The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-01-02
HAD CLOSE CALL
FROM SUBMARINE
LaValbonne (Ain)
Nov. 25, 1918

LaValbonne (Ain)
Nov. 25, 1918
Dear Dad:-
Well Dad, this is rainy, dreary
evening outside, I wonder how it is
with you at home. I received let
ter from May today full Of news, and
it sure was welcome, as I haven't re-
ceived any from home for over a
month. I ought to get bunch when
do get some. Mays letter was
mailed Oct. IL, so you see it was
nearly six weeks coming. How is
the Spanish Flu by this time? Hope
you folks escaped it all right.
Well, the Kaiser and his outfit have
pulled their freight and it looks as If
we might all be back home sometime
in the near future, six months or may
be sooner The rules about writing
have been let down little by the
censors so we can tell little of our
We left Camp Dix on Aug. % and
went to Montreal, Can, arrived
there the next evening and was a.
board ship in about one hour after we
detrained. Started down the St.
Lawrence river the next morning
The weather was fine and there GER
tainly is fine scenery along the st.
Lawrence, so we enjoyed the trip
fine. After two days travel we ar
rived at Sidney where we stayed for
two days awaiting the arrival of the
rest of our convoy, which sailed from
the States. Spent most of the time
there in having life boat drills. The
second afternoon our boa, was low
cred and we went out for a practice
row, there were twenty-five in the
boat, and while we were out the bay
got so rough we couldn't get back to
the ship so we drifted to shore and
stayed in a barn all night. The next
morning we got back all right. We
were allowed to write a letter home
from there, did you receive it? After
leaving Sidney we picked up the rest
of the bunch after two days out.
There were seventeen ships in the
convoy. We had pretty good weather
most of the way over with the excep-
tion of four days which were pretty
rough. We were Oh board ship sew
enteen days in all. Had a little ex-
o;+or,opt uy1,on ,vo 1,yoro On0 ,,oilo, oAp
the Irish coast. The submarines got
after us and altho we had an escort
Of ten destroyers and two hydroplanes
they got in couple of shots at us.
The first missed our ship by As feet.
That was in the morning about SIX
o'clock, and in the afternoon they
got in another shot which hit one of
the ships on our left; the torpedo hit
the ship at the waterline and explod-
ed in the coal bunker. Nobody was
hurt and the ship got in all right al
tho the troops were taken off on Il
destroyer and landed at some port in
Scotland.
After we debarked we entrained at
f the dock and went to rest camp at
Ramsey, just ten miles from London.
We were at the rest camp week
when we hiked to South Hampton
about twelve miles, and embarked
for France. We crossed the Channel
at night and landed at Cherburg the
next morning, hiked to another rest
camp five miles from docks and
stayed there for four days, when we
packed up again and took two days
train ride to Pons, in the southern
part of France. Our regiment was
billited in the various towns around
there. Our company was in little
burg in that locality and the people
surely gave us royal welcome. The
Yanks were welcome to anything they
had. We stayed there ten days and
were then shipped up to Romerantin,
about two hours ride from Paris.
While there made trip to the front
with one of the officers of our Co..
who was sent up with detachment
of replacement troops. So you see I
have been doing a little travelling
since we left "over there.
They have a moving picture ma
chine here tonight so the "Y" is
packed with doughboys, they also
started to serve chocolate and sand
wiches and they surely are doing a
rushing business. It is after nine
and my arm is getting tired pushing
this pencil, so will close for now, as
it won't do to tell all I know this
time, but will keep some for the next
time.
With love to all,
Candidate Frank H. Smalley
3rd. Co., A. c. s.
FEED GRINDING