Letter From France
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Cassville Republican, Thursday, April 3, 1919 Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Wilhelm of Exeter lately received the following letter from their son, Milton Wilhelm, who is in the 88th division in France. Morlam Court France, Feb. 24, 1919 Dear Homefolks: In former letters I have not told you much but will tell you more of my trip this time. I came across on the good ship Delta. After a 14 day trip we landed in England. On one of the finest little trains which could run better than it looked, we rode to an American rest camp at Ramsey at Camp Woodley where we stayed three days. While there a number of us took the privilege of visiting the historical old city of Ramsey. Among the interesting things seen there was the ancient Abbey showing the marks of battles before there was a United States of America. After our short visit we were hiked to South Hampton only a short hike of nine miles. There we went u the gang plank of the Archangel, a small hut fast boat accompanied but 600 men. It has been specially reconstructed for use in crossing the channel. Its speed was double what the Germans knew it to have been before the exchange. In this way they could not determine its location anytime across and send a "U" boat to dump us into the channel. We were accompanied by two destroyers which mysterious came into view as we were hearing the open channel. We landed at Cherburg, France, about 1 o'clock in the morning, all crossing the channel being at night. We were about five hours making the trip. We marched to a rest camp four miles distant. Here we stayed only one night. The boys did not like the cooks. We hiked back to Cherbourg. Here we came upon another little train of box cars and loaded it and went nearer the sector which we were to enter. On the trip we passed through Paris the most talked of city in the world. We got a good view of the city. We could not help from noticing that there were very few men among the groups of people whom we chanced to pass in traveling through the country and the presence of the women who were doing all kinds of work with work but willing hands. We saw fields which looked as if they had not been worked for four years. One could readily see how France had given her man power to free their country of the German menace to her very existence and happiness. It made us American boys some proud to see the American flag displayed by the French homes. At Semur we were instructed in the methods of truck warfare. Here we were met by a large number of French people as we were the first Yanks to come to this part of the front. It had been a strategically place for the enemy to strike and the French had guarded it closely. The people welcomed us with the same spirit that made possible the independence of the United Sates. On September 23 I was called before the Major and notified that I had been picked as one of the men from our division to go to the front immediately, in advance of our division. We were attached to the famous 69th battalion De Chasussius of the French army. After being in the trenches three days I was taken on a scouting patrol into No Mans Land to cut some barbed wire entanglement which the Germans had just put up. After two weeks of this kind of experience the Division then moved up and took over the sector. Here I had the experience of leading several patrons of troops over and into German trenches. In one instance the Germans tried to place machine guns behind us cutting us off from our own trenches. As luck would have it there were one hundred red-blooded doughboys who were determined not to be late for breakfast and you may guess what happened. I would like to tell you as some of the boys did about it but my vocabulary will not permit. On the night of October 12 I had my first experience of being under artillery fire. The companies suffered a number of casualties. It was on that night that Clint Leeson was killed not far from me. He and his Captain were killed by the same shell. Under cover of the artillery barrage a number of Germans came over and captured some of our boys, among them was my Captain. After a night of this kind I was taken back to a hospital where the doctors said I was pretty badly shocked up. We were held out for a rest a few days and on Oct. 29 I went back to my company. We were on the sector backing Metz where the end came. Then we were taken back to Lingny and since that time have been expecting to start back on our way home. There are other Barry county boys with me. All are doing fine. I hope to be at home by next Christmas anyway. Write me all the news for we fellows are anxious for the news from home. Corp. Milton Wilhelm, E. Co. 350 inf. A. P. O., 793, A. E. F. |