The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-07-10
| w. E. Boyce, Major, NJ. c., in the

of the Thirtieth Infantry occupied the
front line in the Bois d'Aigremont
about two kilometers South of the
Marne. The Third Battalion was in
support ond the Second in reserve.
was senior medical officer on duty
with the Second Battalion at that
time.
The Second was in particularly
unfortunate position, the men having
had no opportunity to dig in or erect
defensive positions. This battalion
had been detached from the regiment
on June 8 and sent across the river
below Chateau Thierry and, in con-
junction with the French and Sec
ond American Division, took part in
the attack on Hill 204.
1t was relieved, rested, and sent in
again at Cherry, and from there went
to Courbin, where it remained until
July IA, still detached. On that date
it was ordered to rejoin the Thirtieth
Regiment. Everyone was glad to be
under command again of our beloved
Colonel Butts.
We were to move at once into the
Algremont woods and relieve the First
Battalion in the front line.
, After dark we started up with light
hearts. We had been told that Fritzie
was coming over, and many believed
that he was short of shells. Other
wise, why didn't he send over bar
rage, or something?
We were soon to learn by bitter
experience that Fritz had been get
ting together all the hell he could
find and waited only the hour to hurl
it over in unslackened fury for many
hours till he thought we would have
been annihiliated or would have beat
a disorderly retreat.
A little past II o'clock we passed
between our own batteries of light
field artillery which with the heavy
artillery placed further in the rear,
were sending over defensive bar
rage, anticipating by an hour the ex,
pected enemy barrage.
Big Barrage Begins.
The night was ideal, just cool
enough and except for our own artil-
lery, quite still. But soon the stars
were darkened by fog rising from the
river.
The work of our own batteries was
fascinating. It was an, almost contin-
uous violent thunder, accompanied by
constantly leaping sheets Of flame. AS
we came closer we could hear the
crashes of our shells on the opposite
side of the river. Not an enemy shell
was falling.
We came into position in the Bois
d'Aigremont just before midnight: l
could hear the softly spoken COM
mands of the officers as they placed
their men in position in tie thick un-
derbrush. The entire WAGON train
drew up along the road in the woods.
My medical cart was in the rear of
the train. I had it placed under a
clump of bushes, and looking at my
watch saw it was just IL o'clock. I
stopped a moment to observe the ef-
feet Of the artillery fire, when the air
was filled suddenly with new and vic
ious sounds, blood curdling shrieks
and death dealing explosions of in
coming shells.
Gas Shells Come Over.
There were thousands of shells in
that first salvo-which a bowling and
shrieking of exploding shells, while
dirt and stones and pieces of trees
were scattered everywhere. Great
holes opened up all around, while the
earth trembled under the force of the
mighty detonations.
I threw myself fiat on the ground,
and had never known before that I
could get so close to nature. I lay
there for an hour while the sky was
raining shells, expecting that every
minute would be my last.
At first I thought that it was only
reprisal fire, but as the time drag
ged on, and there was no abatement,
became painfully convinced that the
expected attack was on.
After awhile I became aware of a
different song in the air, the pleasant,
musical whang and the dull thud of
gas shells. A moment later and I
could smell the deadly poison. 1
reached for my trusted gas mask and,
much as I. dreaded to do so, pulled it
on. The mask is safe, but it is the
most uncomfortable thing I ever
wore.