Return to the Land

Aug 16 th

Left Ramsey for Southampton with light packs.

Stopped at another rest camp 9 miles from Ramsey after eating dinner got full packs & Started for the Port Again 3 mi a ver [very] hot day at 4pm. went aboard good ship Yale. Across the Eng. Channel to Sunny France Land at Le Harve at 5p.m. hiked for 2 mi up a very steep hill to another rest camp. We had emptied our canteens and almost perished for water as the camp had been raided the night before by an enemy airplane and probably that night at 12 he came over and the signal was given and everybody ran to the trenches but soon he was chased back by our allied plane. 30 to the car in cattle on box cars rode for 36 hours to Tanlay here we pitched dog tents & spent the night. Early next morning we rolled our packs & hiked to commissary where no Amer soldiers had ever been we stayed here 4 weeks drilling 8 hrs daily, the rations were very short On Sunday Sept 15 th we left commissary at 1pm with light packs for Liganeris here we spent the night in a mess hall supper at 10pm after making 18 kilometers Sept 16-18 Left at 7am & hiked a long distance of 18K here we rested until 12pm & took Box C. 40 men to car Sept 17-18 Sargeant Huff killed by train left his body at Epinal At 10pm 5K from Bruyers an enemy plane came over and fired on our train killing several and wounding one in my car before leaving the station the Hunn came back seeking information dropping flares after stealing away in the Darkness Several miles to the little town of Fays stayed for 3 days Sept 21 st Started for the front but was halted at Bruyers to act as a rear gard for the regiment. Next afternoon hiked back to LeHarve and loaded

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