“Somewhere in France,” August 18, 1918

from THE MESSENGER
September 22, 1918

My Dear Folks:

In the battle zone at last! It is rather difficult to believe that the Boche are just a few yards over No Man’s Land, but the are there and when they open up with their heavy artillery there is no doubt but what they are on the job. We have been here four days and witnessed three air battles, one heavy artillery duel, one machine gun barrage and two raids. Some of our officers have been over in the Hun trenches on a raid and had quite and exciting time of it.

The headquarters of our company is in a large dug-out and it is very comfortable. There are three rooms and a hall and two entrances. The Captain left for school yesterday, so I am again in command of the company. I move into his room in the dug-out and have my orderly “White” with me. In the center room is Lieut. Nimmo and orderly, and in the rear room is the First Sergeant, Company Clerk, and an extra orderly. We surely have good battery emplacements for our gunsn, and we can fire straight into the Hun lines.

The French artillery opened up the other night and fired a few shots perminute until the must have secured a hit and then the Hun artillery opened up. Their shells came quite close and burst just a few yards in our rear. The noise was something awful, but it was certainly fascinating. I enjoy this excitement; there is nothing else like it on earth.

There have been several aerial battles right over our heads and so far the French planes have come through O. K. The Huns don’t put up much of a fight around here—don’t guess they have a whole lot of fight left in them after four years of war. However, good or bad, our boys are their equal and then some and will give them a licking any time we run into them . . . . [remainder illegible]