The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1919-03-07
A SOLDIERS DIARY

rable service over seas he was
Founded. sent to the hospital and
hut recently was discharged from the
ervice. He arrived in Oroville on
be 18th Of February, but finding that
dr and Mrs. Downs had gone to
pokane he left Immediately the next
borning for that city without seeing
by of his old friends and acquaint-
hces. While he was in the service
bung Goodsall kept a diary, and he
as kindly permitted us to copy the
blowing story of his travels and eX-
eriences from the time he enlisted
htil the day of his discharge:
| enlisted at Spokane on the 18th
February 1918, through the Brit
h and Canadian recruiting mission.
was sent from Spokane to Calgary,
here | arrived on the 1lth of Febru-
ty, and received my issue of uniform
e same day. We were put through
arch, on which date we left for
ngland, but were held in quarantine
Quebec ON account of scarlet fever
leaking out among the Il oops on
train. We were detained in Que
c for ten days, when we made an
her start but got only as far as
Ampbelltown. There we were un-
hded and held up because there
ere no accommodations on the boats
e were billeted in an old vinegar
ctory. After five days in this billet
were sent to Halifax and en-
rked on the steamer Scandinavian
brch 25. AS it was a bad season
the year for ocean travel we had
very rough trip. and there was a
Eat deal of seasickness among the
bops.
We arrived at Glasgow Scotland,
krch 81. From there we were load
on trains for the camps in Eng
Id. We were sent to Bramshott,
living April 1, in the night, and
re assigned to tents to rest but
could not sleep on account of 1t
Ing so wet, as it had been raining
days, and we had no blankets the
bt night. We had to make the best
it, but sitting around on the wet
hss is no joke, believe me. The next
we were given blankets and al
Eed to rest, which we certainly
eded. The following day we were
mined by M. o. Then we had
hing to do for ten days. We could
even get out of the place, unless
jumped the fence, and that we
quite often. We were finally sent
m Bramshott to different reserves.
rent to the 21st reserves, and then
drill started in earnest. We got
at in the morning had breakfast
$3.50, then we had 20 minutes of
n. After that we had to go back
The huts to shine up for the o. c.
pection at S:45. That lasted until
%. Then we were put through
minutes bayonet exercise. The
h of the morning was filled in with
kinds of drill. Then we received
Z issue of full pack and rifle and
had to drill with them. That was
little harder on us, but we soon got
ID to it. The average drilling that
FRUITS received in England was
i'm eight to ten weeks. We were
rem eight weeks. Afterwards we
Ire sent down to the rifle range at
town named Myshett near the town
Aldershott. We had to walk the
btance with half pack, but it was
ly 18 miles. When we returned
bm the rifle practice we were sup
sed to be ready for France. We
ere not Immediately sent to France
1t remained around the camp doing
tigue duty for two or three weeks.
b that time we were called upon for
draft. When 1t was time to leave
)yself and several others were taken
the list for some reason. Another
raft was called within week and
fe finally got away.
z We were marched to station NAM
b Siphork. There we boarded the
rain for Dover, placed on boat for
)oulogune and quickly made the trip.
ID We were marched to camp just on
he outskirts of the town. We re-
hained there just one night and left
next day for Etaples, which was at
N hat time the, Canadian base. From
That base the men were sent to diff
3erent battalions. the men making
their choice. After a few days $50
Wounds were issued to each of us, and
soldier knew he was carrying some
weight after marching a little while
a We were loaded in box cars and
Eeent to our battalions. l went to The
Both battalion, and at that time it
happened to be on rest just outside
fof Arras. After we had been with
fthe battalion for few days we were
tsent to the Amiens front. All we
4 had to do was to hold the line. We
Invent in the line on the 25th of July
/ and came out on the 30th, when we
twere relieved by the End Division. 1t
being our first experience at Boule-
court Then we were sent to the
Dewry front about IL miles from
Arras. 1t was about 4 o'clock in the
morning when We got there, and an
attack was timed for o'clock. There
We're no trenches and we had to seek
4 cover in the shell holes until it was
time to go over and visit the Huns
At 5 o'clock the artillery opened up
saw us coming they opened fire with
artillery and machine guns and did
not stop until We got right on tor
Of them, when they threw up their
hands and comemnced yelling kam-
Grad. That was as far as we had tc
dau dicto IF
The next morning we advanced three
more miles. Then we had to dig In
as we had reached our objective
Anyhow we could not go further a;