Milford chronicle., 1919-01-17

we ran them hot We pulled out OF
ShOden Farms and moved up closer
for we were giving it to them so hot
that they had to retreat. We went up
in a valley just south OF Flerille and
stayed there for a while and then we
gave it to them again. But it vas ter
rible fighting for our infantry to get
them out OF the woods. Those Ger
mans had machine guns fixed up in
trees and they would fire them until
they were killed. We moved from
Flerillo up south of st. Jarin and then
there was a lull in the fighting for a
while. We had our telephone switch
board up there in a libSg hole dug in
the ground and had boards and dirt
over it for shelter, and / strengthen
ed it more by getting bricks from an
old burnt down shack and put on top
of the dirt. Then l felt safer for it
took a direct hit then to get US. Shrap-
mel would not hurt US but any size
shell, small or large, would find us,
and I'll tell you they came awful close,
but we were lucky. We stayed in the
hole a day or two wondering what
made things so quiet. All we could
hear was once in a while one of
Heine's big 210's come passing and
they sound just like an elevated train
passing. l got so l could judge them
pretty good and could tell about where
they were going to land. If they land
ed close your only salvation was to
flop fiat on the ground on your stom-
ach and take your chance You know,
ba only daVrf1c al /, s,,o
about are those Austrian 8S's, a little
bigger shell that the French 75's, which
we used The velocity or speed is so
great that all you hear is a "whiz- |
bang!" Immediately after you hear
the whiz you hear the bang and it /
gives you no warning. But all the /
other sizes you can hear coming, and .
when you hear them 90 something and .
do it quick. Many a time l did not
think | would see the Statue of Lib
erty in New York Harbor. The still
ness could not last forever, we knew,
.or guns of all sorts were moving up /
and ammunition was coming up, and
% make it worse, the roads were a
ness-nOthing but mud, but a hard
POTION underneath. 1t was at $50
/. m. that we put over our last bar
age but l do not remember the date,
)ut think it was around the 9Oth of
october. But that was a terrible bar
age. No human being could live in
t and what could get out of it must
lave been scared to death, for then
We had a walkaway. We had to hike
Ike the dickens to try and keep up.
III our infantry had to do after that
vas to follow them up with their guns
n their shoulders, they were going
hrough st. Jarin, Landres, Quecourt.
through it. Jarin, Landres, Quecourt,
'irry, Buzancy, up to Vaux, where we
topped, for men and horses were all
4. 1t was the 5th of November. We
loved out and came back and on our
ray out we heard about the amistice
eing signed and everybody shouted
Or Joy, but we felt bad for the boys
Tho would never return. We came
ack to Les Isletts and stayed about
ne week in a field in pup tents and
II say it was pretty cold. We left
nere and we are here at st. Meme
ouId. 1t is big rail head. We are
ow in French barracks. The main
ling that is bothering us now is the
ooties and they sure are plentiful
is quite laughable to see a fellow
are to the skin picking cooties of his
nderwear. l have my share of them.
often go hunting for them myself
nd they can bite like the devil.
Well here we are waiting for orders
ith no more fronts to go on and our
My hopes are that we will be the =
lcky ones to get home soon. r
Well, Dad, this is your Christmas
'tter. Every fellow in the A. ID r
allowed to write home and tell his
Ither where he has been and what |
mas done and where he is. etc. Il
l had better close for I know Won TX
re tired of reading, Dut nv fingers |:
re- more tired than you. viii ciosa II
lsaing you all a merry. merry l.
hristmas II
Your loving son, Is
| am in the 50 Division. 157 Field Il
rtlllery Brigade. Do You ever sea ls
lYtulnR in fba 10