Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-08-05
MISSED THE FRONT line
Young Soldier Was To Go To Front
Day ArmlStice Was Signed.
Their GOING A MATTER OF COURSE

THEIR GOING A MATTER OF COURSE
November II, Was Day Of Rejoice
ina-Many Ordered to Front Were
Turned Back-Darkened Ship and
Presence of Flu Caused More Worry
Than the Matter of Facing German
: Hordes.
By Lewis NJ. Grist.
You've talked to scores Of soldiers
who were in the battle lines IN the re-
cent war, no doubt. You have secured
from some of them no doubt a des-
cription of just how they felt with
rifle bullets and machine gun hail and
shrapnel and real big guns bursting
every minute and expecting that the
next minute would bring over bull
let with their name and number on
it." have talked to scores OF these
fellows and have gotten some graphic
descriptions from some of them as TO
lust how it feels. l never experienced
II myself I missed it by one day.
You have heard some Of the boys
who have been discharged tell how
they were on the ocean going over on
the day that the armlstice was signed
and were turned back to the port OF
embarkation because the big show was
over and their services would not be
required. Ny outfit had its orders to
go up to the front and had prepared TO
leave for the battle areas on the very
day the armistice was signed. And
because of the signing we didn't 60.
No, nobody cried because they didn't
have the chance to go to the front. II
there was any crying done 1t was done
by those who cried out of sheer joy
that the business was over and that 1t
would not be necessary for anybody to
60 up to the front on fighting business
anymore, while those who had been
up to the front so long would be
privileged to retire.
Workmen Fought Also.
We fellows of the Motor Transport
companies whose duty it was to drive
automobiles and LizZies and patch up
those that were tired of running, were
expected to do our share of fighting as
we'll as fixing. That was true Of SOL
diers of all organizations. For in
stance, one would naturally think that
the Engineers duties lay in digging
trenches and building bridges. These
were their duties; but it oftentime be-
came necessary for them to defend the
trenches they had dug and the bridges
they had built after they were COM
pleted. It was so with the Motor
Corps. Many lad ordinarily engag-
ed in repair work or in driving a car,
got bumped off sudden like by Hun
shell or other missile, and enemy air.
| planes dropping bombs on the Allied
, lines knocked off many lad who as
pired to be an expert motor mechanic.
A goodly part of our instruction and
training included practice in infantry
drill and the manual of arms. Many
a day have 1 laid aside my hammer
and wrench and screw driver and
drill to take up my Enfield and gas
mask and practice and as result
thereof l can today hold my own with
any buck in squad right" and in the
infantry drill regulations. Had it not
been for that ever to be remembered
November II, suspect I would have
pretty soon thereafter had an oppor-
/ +4 oil hot I'M
practice.
Ordered to Front.
In the army organization every
seventh motor company is known as
a replacement company. That is, six
companies are sent up to the front to
serve the troops on the front line. The
seventh company is kept back in the
interior to remain until it is needed
to replace the six companies who may
have suffered through killed and
wounded and those who had died of
disease. The six companies for which
my company, the seventh, was a re-
placement, suffered like everything
during September, October and No
vember last. Hence the order for us
to move up to the slaughter pen on
November II.
| There were several members Of the
company. myself included in the hospi-
tai at the time the order was received.
recall that in my own case fever
was the trouble, having had a stretch
/ oh q
Of flu. The top sergeant came over to
the hospital and informed us Of the
order, saying that he would like to
Ihave we cripples go with him If we
felt anything like it because he wanted
the company as complete as possible.
Every one of us managed to get a
release from that hospital in time to
go. We were not especially keen about
going up to the front where we stood
a better chance of getting bumped off.
But we had been with that motor COM
pany a long time. Each man in the
outfit knew we'll the other If we
stayed behind we would be placed with
some other outfit we knew absolutely
nothing about and that would have
been pretty tough. Besides we felt
that if were were going to get bump
ed off we would rather it would be in
the midst of our own crowd. So out
of the hospital we went and back to
the company on November 10,
| Ready to Go.
Everything was packed up on the
morning of the day the armistice was
signed We were ready to start on the
long trip to the front when the word
came that the armistice had been
signed. Then there was jubilee, not
so much because the prospect of being
killed was over, but because the end
of the war had come. American SOL
diers had long before begun to grow
tired of it all. I have often wondered
what would have been their feeling
had they been in 1t as long as had the
British and the French and the Ger