Smyrna times., 1919-02-12
MERRILL B, HUTCHINSON
WRITES HOME FROM FRANCE
TELLS OF SOME OF HIS EXPER-
FENCES TO HIS MOTHER.
Has Travels Thru France From Calais
to the Lines Near Verdun and Saw
Some Real Fighting.


Mrs. John w. Hutchison, of Smyrna,
who has been in France with the
Headquarters Department, 320th In
fantry, 8Oth Division, since last May
writes to his mother from Ancy-le-
France under date of Dec. 81, 1918, as
follows: My dearest Mother.-I have
letters from you dated October 28th
and November 10Th. So you want
to hear some more of what l have
been doing. can surely tell you
many things, but they may not be
complimentary to the land they call
"Sunny France" will try to tell you
most of the things that have hap
pened since our arrival at st. Nazaire.
We marched down the deck from
the ship in single file, supporting our
selves with our rifles as the gang
plank was very slippery. The French
girls stood against the iron fence and
laughed at US as we came off still
rolly upon our sea legs. We were
lined upon the dock in company front
and then marched off to what is called
a rest camp. l never could under
stand where they get that rest stuff,
as we were ordered to police up at
once. That policing means clean up
the barracks, the grounds and your
self. Then we had medical inspec-
tions and inspections of our equip
ment. We were not allowed out of
this camp at all.
After three or four days we en-
entrained for "Calais." On the way
we passed thru Rouen, Lemons and
Abbeyville. Just outside of Rouen a
bunch of US had an hour off and had
our first fill of the sour French wine"
The bunch lined up in the street, pass
ing the bottle down the line-forget-
ting all the sanitary rules we had
ever learned about drinking after each
other. But that rule is often broken
in the army, where men do not have
much fear of disease. Many of us
had too much and were sick at our
first trial. At night we laid over with
all lights out and could hear bombs
drop in the distance The third night
we arrived at Calais and viewed the
destruction, caused a few hours earlier
that evening.
Saw Real Air Raids at Calais.
We were hiked to the camp among
the English and were rid of our sur
plus baggage. Here we saw real air
raids and met men who had been on a
boat sunk by subs. We had to go thru
the gas house here and were fitted
with the masks which we have car
ried ever since. Then we went near
Bologne for our training under the
English. A Scot gave us a lecture on
bayonet fighting, real tests with gas
and taught us about our one pound
cannon, in which platoon, l was at
that time. This was at the decisive
point of the war and we did not know
at what minute we would be sent up,
but the Boche was turned back at
Chateau Thierry and we spent four
weeks, a few miles nearer the line.
Here we played base ball for recrea-
tion and heard the big guns in the dis
tance. One afternoon we played the
Canadians a game of ball, in the even
ing saw moving picture show with
William S. Hart in the leading role
and had to go home with all lights
out, as a precaution in case Jerry was
over. The next night bombs were
dropped about hundred yards away
and the tent in which lay was lit up
very plainly. At this place the men
would go up into the lines for instruc-
tiOns and few were killed, but it was
a nice safe war there. A few days
later we moved up to the line. 1 was
in the office at this time and of course
! had a good safe dugout and was on
ly outside at meals, or to go to th'
canteen, but no shells We're dropped
when l was out. Our own would g,
over our heads and we would smil
and say another iron ration fo
"Jerry." The next night we left tn
English sector to join the first Gamer
ican Army"
Slept in a Stable Several Nights.
The first night 1 slept in a stabl
with horses and cattle, in the mex
stall, the second, in another stabl,
but with good clean straw, the thir,
on the floor of a big building ths
must have been brewery, the fourtl
slept on box car, the fifth, on th
green grass with a beautiful moo
shining down on my face, the sixth, G
the waiting bench of railway static
ard fIa coxyo,ofb ~, 4Io Aoo,. of n 1yo