TRANSCRIBED FROM THE LOG CABIN DEMOCRAT DECEMBER 26, 1918 P. 3
On September 24 we left Tobyhanne, Pa., for Hoboken, N.J. In four hours we were aboard our ship and ready to sail. On leaving New York we sailed east until we were nearly across the Atlantic, then turned north and along the west coast of Scotland. Just before going into the Irish sea, we hit a storm that came near sending our ships to a watery grave. Had it not been for the faithful officer, who braved the storm from the bridge of the ship, we would have gone down.
When he saw that we were only a few hundred yards from the rocky coast of Scotland, he turned the ship straight into the storm to pull away from the land. After the ship was turned broadside to the storm and in between the waves, there is where the crash came. After all danger is over and we are permitted, I will tell you about the storm.
All the life boats were crushed and washed away, the doors above the water line were broken in, and I thought for a few moments that our ship would not pull through. One vessel, the Oranto, went down. I was standing on a shelter deck watching the large waves break over our boat went I saw another of our ships ram the Oranto. The loss of life when it sunk was 360 soldiers. There were 13 troop ships and four warships in our fleet. The ship I was on was the first to land at Liverpool.
We immediately disembarked and went to Southampton, England, and stayed there two days before we crossed the English Channel, landing at La Harve, France. After spending two days there, we entrained for Langres, which is situated in the beautiful Marne valley. Since arriving in Langres, we have been going through the different branches of tank training, such as machine gun firing, 37m. firing, pistol firing, tank driving and grenade throwing. We are kept just as busy as though the armistice had not been signed.
I don't know when I will get home. It may be a month, three months or a year.
NOTES: Lieut. Chester Carol Courtney was born on November 8, 1890 in Conway, Arkansas and died on August 4, 1969 in Fort Worth, Texas. He is buried in the Laurel Land Memorial Park in Fort Worth. Courtney had joined the military in 1912 and at the time of the letter was serving in the Tank Corps. He was writing to his wife. He departed Brest, France on June 21, 1919 onboard the Finland. He arrived in Boston, Mass. on June 30, 1919. He was serving as a 1st Lieut. in the Tank Corps. Co. B 6th Supply Train.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
On September 24 we left Tobyhanne, Pa., for Hoboken, N.J. In four hours we were aboard our ship and ready to sail. On leaving New York we sailed east until we were nearly across the Atlantic, then turned north and along the west coast of Scotland. Just before going into the Irish sea, we hit a storm that came near sending our ships to a watery grave. Had it not been for the faithful officer, who braved the storm from the bridge of the ship, we would have gone down.
When he saw that we were only a few hundred yards from the rocky coast of Scotland, he turned the ship straight into the storm to pull away from the land. After the ship was turned broadside to the storm and in between the waves, there is where the crash came. After all danger is over and we are permitted, I will tell you about the storm.
All the life boats were crushed and washed away, the doors above the water line were broken in, and I thought for a few moments that our ship would not pull through. One vessel, the Oranto, went down. I was standing on a shelter deck watching the large waves break over our boat went I saw another of our ships ram the Oranto. The loss of life when it sunk was 360 soldiers. There were 13 troop ships and four warships in our fleet. The ship I was on was the first to land at Liverpool.
We immediately disembarked and went to Southampton, England, and stayed there two days before we crossed the English Channel, landing at La Harve, France. After spending two days there, we entrained for Langres, which is situated in the beautiful Marne valley. Since arriving in Langres, we have been going through the different branches of tank training, such as machine gun firing, 37m. firing, pistol firing, tank driving and grenade throwing. We are kept just as busy as though the armistice had not been signed.
I don't know when I will get home. It may be a month, three months or a year.
NOTES: Lieut. Chester Carol Courtney was born on November 8, 1890 in Conway, Arkansas and died on August 4, 1969 in Fort Worth, Texas. He is buried in the Laurel Land Memorial Park in Fort Worth. Courtney had joined the military in 1912 and at the time of the letter was serving in the Tank Corps. He was writing to his wife. He departed Brest, France on June 21, 1919 onboard the Finland. He arrived in Boston, Mass. on June 30, 1919. He was serving as a 1st Lieut. in the Tank Corps. Co. B 6th Supply Train.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD