TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SCOTT COUNTY ADVANCE REPORTER JANUARY 9, 1919 P. 6
Dec. 16, 1918
Advance Keporter,
Waldron, Arkansas,
Dear Editor:
Ihave been reading the Reporter and read some of the letters written by the home boys. So I thought I would relate some of my experiences in France, and let the home people know that I am still alive and doing well.
Things have been so quiet since the armistice was signed, that I get alittle home sick now and then, but I don’t think it will be very long until we can say we are homeward bound.
We embarked at Hoboken N.J We were on the water about 14 days dodging subs. I didn’t see but three or four subs but believe me they sure did look bad to me.
We landed at Brest France which is a very pretty City, from Brest I came to Nancy on Lorraine front. We reached our camp about two miles behind the front lines at ten o’clock in the evening.
It was raining and some dark too as we were put in a camp in the Lorranie forests.
We had just retired when the Germans began to drop shells a little bit too close to be comfortable, I was sleeping under a kind of shelf on which I had placed my cup, meskit, and some candles. When the shells began to burst down come cup, meskit, and candles in my face, I then realized that a real war was going on.
The 1st Division had taken that front over about two weeks It was the first sector taken over by our army. I worked for the Quarter master the first 4 mo. I was in France issueing rations and supplies which was located just behind the front lines.
The remainder of the time I have been building roads from No mans land back five or six Kilometers,
I have also been in the trenches, I didn’t have to go of course, as engineers are not supposed to go in the trenches but I wanted a chance at the Huns with a gun and believe me I got one. Some fun if you are lucky, but if you are not you are liable to get your hide punctured and could be a case of blowing taps.
I was in the drive that straightened the St. Mihiel salient. I had charge of a sector of road from the front lines about two kilometers back. With orders to keep all shell holes in the road filled at any cost so traffic would not be stopped. I was busy night and day. Some of the boys were bumped off but not many.
I was in front of the Americans heavy artillery. Germans shells going in one direction and American shells going the other were going over my head and plenty german shells bursting a round me, I had plenty good music for the kind, but I didn’t like the kind. The Huns didn’t like our programe. They even left their camps to get out of hearing.
I was to have a part in the big drive that was to start Nov. 11. I was standing close by an American six inch batter when orders came in to cease fireing at 11 o’clock, the last shot fired by this battery was fired ten fifty seven a.m.
All the guns ceased fireing almost at the exact moment and it seemed that a deep sleep had come over every thing, I had to throw my cap in the air and yell.
The longest period that I have been out of range of the german guns was on my trip to Aix LesBains for a seven days furiough and to Chattleon-Sur-seine to a gas school. I learned some interesting things about gas.
I am now on the banks of the river blank near Rhine near Strausberg in what was once a German officers dug out but now it belongs to us.
There are to sleeping rooms about twelve by fourteen feet, floored and ceiled with nice lumber. In some of the rooms the walls are covered with nice wall paper and some are covered with cloth with the border hand painted and numerous others figures such as clusters of grapes and flowers of all sorts all hand painted.
On top of the sleeping rooms is about 8 feet of rock, the rooms dug down from six to eight in the ground with nice glass windows in the front at the top so you see I have a nice home.
Some of the dug outs are covered with from eight to ten feet of cement reinforced with iron rods. Leading from the sleeping compartments are tunnels running about twenty feet down in the ground.
The Germans had hundreds of these dug outs but we put them out. The best way to get them out is to throw hand grenades in the dugout or use the flame thrower. Believe me that makes them sing Kamarade.
I have some Historical scenes such as the birth place of Joan of Arc and the burial ground of the Kings and rulers of Europe.
France is a nice country but give me “Etat unis’, alias the United States all the time.
I will ring off for this time,
Yours,
Sgt. Charles L. Taff
Co. C. 508, Engineers,
American, E. F.
NOTES: The headline for the letter identifies him as a corporal. Taff was born on August 8, 1893 and died on November 29, 1982. He is buried in the Birdsview Cemetery in Waldron, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as a Sgt. serving in the US Army during WWI.
TRANSCRIBED BY KATHY GRIMM
Dec. 16, 1918
Advance Keporter,
Waldron, Arkansas,
Dear Editor:
Ihave been reading the Reporter and read some of the letters written by the home boys. So I thought I would relate some of my experiences in France, and let the home people know that I am still alive and doing well.
Things have been so quiet since the armistice was signed, that I get alittle home sick now and then, but I don’t think it will be very long until we can say we are homeward bound.
We embarked at Hoboken N.J We were on the water about 14 days dodging subs. I didn’t see but three or four subs but believe me they sure did look bad to me.
We landed at Brest France which is a very pretty City, from Brest I came to Nancy on Lorraine front. We reached our camp about two miles behind the front lines at ten o’clock in the evening.
It was raining and some dark too as we were put in a camp in the Lorranie forests.
We had just retired when the Germans began to drop shells a little bit too close to be comfortable, I was sleeping under a kind of shelf on which I had placed my cup, meskit, and some candles. When the shells began to burst down come cup, meskit, and candles in my face, I then realized that a real war was going on.
The 1st Division had taken that front over about two weeks It was the first sector taken over by our army. I worked for the Quarter master the first 4 mo. I was in France issueing rations and supplies which was located just behind the front lines.
The remainder of the time I have been building roads from No mans land back five or six Kilometers,
I have also been in the trenches, I didn’t have to go of course, as engineers are not supposed to go in the trenches but I wanted a chance at the Huns with a gun and believe me I got one. Some fun if you are lucky, but if you are not you are liable to get your hide punctured and could be a case of blowing taps.
I was in the drive that straightened the St. Mihiel salient. I had charge of a sector of road from the front lines about two kilometers back. With orders to keep all shell holes in the road filled at any cost so traffic would not be stopped. I was busy night and day. Some of the boys were bumped off but not many.
I was in front of the Americans heavy artillery. Germans shells going in one direction and American shells going the other were going over my head and plenty german shells bursting a round me, I had plenty good music for the kind, but I didn’t like the kind. The Huns didn’t like our programe. They even left their camps to get out of hearing.
I was to have a part in the big drive that was to start Nov. 11. I was standing close by an American six inch batter when orders came in to cease fireing at 11 o’clock, the last shot fired by this battery was fired ten fifty seven a.m.
All the guns ceased fireing almost at the exact moment and it seemed that a deep sleep had come over every thing, I had to throw my cap in the air and yell.
The longest period that I have been out of range of the german guns was on my trip to Aix LesBains for a seven days furiough and to Chattleon-Sur-seine to a gas school. I learned some interesting things about gas.
I am now on the banks of the river blank near Rhine near Strausberg in what was once a German officers dug out but now it belongs to us.
There are to sleeping rooms about twelve by fourteen feet, floored and ceiled with nice lumber. In some of the rooms the walls are covered with nice wall paper and some are covered with cloth with the border hand painted and numerous others figures such as clusters of grapes and flowers of all sorts all hand painted.
On top of the sleeping rooms is about 8 feet of rock, the rooms dug down from six to eight in the ground with nice glass windows in the front at the top so you see I have a nice home.
Some of the dug outs are covered with from eight to ten feet of cement reinforced with iron rods. Leading from the sleeping compartments are tunnels running about twenty feet down in the ground.
The Germans had hundreds of these dug outs but we put them out. The best way to get them out is to throw hand grenades in the dugout or use the flame thrower. Believe me that makes them sing Kamarade.
I have some Historical scenes such as the birth place of Joan of Arc and the burial ground of the Kings and rulers of Europe.
France is a nice country but give me “Etat unis’, alias the United States all the time.
I will ring off for this time,
Yours,
Sgt. Charles L. Taff
Co. C. 508, Engineers,
American, E. F.
NOTES: The headline for the letter identifies him as a corporal. Taff was born on August 8, 1893 and died on November 29, 1982. He is buried in the Birdsview Cemetery in Waldron, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as a Sgt. serving in the US Army during WWI.
TRANSCRIBED BY KATHY GRIMM