Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-02-09
RUFUS D|NW|DD|E IS
ENJOYING TRAVELS
Former Boise Boy Now With
Aero Squadron in France
Gives Very Interesting Ac-
count of His Experiences.


Judge Will r. King, chief counsel for
the United States reclamation service.
who is with the 22nd aero SQUADRON
First army, A. e. f., in France and
Germany, has undergone some expert
| ences in his travels over this country.
England and France, and writes a very
entertaining letter to his mother re-
garding his travels.
Rufus was born in Jordan Valley.
and educated in the Boise public
schools. He is well known in this
city as young man with a future
ahead of him, and his friends will no
doubt be glad to know he is safe.
His letter follows:
This being fathers day here In
France, will take this opportunity of
writing. The censor has 'eased up
too, so l can tell where all we've been.
That 10 . lengthy article in itself.
ITO start with, we sailed from Ho-
| boken, n. j.. January 81. 1918. by way
or Halifax, where we were three days
on the boat--this was Just after the
explosion--landed In Liverpool, Eng
land, February 16; same day took a
train. You can imagine dinky Eng
fish train, for Ramsey, where we were
from February II to March g We
were then scheduled for France Went
by way of Southampton to Folkstone,
famous summer resort, and took the
boat across the English channel to
Bologne, France. Arrived about bells
March 3, 1918: stayed overnight and
next day continued on our Journey to
Dunkirk, the town of horrible nights,
March 4, 1918. on the Flanders front.
The squadron split into flights, and
we were sent to join the fifth r. N.
March 10, 1918, In b flight, via Bo-
| logne, Calais. Aplin Court to Perronne,
March 10, by truck to Mons Mons
Estrees).
Everything was lonely here with the
fifth r. n. A. S. until unexpectedly
one forenoon, March 81, Fritz started
his big spring drive and was coming
from st. Quentin, miles per hour! We
were in another famous retreat from
Mons the next stop being Roye, be-
tween Aimens and st. Quentin, and
there we lasted about four days, and
forced TO retire again, March 26, 1918,
arriving at Bertangle. five miles from
Amiens that night two miles or less,
and then forced to travel, tout suite
GLAD IT'S OVER.
Arrived at Maison -Ponthien March
I'27, in the wee small hours. This small
Abberville.
Fritz was stopped at last, and we
We're glad to operate here with the De
Haviland four bombers for almost
three months.
June 90, the orders came for the
I'D to assemble, and we bid our Eng
lish friends In the once fifth r. N
A. S. (now 205th r. A. F., good bye.
Took trucks to st. Omer. and here I
met with Bill b. again. On train via
Calais. Bologne, Etaples and other
large towns to Issoudoun in southern
France, June &c, 1918. Was mighty
glad to leave there July 5. Next stop
was Orly tvia Orleans), just outside
of Paris-the town OF them all!
WAS there or around there when not
in Paris or Versailles until August a.
Train to Toul, where the 22nd went
into action as pursuit squadron on
the American front. arrived August
.16.)
THE victorious Yank offensive was
on, and September 20, moved to Bel
vain, near Bon -le- Due. (This was
after the st. Mihiel offensive.)
"The Yanks advanced and on No
vember s, we moved to Souilly on YER
dun front. Armistce signed Novem-
Der II, and here we are still at Souilly,
the cleanest city Cd in France, now!