Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1919-01-08

colntered two German submarines.
The destroyers sank one of them and
we passed on as though nothing had
happened, but 1t was our first taste
OF battle, and we didn't forget it in
hurry There were eight 6-inch
guns mounted on our boat and we
really would have welcomed a little
action, but none appeared. We pass
ed the forts guarding the entrance
to Liverpool harbor about / D. M,
and pulled up to our dock about four
that afternoon. We only spent a
few hours at this dock and then
pulled off and put in dry dock. 1t
certainly was wonderful sight to
see this big steel boat out of water
if looked like a mountain
We disembarked the next day,
paraded through Liverpool and then
took the London and Northwestern
railway to Winchester 1t was our
first ride in European carriage"
and it certainly did seem queer. The
doors at the side instead of the end
afforded much amusement for the
fellows. The railway employees
wear a uniform very much like the
soldiers. and when they want the
train to start they blow a lit e
whistle-we little knew how many
times we would hear that whistle
before old kaiser Bill would realize
that the Yanks had a later model
war machine than his own. We went
from Liverpool down to Winchester.
One of the big cities we passed
through was Birmingham We also
passed about three miles outside of
London. We spent week at Win
CHESTER, which we later named
cheese camp" because we had
cheese nearly every meal.
Cur next stop was Southampton
We embarked there on the Austro-
land, a British boat We started
down the river and dropped anchor
at Portsmouth. We weighed anchor
about 10 o'clock and started our voy-
age across the channel. We only got
a short distance outside of the har-
Dor and got mixed up in the mine
fields and had to return. I never will
forget that night! There were bat
tleships, cruisers, submarines and
submarine destroyers. They were
sending commands by fiashlight,
whistles, wireless, and, when In close
contact, verbal commands were
again given. Guns were firing every
where and it just seemed as though
the whole fuss was being fought out
in that harbor l never will forget
it! 1t was our first smell of battle
smoke. l remember it az though it
were yesterday, although I have add
ed two service stripes and a wound
stripe since then as / lay there on
the floor of a little Ford truck which
had been loaded on the top deck of
the ship. The little canvas side of
the Ford seemed to afford much pro-
lection against the shells which l ex-
pected to come my way at any time.
Guns and searchlights seemed to
flash everywhere-the sky seemed to
be afire-then all would be blackness
Curiosity overcame fear. and l en-
ioyed the fuss, which four months
later would seem mild affair From
my back of the home plate seat" I
could see everything and yet
couldn't see anything but the fash
Of guns; but Imagination sometimes
is more wonderful than reality. The
battle seemed to rage ON until, with
out any further developments. the
SEOWl vi Iu6 SulOkc WdSOHS uICu
away; the battle was over; Perry
had not given up the Ford truck and
the enemy was defeated.
We weighed anchor and once more
started for French shore but again
we were forced to return to orr
berth in the protected harbor. We
anchored and stayed there all that
night and all the next day We start
ed out that night under cover of
darkness. Our voyage that night was
free from shell-fire, but we certain
ly experienced a rough sea. The sea
was great deal higher and our boat
was much smaller than on our trip
across the Atlantic Lots of fellows
that kept their lunch down coming
across the big pond lost it on the trip
across the channel.
We landed at the harbor of lie
Havre. France, at daybreak We dis
embarked and marched up to camp
on the hill just above the city. Havre
is one of the most beautiful and his
toric cities | have been in since / left
that old home town of mine.
In France.
Our stay in Havre was brief one.
only couple of days. We were soon
introduced to the French freight
cars which carry sign which then
seemed strange but is now a very
familiar one, Homnes 40, Chevaux
s." meaning in English, men 40,
horses s. We were rockies to this
new mode of travel and didn't know
how to make ourselves comfortable.
We spent two days and two nights
in this little car which was just about
half the size of our cars back home.
On the third day we detrained at
little town by the name of Guer The
French people served us with hot
coffee and apples. We then started
smile hike; but we were in France
now and must reckon distance as the
French do-"wnen in Rome do as
the Romans" So the end of our Z
or S-kilometer hike found us at our
future home. Camp Coetquidan.
We found our barracks late in the
evening. If | ever enjoyed sleep
in my life it was that night We
certainly were tired after our long
trip So the first night IN our new
home found us in bed very early.
Wv