Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-04-10
OTTAWAN WITH 1ST
DIVISION WRITES
FROM GERMAN SOIL
PRIVATE WILLIAM n. WORRELL
SAW MUCH FIGHTING-ls NOW
WITH OUTFIT ON OTHER SIDE
OF RHINE.

William II. Worrell, a member O
the lighting First Division. who wen
from Ottawa among the first TO an
s"er the country's call is now a
.htershauser, Germany, with tn,
army of occupation. In an execution
ally interesting letter 10 Franz
Holmes, his pal" he tells of som,
OF the battle his outfit took part il
before the armistice was signed an,
hshting declared at an end. He saws
1t is with the greatest embarrass
ment that | apologize for not keepinl
my correspondence with friends thai
mold so dear, but | can assure yo,
that II has been through no fault q
hllhe mat | have had To neglect IN,
numerous friends,
The fact is that it has been due
TO my division, which has been con
tlnhously at the front or moving to .
position.
we nave participated in operation.
from the Swiss border to the sea. on,
since my duty with the A. T.. f.
nave not had "A moment to myself
1t would take centuries for me +.
describe all the many operations III,
hghting First has been in. but / car
say that we have INDUCED in all IN,
movements OF the American troopS
we nave at all times been eXtremel,
successful, and, above all victorious
we have stopped the German often
slves OF July, and played a very i'm
portant part in the American opera
ttons OF the same month
Driving the Hun from his huntip,
grounds Of the Marine ana the Somme
where he had been for many month
master, we started him on his disas
trous retreat July is. 1918. at a yer,
Dad part in the western front. an.
after three days found ourselves il
the Famous city of scissors. We ver,
then ordered to the point that will a,
ways be memorable 20 us-St. NiDier
Ihere we met very little reIstanc.
due to the fact that the artillery con
centration was 50 dense that the Hu
found it impossible to Withstand tn
terrible effect of the famous los.
Our advance was Of the most aston
ishng nature. Advancing aboli
twenty kilos in two days, we wer,
then relieved and found ourselves il
the Argonne forest There we me
the greatest resistance and our los
was very heavy.
1T was in the Argonne forest tina
! was wounded, but | am O. X. now
The condition Of the ground gave til,
enemy great advantage. Our ad
vance being in the woods of the thick
est type, their machine gun concentr,
ton played he'll with our brave bows
We finally succeeded in driving hin
back a few kilos.
We drove him to the outskirts O
Sedan, where We found our objectiy,
We were relieved from this sect.
about the first of November. and wer,
on our journey to the rear when V
received the good news of the armt
tice and the defeat of the German
army And good news it certainl
was. We all took this thing in yer,
calm manner, but we're g.ad that Ill
thing was over.
Our journey then started for W,
were to be one Of the divisions of tn
army OF occupation To make tn
long story short we crossed the Rhine
and with the greatest pride, being thu
first combat unit to have such a priv
lege. Our treatment has always beer
OF the best everywhere We have re
ceived the most humble courtesiel
from the enemy
They have been badly defeated
and feel 1t to a very great extent
We are located in a very humble lit
tie village and things are quite me
notOnous, but we are all hoping tina
it will soon be over and we can agail
return to the good old L. S. A Nevei
again will | be persuaded to leave th
old home town.
Il had far rather spend one hour
there than three years in London OF
gay Paris.
The people in the United State
can never realize what we went
through, | tell you, Frank, it was a
living hell, and | can't see how | ever
came out of it alive"