / still have tire same desire
We left New York harhor July p
with 81 600 soldiers on the Transport
Minnckadah. There were thirteen
transports in our convoy and one bat
tleship. For the first two days our
convoy was guarded by a number ~
sub. dcstroyers and large derigifle
balloon. All Of the soldiers haG lren
drilled on the signals for Submarines.
80 on the morning 81 the third days
sailing from y. ! harbor az 3 900 a. m-
sub. was sighted. \ number of my
comrades and ] were sleeping on deck
in hammocks. M hammock being near
the large gun on our transport when
the sub signal was sounded / heard
n Nblff rum illf sun - y Aii- A'Ai
shoot American sub" But the captain
ordered 10 fire. / could plainly see
the man on top Of the sub. after it
came 10 the surface. and only the CON
ing tower was hit by the shell that did
not explode Later the German sub.
was lowed into y Y by one Of our
ships.
The sea was very calm an the way
except when we were crossing the
place that o. known MS the beFll :
'poud'' which was very rough. Storm
4. connection with this aud az the
.sulc time 80 no One could Doe ON deek
as the waves were sweeping the deck
This only lasted about two hours then
we were riding fine again
ON August "a we reached Liverpool
England then all the boys shouted
when they saw land again. We trav-
eled one day and night across England
and our transportation was very good
We had third class coaches but when
we landed at Laharve, France we had
box cars from there 10 Sauncerre mark
= horses or 40 men" ON this tril
we had c0rned Willie beef. My
the boys were 50 hungry they could
almost eat the soles OF their shoes and
no sleep, so you con guess how neal
Saunserre was a very beautiful lit
tie village and we were the first Nank
ees there SO those gOod-loOking Frenci
chickens greeted the Nanks with then
usual greeting Ga kiss-)
We left Sauncerre August "a fol
Toul. France. arrived there Aug 20
had some splendid and comfortable
barracks there. I was operating tn
wireless station there, and the Bosl
planes would come over most ever,
night. our aircraft batteries wer'
kept busy plugging away at them, ans
with all our mighty search lights yo'
could see the planes. the explosion o
all the shells and the schapnell woul'
fall on our harricks. and during tn
day we could see the battles and hea
the roaring of both parties machine
guns however / only SAW one plan
brought down.
On September 10th at , p. m. W
left Toul with fun packs on our backs
hiking a distance Of twenty miles Z
Saizerais arriving there at y. M. IN
following day. There ! was telephon
/ operator at the large Il. C. Post Com
mandl station where all the firing Oh
ders for our big guns were given o.
the front Also we had charge OF IN
pannel station where the airplane
would bring rs the messages from OH
er divisions and fronts
i After being relieved there on Sep
pc we went TO Ansauville, France an
there / was still operator and testin
wires / have Travelled in the trenche
working my wires until they woul
get uneasy about me and send som
one out looking for me fearing that
had been met by the enemy Also
stayed in dugOufs when the German
would begin Smelling "A small scope
timber then / would crawl out IN IN
open fields in the trenches The
would shell All the woods thinking "
had ammunition dumps in there
have seen a number Of Observable
balloons shot down and at one tim
J the morning was bright with the q
ceptiOn Of one small cloud near n
front lines where we had balloon an
J six Bosch planes dashed out from b
, hind the cloud setting the balloon 2
fire with their machine guns but u
two observers came down safely, an
! the Bosch planes rapidly and SAFE
returned TO their lines.
D. was in Bouilionville, then
! Thieau Court two and one-half kill
: from BouiIIonviIle where Tom Bivel
J was bilieted There / went into u
\ front lines with three dough boys
the 2Sth Inf Then | was shot az
number Of times with those big o.
\ cans from Fritz when they would G
plode less than one hundred var
from me and IL anyone asks you IL