TRANSCRIBED FROM THE BAXTER BULLETIN JANUARY 17, 1919 P. 1
November 7, 1918,
Mr. and Mrs. T. R. Cantwell,
Gassville, Ark.
Dear father and mother:
How are you both by this time? I am all right. We are nearing the front lines now.
The first wire entanglements we struck was smooth wire. We are in the barb wire now.
The wire was so fixed that they could turn electricity on if they wished to. You see all kinds of dug-outs here. Have seen several German air planes in the last few days. The anti-aircraft guns were shooting at them. I saw one German plane with three Allied planes after him. I don’t know whether they caught up with him or not. We can hear the guns shooting all the time. The villages are badly shot up here. The flashes of light from the big guns at night make you think it is lightening. You can see sky-rockets going up all along the lines after night.
I haven’t heard from home yet.
Will write again.
NOTES: Ernest Willie Cantwell was born in Gassville, Arkansas on June 1, 1892 and died on December 25, 1963. He departed from Pauillac, France on May 3, 1919 onboard the Canadaigua. He was a Private serving in Battery F, 302nd Field Artillery.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
November 7, 1918,
Mr. and Mrs. T. R. Cantwell,
Gassville, Ark.
Dear father and mother:
How are you both by this time? I am all right. We are nearing the front lines now.
The first wire entanglements we struck was smooth wire. We are in the barb wire now.
The wire was so fixed that they could turn electricity on if they wished to. You see all kinds of dug-outs here. Have seen several German air planes in the last few days. The anti-aircraft guns were shooting at them. I saw one German plane with three Allied planes after him. I don’t know whether they caught up with him or not. We can hear the guns shooting all the time. The villages are badly shot up here. The flashes of light from the big guns at night make you think it is lightening. You can see sky-rockets going up all along the lines after night.
I haven’t heard from home yet.
Will write again.
NOTES: Ernest Willie Cantwell was born in Gassville, Arkansas on June 1, 1892 and died on December 25, 1963. He departed from Pauillac, France on May 3, 1919 onboard the Canadaigua. He was a Private serving in Battery F, 302nd Field Artillery.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS