The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-02-12
HUNS AND YANKS
FRATERN|zED AFTER
ARM|ST|CE SIGNING
"SWAPPED" ARTICLES AND
WENT BOATING ON LAKES
AFTERNOON OF NOV. III.

The following interesting account
of happening at the front just before
and after the signing of the armistice
has been received by local friends
from Neil Place, a son of Mrs. Harry
Place, formerly Miss Susie Stahlin,
Of this city:
Well the big show is all over. All
except the screaming. | was relieved
from duty at the battalion station on
Friday and got back to the combat
train that night. The first gun crew
was to go up the next morning and as
/ was in the first / asked to go, too.
My sergeant said ought to get some
rest, but | wanted to go, so we did.
We were in a woods with mud knee
deep. Got there about noon and the
other crew went back. You see the
Yanks had moved so fast there wasn't
any dugouts, Sc we slept in the open
near our guns. For wonder we
didn't get called out that night to
fire. We were lying around the next
morning, and about 300 o'clock Lieut..
Breeze yelled for us to get to our
piece. For about two hours we fired
two a minute. AS you know, or may
be you don't all firing was to stop at
IL o'clock, French time. At 1859
we cut loose and fired as fast as we
could. l wish you could have heard
it. Hundreds of guns, from the
small 75's to the big ones sent shells
into Hunland for one minute. We
were to fire only six, but was put
ting the fuses in the shells, and had
some extra ones, so sent them over,
too. We fired IL in 40 seconds. Then
we pulled out our ASS and fired them
in the air and yelled. 1t was the
most fun to see the fellows. They
couldn't sit or stand still. Shaking
hands, talking and yelling all at the
got warm. Before we were not al
lowed to have a fire on account of
the smoke showing up our guns. 1t
sure did seem good, and does yet to
know that you can get into the open
without having a Hun plane or Ger
man take a shot at you. A few min
utes after III there were trucks run
ming on the roads that had not had a
footprint on them for five years.
Troops were marching on roads that
had not seen a man for years, except
at night. 1t was wonderful. We
couldn't believe it true. That night
the Germans and Yanks sent up all
colored rockets and flares. Il is
said that a few minutes after IL
o'clock the doughboys were over trad
ing things with the Germans. Our
battery fellows were rowing on a lake
with some Huns that afternoon in he
same boat. The first gun crew of the
first section began to make house
the next day. We had it finished by
dark, and l had fixed up bed-tick.
We expected to get some sleep. About
midnight we had to move. Believe
me, it was some job to get our guns
out. They were in a big ditch or
old trench. After a couple of bCuls'
work we got it out and made our
packs. 1t was fine night, with lots
| of stars and half moon. The fell
lows didn't crab bit The war was
over and we were pulling out, so why
care? We worked until daylight and
then had mess. Later man was
left with each piece, besides the driv-
ers and the rest of US loaded into
trucks. We loaded up about $50
that night in a woods. | slept in a
stable that just had a roof over it.
Yesterday we moved into some fresh
air billets. No stoves, and it sure
was cool. We were all issued big
leather coats. Come to our hips and
vests, the auto drivers have them.
The X. of c. was very good to us.
they brought US candy, gum and Gig
arettes. Me for the X. of c. and the
Salvation Army. They are the lads
who waded through mud and water
to give us good smoke and sweets.
Will be some glad bunch to get hack.
| don't know how well act. Today
Continued on Page Six)