The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1919-02-13

\ We got the wagons unlOaueu Dut
not without much ducking on our
part as the Germans seemed to be
gradually getting better in their
craftsmanship Many of their pro
jectiles failed TO explode owing nc
doubt. to lack OF proper material but
there were enough TO satisfy us with
the excitement they offered. We
FASTENED the work and then got start
ed back to Bouillionville, leaving q
detail in charge OF a corporal &c
carry the ammunition from the road
up to the guns.
After we mad left the Germans
gain got busy on our positions and
IN the midst of the excitement half
If the detail separated from the
corporal and the other men. During
the Smelling one of the fellows said
to the corporal, 'If you are leader
OF men and think anything of hu.
manity for heavens sake lead US out
of this" So the corporal after try.
! ing to locate the missing men came
back to the eschelon with part of
his detail Part of them were out
somewhere all night as they got lost
and didn't show up till about eight
o'clock the next morning. Thus we
spent our time until Monday morning
November 18th when the armistice
began, the eleventh hour of the elev.
enth day of the eleventh month. Sun
day night | had spent at the dump
waiting for trucks to carry a big
bunch of ammunition. 1t looked as
tho we would have started a big
drive soon as we had instructions to
haul an immense amount of shells.
The trucks were late and did not ar
rive till about eight-thirty Monday
morning after / had waited from six
o'clock the night before. So we hus.
tied it out and rushed to get to the
guns where we arrived about ten
thirty. To our surprise we found ord.
ers had been given our battery to
cease firing as an armistice was to
start at eleven o'clock. All our hard
work of the morning had been for
naught and il was March Order" for
us.
stayed there till eleven o'clock to
see the fun. Some of the batteries
had been given orders to continue fir.
ing and one Of the biggest barrages
ever shot in this locality was pulled
off just before that hour. At just five
minutes to eleven two big shells came
over from Fritz and landed right
alongside our position, a parting fare.
well, as it were. After eleven all was
quiet and peaceful, in fact, the silence
was oppressive broken only by the
hum of a solitary airplane guarding
the sky. The morning was beautiful
sunshiny and warm, particularly ap.
4 r,rfa nd
casion.
Up around our position there wasn't
much cheering or hilarity shown. The
boys were all extremely glad but
took the news very quietly. Back in
Bouillionville some companies of col
cred men celebrated by parading be.
hind their jazz band Everyone had
big grin on his face and there
wasn't much work done that day or
the next.
However Wednesday November
18th found us on our way southeast.
That day we passed along road
which led thru miles of trenches, wire
entanglements, etc. 1t was regular
| wilderness and must have been a
"Hell on Earth" for the doughboys
TO go over the top and chase the
Boches out, in the face of artillery
and machine gun fire, gas attacks and
hand grenades. We passed thru Reg
melville, that is the ruins of it, as
there was nothing but part of a
church tower left with the bell still
/, hanging in the steeple. One of the
sad things of the war was seen there
"a Frenchman and his wife climbing
n 4
. had been their home.
That day we marched about fifteen
: miles and landed in Pont A Mousson
which is quite an old city, located on
the banks of the Moselle river. Here
we were billeted in an old industrial
; school building. Nearly every room
has fireplace in it and we are very
) comfortably situated insofar as quar-
ters are concerned. This place has
been somewhat bombarded but is In
: fairly good condition. On the east
bank lies Joan of Arc hill, on the tor
of which is an old church surmounted
by a statue of Joan or Arc The
church and surrounding walls are al
in ruins, but the tower with its
: chimes and statue still stand. This
hill is about 500 feet high.
We are located here awaiting ord
ers taking us we know not in what
direction, forward or homewarC
: bound, OF course you can imagine
which order | would give we're | in
charge of it.
Now that we have a chance tc
think and talk over what has happen
ed, many real good stories are told
amusing incidents always crop Out
at the most exciting times, althC
while happening they do not seen
nearly so comical as after the hair
raising period is over.
Such incidents kept our spirits vi
J and helped along our good humor
The association of two hundred mer
} from six to eighteen months rubs of
} the rough corners so that the major
. ity fit together nicely. Naturally
there are always some insists, bu
our battery is practically free and We
y get along worry harmoniouclv W.