TRANSCRIBED FROM THE FAYETTEVILLE DAILY DEMOCRAT DECEMBER 28, 1918 PP. 1, 2
Dear Folks:
It has been a little over two months since we left Brooklyn and believe me. I am glad to be back again.
We left here Oct 12 in an eleven ship convoy bound for various points in France, England and Italy. We did not meet any subs but they were reported all around us by wireless however, one ship did get into a fight with one after she left the convoy and won out in a running fight of several hours and had to turn back home. The rest of the trip was uneventful and we pulled into St. Nazaire, France, a few days later. It took about two weeks to get our load of locomotives, rails, trucks, etc., unloaded, and during that time we had an enjoyable stay by looking over the town and surrounding country.
St. Nazaire is a city of about 30,000 and is located on the banks of the Loire River a few miles below Nates. Our army dominates everything from the docks to many private and public buildings. Owing to the ban on the use of gasoline, every motor car with one or two exceptions bore the brand of the U.S. Army or Navy. The streets are narrow and winding like a county road, making it just a little difficult for a stranger to get about. I remembered one evening I took a ride on a wheel (the popular mode of transportation) and wandered about quite a while before I found a place that I knew. And the worst of it nobody but our boys can understand our language our questions are useless. Out a few miles one finds many beautiful chateaus that were lovely before the war but are now uninhabited except for the women. About ten miles from the town is an enormous army camp where supplies are kept and wounded soldiers recuperate. The labor done is a big problem and you can get an idea of the amount of work being done as they use 65,000 German and Austrian prisoners. It takes quite a bunch of men just to guard them, and one peculiar instance is where a young soldier is guarding his father who remained in Germany until after the thing started.
We were still tied up when the news of the armistice __ I never hope to again see such rejoicing that took place in that town during the day and the night. Promptly at 11 a.m. everything capable of making a noise was let loose and such a racket you can’t imagine, with big boat whistles, sirens, derricks, and cranes and the big trucks as the fellows opened the cutouts and throttle, at the same time. By this time the negro stevedores began yelling and dancing and quit work altogether. This lasted nearly two hours and by that time the country folk began coming to town and the evening was spent in parading and speech-making interspersed with ours and the French national anthems. By dark the effects of beer and better were in evidence and also a battalion of Marine Guards with fixed bayonets. As usual, the streets were clear by 9 a.m. and the day passed on, although the exuberance of one of our crew brought about his arrest and subsequent loss of liberty for all of us the remaining three days in town.
We had our Thanksgiving dinner the 13th as the cook figured it would be too rough to permit doing the thing properly when at sea.
On the 14th we pulled out and return trip and about dark on the return trip and about dark on the 16th we started home. For two days out we had fine weather, then a storm set in which lasted 20 days coming from dead ahead. This unexpected circumstance caused our oil to run out long before it was expected and we had to run for the Bermudas for fuel. This group of islands are wholly coral and dangerous for the many reefs in the vicinity. The channel leading to Hamilton is as crooked as a pig’s trail a bluff and about as dangerous. There is a naval base there and during the hostilities many destroyers made their headquarters there. Last Sunday morning I saw ten submarines leaving for the States.
Hamilton is a city of about 10,000 souls, most of which are black. It is built on a hill overlooking the sound and wanders over to the water’s edge on the open side. The most striking thing is that all the buildings are built of coral, white and shinny, making the city exceptionally conspicuous. In many cases the walls are coated with cement to make them less susceptible to moisture. The streets are cut down to convenient levels through solid coral. I never saw any stone that reminded me so much of that soft white bluff out on Uncle Eb’s old place on Wild Cat. It is said that if there should ever come a frost or freeze that the buildings would crumble to the ground without exception, because the blocks are affected by variations in temperature, just like old red clay blocks.
While here we took on stores, new potatoes, green onions, new turnips bananas, butter ___ a pound and sugar. More than that we went in swimming a couple of times right in the sound, and remember this was three days ago, Dec 11.
We have been lying at anchor since 2 a.m. yesterday or last night waiting for the fog to lift so we can ___and not collide with some ship.
Hoping this finds you all as well as I am or better, and to hear from you soon. I am.
Yours,
Harvey
NOTES: Harvey Webster Phillips was writing to his father, M. Phillips. He was born on April 10, 1895 in Fayetteville, Arkansas and died on November 5, 1962. He is buried in the Fayetteville National Cemetery. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Sea US Navy serving in World War I. He was described as being tall and of medium build with gray eyes and light hair. He enlisted on July 3, 1917.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Dear Folks:
It has been a little over two months since we left Brooklyn and believe me. I am glad to be back again.
We left here Oct 12 in an eleven ship convoy bound for various points in France, England and Italy. We did not meet any subs but they were reported all around us by wireless however, one ship did get into a fight with one after she left the convoy and won out in a running fight of several hours and had to turn back home. The rest of the trip was uneventful and we pulled into St. Nazaire, France, a few days later. It took about two weeks to get our load of locomotives, rails, trucks, etc., unloaded, and during that time we had an enjoyable stay by looking over the town and surrounding country.
St. Nazaire is a city of about 30,000 and is located on the banks of the Loire River a few miles below Nates. Our army dominates everything from the docks to many private and public buildings. Owing to the ban on the use of gasoline, every motor car with one or two exceptions bore the brand of the U.S. Army or Navy. The streets are narrow and winding like a county road, making it just a little difficult for a stranger to get about. I remembered one evening I took a ride on a wheel (the popular mode of transportation) and wandered about quite a while before I found a place that I knew. And the worst of it nobody but our boys can understand our language our questions are useless. Out a few miles one finds many beautiful chateaus that were lovely before the war but are now uninhabited except for the women. About ten miles from the town is an enormous army camp where supplies are kept and wounded soldiers recuperate. The labor done is a big problem and you can get an idea of the amount of work being done as they use 65,000 German and Austrian prisoners. It takes quite a bunch of men just to guard them, and one peculiar instance is where a young soldier is guarding his father who remained in Germany until after the thing started.
We were still tied up when the news of the armistice __ I never hope to again see such rejoicing that took place in that town during the day and the night. Promptly at 11 a.m. everything capable of making a noise was let loose and such a racket you can’t imagine, with big boat whistles, sirens, derricks, and cranes and the big trucks as the fellows opened the cutouts and throttle, at the same time. By this time the negro stevedores began yelling and dancing and quit work altogether. This lasted nearly two hours and by that time the country folk began coming to town and the evening was spent in parading and speech-making interspersed with ours and the French national anthems. By dark the effects of beer and better were in evidence and also a battalion of Marine Guards with fixed bayonets. As usual, the streets were clear by 9 a.m. and the day passed on, although the exuberance of one of our crew brought about his arrest and subsequent loss of liberty for all of us the remaining three days in town.
We had our Thanksgiving dinner the 13th as the cook figured it would be too rough to permit doing the thing properly when at sea.
On the 14th we pulled out and return trip and about dark on the return trip and about dark on the 16th we started home. For two days out we had fine weather, then a storm set in which lasted 20 days coming from dead ahead. This unexpected circumstance caused our oil to run out long before it was expected and we had to run for the Bermudas for fuel. This group of islands are wholly coral and dangerous for the many reefs in the vicinity. The channel leading to Hamilton is as crooked as a pig’s trail a bluff and about as dangerous. There is a naval base there and during the hostilities many destroyers made their headquarters there. Last Sunday morning I saw ten submarines leaving for the States.
Hamilton is a city of about 10,000 souls, most of which are black. It is built on a hill overlooking the sound and wanders over to the water’s edge on the open side. The most striking thing is that all the buildings are built of coral, white and shinny, making the city exceptionally conspicuous. In many cases the walls are coated with cement to make them less susceptible to moisture. The streets are cut down to convenient levels through solid coral. I never saw any stone that reminded me so much of that soft white bluff out on Uncle Eb’s old place on Wild Cat. It is said that if there should ever come a frost or freeze that the buildings would crumble to the ground without exception, because the blocks are affected by variations in temperature, just like old red clay blocks.
While here we took on stores, new potatoes, green onions, new turnips bananas, butter ___ a pound and sugar. More than that we went in swimming a couple of times right in the sound, and remember this was three days ago, Dec 11.
We have been lying at anchor since 2 a.m. yesterday or last night waiting for the fog to lift so we can ___and not collide with some ship.
Hoping this finds you all as well as I am or better, and to hear from you soon. I am.
Yours,
Harvey
NOTES: Harvey Webster Phillips was writing to his father, M. Phillips. He was born on April 10, 1895 in Fayetteville, Arkansas and died on November 5, 1962. He is buried in the Fayetteville National Cemetery. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Sea US Navy serving in World War I. He was described as being tall and of medium build with gray eyes and light hair. He enlisted on July 3, 1917.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT