TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT AUGUST 6, 1917 P. 4
Our section is very well situated. Our French lieutenant is a very nice fellow. He treats us all fine and isn’t conventional in the military way as most of them. Our American lieutenant could not be excelled. We have two cooks, who are experts at the game. We get good meat, good bread, vegetables, cheese and jam. We drink, coffee, wine and water.
In a later letter:
We have moved forward considerably. We have been at our station for four days. We are now where we get our first real picture of what the war has been and what it is. Tonight, while eating supper, two very old people walked up to our cantonment, an old man and woman. They were the owners of the house we were occupying, and have just returned to their home after a long absence. They were forced to leave when the Germans took this country. They had been in Southern France and returned when they heard the Germans had been driven out. You cannot imagine the expressions on their faces when they saw their little village deserted – only a few houses remaining and the orchards destroyed. Their home happens to be one of the few not totally destroyed, and a few of us who have our cars loaded with equipment, are occupying the upper story. It had been occupied by German officers and is now nothing but a rat hole. I amused myself last night before going to sleep by throwing my shoes at the rats. However, they are very gentle and have disturbed us only by running about.
Yesterday was pay day. We were all dressed up, but had no place to go to spend our money. I find I am unable to get many things at the front that I want. If you could send me some Hersey’s (not bar) chocolate, I would like for you to do so. Chocolate is hard to get here and it is almost a necessity to carry it in your car during hard periods of work. You might send me also one-half dozen rolls of films for vest pocket auto-graphic kodak, three bars of Naphtha soap and some cigarettes.
NOTES: These partial letters were written by Corp. Ralph B. Hill to his sister Mrs. W. L. (Lelia) Owen of Little Rock. He was with the field ambulance services from Washington University, St Louis, Missouri. His hospital unit left for France on May 19, 1917. In 1918, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre for valiant and dangerous actions in a gas attack. He was born April 4, 1895 died January 1974.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT.
Our section is very well situated. Our French lieutenant is a very nice fellow. He treats us all fine and isn’t conventional in the military way as most of them. Our American lieutenant could not be excelled. We have two cooks, who are experts at the game. We get good meat, good bread, vegetables, cheese and jam. We drink, coffee, wine and water.
In a later letter:
We have moved forward considerably. We have been at our station for four days. We are now where we get our first real picture of what the war has been and what it is. Tonight, while eating supper, two very old people walked up to our cantonment, an old man and woman. They were the owners of the house we were occupying, and have just returned to their home after a long absence. They were forced to leave when the Germans took this country. They had been in Southern France and returned when they heard the Germans had been driven out. You cannot imagine the expressions on their faces when they saw their little village deserted – only a few houses remaining and the orchards destroyed. Their home happens to be one of the few not totally destroyed, and a few of us who have our cars loaded with equipment, are occupying the upper story. It had been occupied by German officers and is now nothing but a rat hole. I amused myself last night before going to sleep by throwing my shoes at the rats. However, they are very gentle and have disturbed us only by running about.
Yesterday was pay day. We were all dressed up, but had no place to go to spend our money. I find I am unable to get many things at the front that I want. If you could send me some Hersey’s (not bar) chocolate, I would like for you to do so. Chocolate is hard to get here and it is almost a necessity to carry it in your car during hard periods of work. You might send me also one-half dozen rolls of films for vest pocket auto-graphic kodak, three bars of Naphtha soap and some cigarettes.
NOTES: These partial letters were written by Corp. Ralph B. Hill to his sister Mrs. W. L. (Lelia) Owen of Little Rock. He was with the field ambulance services from Washington University, St Louis, Missouri. His hospital unit left for France on May 19, 1917. In 1918, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre for valiant and dangerous actions in a gas attack. He was born April 4, 1895 died January 1974.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT.