TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT DECEMBER 15, 1917 P. 10
Here I am back in Paris after a very interesting and educational observation trip to the front.
We left here two weeks ago and arrived at our destination at 7 o’clock that evening. We were met by a motor, which took us directly out to our position. We were on a quiet sector of the middle east, distributed two to a battery through two French armies.
The first day we were there we had some fine firing, it being about the only bright day. We did not get in a great deal of shooting, as aeroplanes stay in if it is not clear. I did, however, have the pleasure of seeing two Boche planes brought down by the French aviators that same afternoon. I guess they have fallen 4,000 meters, but after falling over and over both of then righted themselves and landed intact. A German major was in one of them.
We remained at the battery a week, leaving last Monday afternoon to join a motor battery. We were very comfortably located there. We had two fine rooms, good beds and a good fire. We were billeted by the French government with a woman whose husband is a captain. They are credited with one or two francs a day for every officer they lodge, and it is deducted from their taxes.
We had quite a number of interesting trips in this vicinity, one of which was to an observation post that is located in a shell-wrecked fort and has a beautiful view of the surrounding country. The afternoon we were there was particularly active, as we could see the old French mortars blasting at the trenches.
Two days ago we went on to the front line trenches and found it very interesting. At one point we looked over the parapet and saw the German lines just 60 yards away.
The way the men dig into the earth is remarkable. They have their caves dug down out of trenches, 30 or 40 feet deep, and they hide in them. They are supposed to be proof against the heaviest artillery, even the 17-inch guns.
It was too bad the Germans took 12 prisoners from our lines, but it was unavoidable. Some of our section were just where it happened.
It is going to be very hard to hold our troops back in the trenches. I am afraid, for they much prefer to get out over the “top” and into action.
We leave here shortly and will be in school the rest of the winter. I know I shall miss being in the homelike chateau, where 25 of us spent a delightful but busy six weeks. That location gave us an opportunity to spend the week-end in Paris and to make trips of great interest to nearby historical places. I am glad I took advantage of it.
The school where we are going is some distance from here and we will be located in barracks which were occupied by French soldiers.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Lieut. Joseph Haney Cochran to his mother Mrs. H. K. Cochran. He was born on June 25, 1892 in Little Rock, Arkansas and died on November 2, 1950 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He is buried in the Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock. Arkansas. He attended the officer’s training camp at Fort Roots in the spring of 1917 but after a month transferred to the field artillery.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Here I am back in Paris after a very interesting and educational observation trip to the front.
We left here two weeks ago and arrived at our destination at 7 o’clock that evening. We were met by a motor, which took us directly out to our position. We were on a quiet sector of the middle east, distributed two to a battery through two French armies.
The first day we were there we had some fine firing, it being about the only bright day. We did not get in a great deal of shooting, as aeroplanes stay in if it is not clear. I did, however, have the pleasure of seeing two Boche planes brought down by the French aviators that same afternoon. I guess they have fallen 4,000 meters, but after falling over and over both of then righted themselves and landed intact. A German major was in one of them.
We remained at the battery a week, leaving last Monday afternoon to join a motor battery. We were very comfortably located there. We had two fine rooms, good beds and a good fire. We were billeted by the French government with a woman whose husband is a captain. They are credited with one or two francs a day for every officer they lodge, and it is deducted from their taxes.
We had quite a number of interesting trips in this vicinity, one of which was to an observation post that is located in a shell-wrecked fort and has a beautiful view of the surrounding country. The afternoon we were there was particularly active, as we could see the old French mortars blasting at the trenches.
Two days ago we went on to the front line trenches and found it very interesting. At one point we looked over the parapet and saw the German lines just 60 yards away.
The way the men dig into the earth is remarkable. They have their caves dug down out of trenches, 30 or 40 feet deep, and they hide in them. They are supposed to be proof against the heaviest artillery, even the 17-inch guns.
It was too bad the Germans took 12 prisoners from our lines, but it was unavoidable. Some of our section were just where it happened.
It is going to be very hard to hold our troops back in the trenches. I am afraid, for they much prefer to get out over the “top” and into action.
We leave here shortly and will be in school the rest of the winter. I know I shall miss being in the homelike chateau, where 25 of us spent a delightful but busy six weeks. That location gave us an opportunity to spend the week-end in Paris and to make trips of great interest to nearby historical places. I am glad I took advantage of it.
The school where we are going is some distance from here and we will be located in barracks which were occupied by French soldiers.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Lieut. Joseph Haney Cochran to his mother Mrs. H. K. Cochran. He was born on June 25, 1892 in Little Rock, Arkansas and died on November 2, 1950 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He is buried in the Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock. Arkansas. He attended the officer’s training camp at Fort Roots in the spring of 1917 but after a month transferred to the field artillery.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT