TRANSCRIBED FROM THE POCAHONTAS STAR HERALD JANUARY 24, 1919 P. 3
Toul, France
Dec. 18, 1918
Mrs. Mattie Ulmer,
Brockett, Ark.
Dear Aunt and Family:
I thought I would drop you a few lines, while I was up in France. How are all of you these days? I hope and trust you are O. K. I will tell you about myself and what I have been doing lately.
As you probably know I left home the 30th of April for Camp Dix, New Jersey. I was only in camp till the 25th o f May. We left camp about ten o’clock and came to Baltimore where we shipped into a transport named the Ajax. We sailed Sunday the 26th about four o’clock in the afternoon. It was some experience for me.
We went up the Atlantic to Halifax, where we stayed until Decoration day, and left in a convoy, for our journey was more or less risky at that time. Everything went smoothly except for a couple of days. We were seventeen days zig zagging across, and our trip was almost completed before we scented trouble. One of our boats sighted a submarine, and a chaser got it within three fourths of a mile of our convoy. That was in the Irish sea.
We came up between Ireland and England, and landed at Liverpool, from where we went by train to Dover. We passed through London about midnight. That was the night of June 13th. About four o’clock the next morning, we landed at Dover, where we stayed until the 14th. We left at ten o’clock for our dash across the channel and landed at Calias an hour later. We were there three days when we took a train for Lambree. There we could hear the big guns and were about ten miles back of the front. We hiked three miles and camped over night. From there we hiked to Henneveaux, where we stayed four days. You can find most all of these places on the map of France.
Then we went to Cremarest about four miles from Bologne, stayed ten days there and went to the rifle range once the first week we were there. We drilled and practiced throwing hand grenades, had bayonet practice, and on the second of July, started on a hike for the Flander’s front. I was on a rifle range the Fourth of July, and two days later landed near Casel at a town called Oebdexecle, not far from Ypres. We were up there in reserve on the British front, and were about eight miles back of the line. We hung barbed wire entanglements, out posts, and drilled in modern warfare like the English had been fighting before we came over. We were there three weeks, then hiked three days and landed at Herricourt, where we lived in barns and sheds (they are called billets). We were there until Sunday, when my company went up through St. Pai to Aubigny, near a place called Savy. We built a British Red Cross hospital—tell uncle Billy, here is where I lost some of my fat. I worked about three days digging a dugout for the nurses. The soil is very thin here, and most of our digging was in chalk.
We stayed there ten days, when we got orders to move again. This hospital is the nearest base hospital to the lines. This is on the Arras front. Our camp was half way between the hospital and an aviation camp, and old Jerry came over every night and did some bombing around near us, but we were lucky.
From there we went back to Herricourt, and stayed until August 17th, where we went via St. Pai to a loading station five kilometers away, and our Division entrained for somewhere in France. We loaded on in box cars, forty men to each car. (Not ones like we have at home, but dinky ones) that was some ride. Some slept, others sat up for two or three days and nights. We passed through Amiens, St. Just, Paris, Chateau Thierry, saw where our boys crossed the Marne in July and charged up the hill beyond. On and on we went, following the Marne river down until we finally landed near Haute Saupe at a place called ___________. This was far away from the sound of the guns and the planes seldom came down that far. The people treated us nicely there, but we were only there five days when we started out again up through Haute Marne, passed though Bourbon, German Villiers, Gesffeny to Chemin, near Bourmont where we were billeted about a week. Of course it took us two days and nights to get there. We drilled awhile there, and hiked three days to a small village near Chatenois, where we camped in a plum orchard for four days.
We then took trucks September 10th, about dark down through Tours to a woods near Jeane. That night we came up toward the front, St. Mihiel. We are were stumbling along the road in mud, ankle deep, and it was pouring down rain too, when all at once every gun on our side began firing. They were big ones, mostly naval guns. We stayed there until the next night, and came up to the front and began working on the roads. Our Division, the 78th, went into the lines where they stayed until October 1st. I left them the 25th.
We had been putting up barbed wire entanglements for a week, and one night our company went to cut a way for a raid by our infantry. We got caught in a barrage, and at one o’clock we open up fire. Jerry started a counter barrage at the same time. We dodged rifle, machine gun bullets, shrapnel shells, high explosives and gas for one hour and ten minutes. That was some experience, but thanks to my helmet, luck, and the One who looks over us all, I came out without a scratch.
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights we went up and worked, and Wednesday morning we were almost ready to quite work, when Jerry hit among us. On our way home my left eye kept hurting, and next morning I found a small speck of shell in my eye. It did not injure the sight in the least. I came back to a French hospital where it was removed.
I came on to base hospital 45, one mile from Toul, the following Friday night. I was in bed resting for three or four days, and came up on the duty floor where I have been working in the sergeant’s office ever since.
My Division moved up the Argonne, where they made quite a record. I sure would have been glad to have been up there with the boys, but was here when the armistice was signed.
I don’t know when I will get to come home, but I hope it will be soon. I have not received any mail since September 21st. the letter was from home and was dated August 18, so I am waiting for more mail to arrive. I would like to get back to my company, but can’t locate them.
Well this is taking up too much of your time. I hate to think I have not written sooner, but I hope this will make amends. I sure would like to here from you. The folks were fairly well when I heard from them, and I guess they miss their buddy.
You would not have known me when I came out of the line. I weighed 205 pounds when I left home, 185 pounds when I sailed, and about 170 pounds when I got here. I am eating lots and am some heavier now. We get good eats and have a good place to sleep.
Tell uncle Bill, I often think of him as I do the rest. Now auntie, I want you to write the folks. I wonder if Geno had to come over, I hope not. Will close this time.
With love, I am your nephew,
Pvt. Ralph C. Myers,
Co. C. 303 Eng. 78th Div. A. P. O. 784, Base Hosp. 45, A. E. F.
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
Toul, France
Dec. 18, 1918
Mrs. Mattie Ulmer,
Brockett, Ark.
Dear Aunt and Family:
I thought I would drop you a few lines, while I was up in France. How are all of you these days? I hope and trust you are O. K. I will tell you about myself and what I have been doing lately.
As you probably know I left home the 30th of April for Camp Dix, New Jersey. I was only in camp till the 25th o f May. We left camp about ten o’clock and came to Baltimore where we shipped into a transport named the Ajax. We sailed Sunday the 26th about four o’clock in the afternoon. It was some experience for me.
We went up the Atlantic to Halifax, where we stayed until Decoration day, and left in a convoy, for our journey was more or less risky at that time. Everything went smoothly except for a couple of days. We were seventeen days zig zagging across, and our trip was almost completed before we scented trouble. One of our boats sighted a submarine, and a chaser got it within three fourths of a mile of our convoy. That was in the Irish sea.
We came up between Ireland and England, and landed at Liverpool, from where we went by train to Dover. We passed through London about midnight. That was the night of June 13th. About four o’clock the next morning, we landed at Dover, where we stayed until the 14th. We left at ten o’clock for our dash across the channel and landed at Calias an hour later. We were there three days when we took a train for Lambree. There we could hear the big guns and were about ten miles back of the front. We hiked three miles and camped over night. From there we hiked to Henneveaux, where we stayed four days. You can find most all of these places on the map of France.
Then we went to Cremarest about four miles from Bologne, stayed ten days there and went to the rifle range once the first week we were there. We drilled and practiced throwing hand grenades, had bayonet practice, and on the second of July, started on a hike for the Flander’s front. I was on a rifle range the Fourth of July, and two days later landed near Casel at a town called Oebdexecle, not far from Ypres. We were up there in reserve on the British front, and were about eight miles back of the line. We hung barbed wire entanglements, out posts, and drilled in modern warfare like the English had been fighting before we came over. We were there three weeks, then hiked three days and landed at Herricourt, where we lived in barns and sheds (they are called billets). We were there until Sunday, when my company went up through St. Pai to Aubigny, near a place called Savy. We built a British Red Cross hospital—tell uncle Billy, here is where I lost some of my fat. I worked about three days digging a dugout for the nurses. The soil is very thin here, and most of our digging was in chalk.
We stayed there ten days, when we got orders to move again. This hospital is the nearest base hospital to the lines. This is on the Arras front. Our camp was half way between the hospital and an aviation camp, and old Jerry came over every night and did some bombing around near us, but we were lucky.
From there we went back to Herricourt, and stayed until August 17th, where we went via St. Pai to a loading station five kilometers away, and our Division entrained for somewhere in France. We loaded on in box cars, forty men to each car. (Not ones like we have at home, but dinky ones) that was some ride. Some slept, others sat up for two or three days and nights. We passed through Amiens, St. Just, Paris, Chateau Thierry, saw where our boys crossed the Marne in July and charged up the hill beyond. On and on we went, following the Marne river down until we finally landed near Haute Saupe at a place called ___________. This was far away from the sound of the guns and the planes seldom came down that far. The people treated us nicely there, but we were only there five days when we started out again up through Haute Marne, passed though Bourbon, German Villiers, Gesffeny to Chemin, near Bourmont where we were billeted about a week. Of course it took us two days and nights to get there. We drilled awhile there, and hiked three days to a small village near Chatenois, where we camped in a plum orchard for four days.
We then took trucks September 10th, about dark down through Tours to a woods near Jeane. That night we came up toward the front, St. Mihiel. We are were stumbling along the road in mud, ankle deep, and it was pouring down rain too, when all at once every gun on our side began firing. They were big ones, mostly naval guns. We stayed there until the next night, and came up to the front and began working on the roads. Our Division, the 78th, went into the lines where they stayed until October 1st. I left them the 25th.
We had been putting up barbed wire entanglements for a week, and one night our company went to cut a way for a raid by our infantry. We got caught in a barrage, and at one o’clock we open up fire. Jerry started a counter barrage at the same time. We dodged rifle, machine gun bullets, shrapnel shells, high explosives and gas for one hour and ten minutes. That was some experience, but thanks to my helmet, luck, and the One who looks over us all, I came out without a scratch.
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights we went up and worked, and Wednesday morning we were almost ready to quite work, when Jerry hit among us. On our way home my left eye kept hurting, and next morning I found a small speck of shell in my eye. It did not injure the sight in the least. I came back to a French hospital where it was removed.
I came on to base hospital 45, one mile from Toul, the following Friday night. I was in bed resting for three or four days, and came up on the duty floor where I have been working in the sergeant’s office ever since.
My Division moved up the Argonne, where they made quite a record. I sure would have been glad to have been up there with the boys, but was here when the armistice was signed.
I don’t know when I will get to come home, but I hope it will be soon. I have not received any mail since September 21st. the letter was from home and was dated August 18, so I am waiting for more mail to arrive. I would like to get back to my company, but can’t locate them.
Well this is taking up too much of your time. I hate to think I have not written sooner, but I hope this will make amends. I sure would like to here from you. The folks were fairly well when I heard from them, and I guess they miss their buddy.
You would not have known me when I came out of the line. I weighed 205 pounds when I left home, 185 pounds when I sailed, and about 170 pounds when I got here. I am eating lots and am some heavier now. We get good eats and have a good place to sleep.
Tell uncle Bill, I often think of him as I do the rest. Now auntie, I want you to write the folks. I wonder if Geno had to come over, I hope not. Will close this time.
With love, I am your nephew,
Pvt. Ralph C. Myers,
Co. C. 303 Eng. 78th Div. A. P. O. 784, Base Hosp. 45, A. E. F.
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON