Sidney D. Light's WWI Diary, Postcards & Letters, 329th Battery Book Accounts

The Saginaw Courier-Herald 8/12/1917

READY TO GO TO BASE HOSPITAL

MISS CHARLOTTE G. LIGHT WRITES OF EXPERIENCES OF LANDING IN ENGLAND

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Saw much wreckage in Water, But Made Safe Passage Through Danger Zone – Will Be Glad When Channel Passage is Over.

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Charles W. Light, 1714 North Michigan Avenue, has received a letter from his daughter, Miss Charlotte G. Light, a member of the Harper base hospital unit of Detroit, who recently landed in Europe and when this letter was written was waiting to be sent to its base, back of the Allied fighting lines in France. This is the first word received from Miss Light, save for a one-word cablegram–"Safe"–sent the day her ship reached its European port.

Exciting Trip Over

The letter, dated July 24, but with nothing to indicate port from which it was written, reads in part as follows:

"After a very exciting trip through the war zone, hearing all kinds of dreadful things that had happened and seeing lots of wreckage, such as crates and boxes and trunks, we made a very peaceful harbor and I want to say that good old sand dunes and grass and trees look better to me than they ever did before.

"We were watched from above by a big dirigible – a ‘blimin,’ they call it – from which the crew can see down into the water and spot submarines, and we were mighty glad to see it coming our way as we neared the port. We have seen lots of airships since we landed, biplanes, etc., and it surely is wonderful the way they zip through the air. I will tell you when I get back where we landed and all about the harbor.

Through Beautiful Country

"We rode on a funny train through the loveliest country I have ever seen. I say ‘funny’ because they are so different from ours. Each coach has three or four compartments, each with its own door, and room for six people. They are very comfortable and we enjoyed our trip. The scenery was wonderful; such gardens of flowers, especially roses! I never in all my life saw so many roses. Of course, I have never been to California, but there are no such roses in Michigan.

"The evenings are very long here. It is 9:45 before it becomes dark and the people work in the fields until late in the evening–the women, children and old men. It seems so strange and sad not to see boys and young men anywhere about, except a few in uniform. Girls work in the baggage-rooms at the depots and at all lunch counters. I haven’t seen a street car yet, so I haven’t seen any of the women conductors. We see all varieties of soldiers, Australians, New Zealanders and English, but no French as yet.

Must Cross Channel

"I shall be very glad when we get across the channel. Our waiter was telling us this morning about his experience last winter on the channel, when he saw five boats sunk in two hours, and it made us feel pretty ‘woozy.’

"There are two airships passing over us now as I write. These are hydroplanes. I guess I didn’t say I am on a boat as I write this. Soon, probably, we will be sailing to France.

"We were rather sorry to leave the Mongolia, the boat on which we crossed the Atlantic. The crew and sailors all came on deck to see us off and one little Spanish sailor sang songs. They cheered and cheered as we left and our unit responded in kind."

Miss Light gives her address as: "U.S. Army Nurse Corps, American Expeditionary Force, France, Base Hospital No. 17."

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To read Sid's journey across the Atlantic (July 30 to Aug 10) click here

To read battery account click here 

Also see Clint's account, later in this section 

On July 13th 2 yrs ago this summer a little boat crept out of New York Harbor all alone, with all passengers off the decks, for fear some German-American might secretly inform the Fatherland that the time was ripe for the performance of another atrocity, were it noted that a hospital Unit was on the high seas. Silently this grey shell skipped across the water, zigzagging by night and by day, silent and dark by night, all eyes alert and all guns manned to meet the enemy, whose presence was ever felt.

If you can put yourself in the places of those on board, continuously wearing a life belt, attending frequent boat drills, going to bed in the dark with every port hole closed for fear of the escape of a possible ray of light, July nights in the warm Gulf stream, I believe you will realize how good old England looked to us on the morning of July 23rd when we landed at Plymouth. We sort of realized how those who made the voyage in the Mayflower felt about that good old Rock when they found its duplicate in our country after a perilous voyage.

After a very quiet trip across the channel in the British hospital ship Marilda (which now lies at the bottom of the channel torpedoed by a Hun submarine), and spending a few days in a quaint little convent in the seaport city of La Havie, and after a very tedious trip across France, we finally arrived at Dijon. Dijon is one of the larger cities of Northern France, near the Swiss Border. We were given a Royal Welcome by the French people here and driven in large French camions to our new home. We were most fascinated in our hospital site, a huge stone building, four stories high, located at the edge of the city. It was being used at that time as a French Military hospital and was evacuated shortly after our arrival. We were placed on July with the French nurses for the purpose of observing their methods and made many warm friends about both patients and nurses.

We were quite objects of curiosity as we were the first Americans in this section; our customs, clothing and manner of words never ceased to be a source of wonder to these people. We had patients enough to keep us busy in the work we expected to do, but we were never idle and our gauze work rooms produced huge quantities of dressings to be used later when the Yanks would be needing them. There was a certain amount of repairing and remodeling to be done, plumbing to be installed, etc, for the French idea of sanitation differs considerable from the American idea.

There were many wonderful women in the nursing profession in France. They are not trained as our women are trained, for if I am not mistaken there is but one training school for nurses in all of France. These girls came many of them from homes of luxury and gave their time in the hospitals caring for the wounded. However, I think there can be no comparison in the care which one soldier received day and night by trained nurses and the care given in their hospitals.

Among the first wounded which we received, in fact the first real convoy were Tommies. It was the time of the defeat at Soissons and these boys came directly from the battle field. We were usually notified in advance of a convoy but these boys were in the R.R. yards before we knew they were coming. You perhaps have an idea of what condition the soldier is in when he arrives at the hospital from the field. His wound has been dressed but he is tired out, hungry and dirty. How good those white beds look to them and how they do enjoy the bath which they need so much and get immediately.

These Tommies were very interesting patients; we usually had to ask them to repeat each sentence two or three times for their English was almost as hard as French to understand. Their one wish was to get back to Blighty and happy were they when a hospital train was announced which took them a step nearer to that beloved spot. They were very happy in our hospital and while we were sorry to have them go, we were very glad to have our own boys to care for.

Now we dreaded convoys and yet how happy we were to get them in, fed up, cleaned up and healed up, and how we dreaded sending them out, either on to another hospital or back to the front. You see, we had to be their Mothers and big sisters and we knew all about their homes back in God’s country, about Mother and sweetheart and wife and babies. Some of the boys were such children that you wondered how they had been allowed to get in the ranks.

At first they were sort of dazed, would gaze out into space for long periods of time and we tried to get them interested in books and letter writing so that they might forget the tortures they had been through. I recall one little 18 yr old farmer lad whose pal had been killed by the same shell which had wounded him. It was impossible to interest him in anything but his own thoughts and I shall never forget how happy I felt one morning to find him reading a magazine.

Night was a hard time, they went over the tops, hauled around artillery, fought all kinds of battles during the still small hours while they slept. More often they didn’t sleep, unused to such luxury as sleep after days without it. The night nurse would tip-toe into a ward and here and there would be the bright tip of a cigarette which told its own little story. Perhaps after a little lunch, which, be it noon or midnight and never comes amiss to a boy, a little alcohol bath and a change of position, old sleep would claim them. If in pain he wasn’t allowed to suffer for he had been through too much and we were mighty thankful that drugs were to be had to alleviate pain.

The spirit of the boys was wonderful. After the first few hard days they were so happy, so smiling, always so patient, thoughtful of others, of the nurses, and so anxious to get well to get back to the front with their regiments, to get that old Boche who had killed their pal or one of their favorite officers.

I have heard so many French people speak of the happiness of the American soldiers. They seem to wonder at it. No matter how tired he was or how long the hike he always had a smile and a cheery song to sing.

Our hospital was known as a base hospital but because we were so near the front most of the time we acted as an evacuation hospital, receiving convoys who had spent but a very short time in any other hospital and coming to us for first operations and being sent back as soon as possible. I shall never forget how we prepared for the St. Mihiel drive, the first big American offensive. Of course we had no idea just what was going to happen but we were prepared for something and you can imagine how happy we were to learn of the wonderful victory which had been accomplished with so little loss of life, practically none.

It was quite a contrast to the dreadful slaughter of the Meuse and Argonne offensive from which the hospital received such numbers. After visiting those battle fields and seeing at close range just what the boys had to go through in order to drive out an enemy who had been digging himself in for four years, one realizes the immensity of the struggle, what it really cost and a great love and admiration stirs you for each and every boy who went through it and there isn’t anything in the world that is too good for him and too much can’t be done for him to show our appreciation for his sacrifice.

I would like to speak of the work of the Red Cross in connection with the hospitals in France. Most of you have visited cantonments here at home and have seen the luxurious rooms furnished the boys for recreation. In America there are clean wholesome attractions afforded the boys outside of camp life, but in France, the Red Cross and the Y.M.C.A. and the K.C. rooms were practically the only place of real interest to the men and never will the people be forgotten who labored so hard to entertain and make comfortable the soldier in France.

I recall the little woman in our hospital Red Cross canteen, "Mother Stade,"as the boys called her. I have forgotten how many hundreds of gallons of cocoa she made each day, and every boy who could hobble was invited. He could have one or ten cups according to his capacity, so long as he didn’t waste any. Our hut was an old building in the hospital back yard, painted and remodeled. Bright curtains were hung, pretty shades for the lights and baskets of flowers made the place hark of home, and every boy adored Mother Stade. It wasn’t only the cocoa which made them love her. She just loved them all so much that they just couldn’t help adoring her.

After a convoy came in, as soon as possible after the rush was over, Red Cross bags, toothbrushes, paste, handkerchiefs, sweaters, socks, everything he needed for comfort was found for the boy from the Red Cross stores. A young lady came in with pencil and paper ready to write letters for those who didn’t feel like writing and they seemed always ready to do some little things which we wanted to do but couldn’t find the time for.

I had occasion to see a great deal of work at the Y.M.C.A. depot canteen also, for we helped over there occasionally before the place was fully established and when thousands of troops were being rushed through every day. The faithful untiring efforts of those women in making an attractive place for the boys to stay while waiting for trains and serving hot drinks and home made food, in being just friends with the lonely lads on their way to the front perhaps has been mighty worth while and will never be forgotten by the boys.

However we all realize that nothing could have been accomplished over there had it not been for the privation and loyal work of the folks back home and even more credit is due them for the exciting task is sometimes easier to perform than the task made up of drudgery and the work over here was oft time of drudgery.

Since the signing of the armistice and since so many of the wounded have been sent home, the work in the hospital is much lighter, although there is still much medical nursing to be done.

Now the boys are coming back to America, God’s country as they call it. You can’t realize what they means to them. While in France they’ve thought of this country in the most wonderful way, they’ve forgotten every unpleasant every horrid thing that ever happened over here, to them it means nothing but beauty, happiness loved ones and home. We all learned a big lesson over there, the lesson of "Service". We found we were happiest when we were doing something to make someone else happy. Every nurse will tell you that the hardest, longest days were the happiest ones.

We dreaded being away from home on Christmas and we found the boys dreaded it too, so we began to plan to make them forget their loneliness. We canvassed the town for materials, we started them cutting bells, stars and whatnot until every window was covered with decorations and Christmas trees were loaded, holly and ivy was hung all over the place and with band music, a good Xmas dinner, filled Red Cross socks and Christmas parties, the Xmas time was the happiest that all of us had ever known, for some of the boys have no homes and Xmas hadn’t meant much to them.

After our hospital was give over to our successors nearly all of our nurses were given an opportunity of visiting the battle fields. It was my good fortune to visit the Toule sector, St. Mihiel, Verdun, Mont Fancon and the Argonne forest, shortly after being evacuated by the Hun. These shell wrecked towns, shell pitted fields and demolished cemeteries makes one realize as in no other way the horror of war, the gratitude that it is over and the hope that it is truly over. The little lone graves on the hills side marked by little wooden crosses add a never to be forgotten feeling of hatred for the country and people who started such a useless slaughter and make one coming back to this wonderful country of ours feel that we must keep it free at any cost from any vice or intrigue which will undermine the loyalty of its citizens.

When we think of the blessings which America had bestowed upon us who are native born and upon the stranger and his children within her gates, when we think of what she has done in defending human rights and liberty, we feel such a wave of courage, daring and patriotism sweep over us that we want to kneel and kiss the very soil beneath our feet and shout America, we are yours through war and through Peace, until the end.

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Photo of Charlotte and Clint after the war

Clint Chilson's letter about the trip over:

Note: These letters were written by Clint Chilson on his trip to France. At the end of the voyage, his daily correspondence was censored, then mailed to his family. XXX marks words or lines blacked out. Written words that cannot be deciphered with complete confidence are enclosed in brackets [like this]

S.S.

Oct. 13, 1917

Dear folks: Am going to write a little bit every day and mail as soon as we hit port. It is now 8:45 P.M. and we have been on the old Atlantic about xx hours. Just where we are headed for don’t know as we are sailing under secret orders. The weather is fine and practically no sea at all. The boat rocks a little but not much more than on the Great Lakes. We have been out of sight of land for some time and when you look around you see nothing but water. No doubt this will get quite monotonous after a while. The boat is a xxxxx liner; not very large, but the quarters are very fair. There are four of us in a state room

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and with our baggage we don’t have a whole lot of room. We have the men and all things that pertain to them pretty well organized. There are about xxxx on board and it is no small job to keep them under proper control. The ship is in total darkness after sunset, no smoking allowed on deck and all port holes must be closed. We had lifeboat drill this P.M. and gave the men inspection with their life preservers. They will have to wear them constantly when we get in the danger zone. Am quite tired tonight because I was up all night looking after baggage and equipment. It was a terrible night outside, rainy and cold, so I consider myself more fortunate than the men who entrained in a pouring rain. Will get to bed early

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tonight and be prepared for anything that may come up tomorrow. Want to get some pictures on board and hope we have a few days like today. Will close for this time and add some more tomorrow.

Oct. 14, 1917

This is Sun. and I have spent a pleasant as well as interesting day. Rented a chair out this afternoon. I loafed on the hurricane deck. The sun was bright and warm and the ocean very calm. There are xxxxxxxx boats in this convoy. The xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Those of our ship’s crew have been in boats that were sunk by U-boats. The first mate was on the "Laconise," the steward was on the "Lusitania" when it went down. He told us all about it this morning and it is very thrilling. The ship’s Doctor was on a boat which was sunk near Gibralter. This afternoon all the life boats were inspected and also all the life belts. The men were ordered to wear them all the time from tonight on.

I am feeling fine. Have a wonderful appetite and eat three square meals a day. The food is very good and this being an English boat we get English cooking and service which is a little different than American.

Took a bath in salt water last night. Makes you feel fine but as a cleanser it does not answer the purpose. Impossible to make any lather but guess it will do until we get over. Expect we will be on ship two weeks at least.

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Oct 15,

Another nice day is just about gone and nothing exciting has happened. The boat just moves along at the same rate and all one can see is blue water and the sky. Spent considerable time on deck again enjoying the exceptional weather. The men were assigned their boats and positions today and I have just finished giving them a little talk on being ready at any time for an emergency call and to learn their positions by heart. There are some men who think they know more than the crew of the boat. They refuse to wear their life belt at all times and seem to think that the situation is somewhat of a joke. Any man found on deck without a life belt on after recall

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tonight will [be] summoned before a jury and his trip the rest of the way over will not be very pleasant. Every day we draw nearer to danger and a few men unorganized would cause us lots of fatalities.

Last night the men gave a concert. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. There are some very good voices and other talent. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx So far no trouble has been experienced and with good weather like we’ve been having, the men will keep in good humor.

About 10 o’clock last night I was strolling on the upper deck enjoying the fine weather and struck up a conversation with one of the crew. He was a wireless man just going on duty. Went to see his station and stayed with him a couple of hours xxxxxx he gets in communication with Wash. They give him the time, war warnings, weather and news of general interest. There were no war warnings and

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probably won’t be until a few days hence. He is a young chap but has been on a boat that was hit.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx of xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Am going up again tonight and get the news again.

The nights are dark and as you walk on the deck you can see nothing but the stars. Can’t distinguish any of the other ships. They make no noise and one would think that they were anchored. Must close and get ready for dinner. Will write again tomorrow.

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Oct 16, ‘17

This has been another nice day, no sea at all and warm enough to go on deck without my coat. This makes it fun for the men as it keeps sickness down and xxxxxxx a chance to rest. Had a little excitement about 10 o’clock this morning. Some boat within hearing distance fired ten shots but just what the significance of the shots were am unable to say. Perhaps another U-boat is resting on the bottom of the ocean. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx This was no further demonstration during the day. Was up in the wireless station again last night and got the results of the baseball series. The message stated that the White Sox beat the Giants 4-2 and they had won the series. We are about xxx miles out but as you can see are not isolated from the world. The wireless is a wonderful thing for ships. Can think of nothing more today so will close.

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Oct., 17 - 17

Another day has passed and nothing exciting has happened. The weather was a little cooler today and the ocean lost some of its calmness but so far it has not been so rough as to cause any inconvenience to those of us aboard. Think there is a storm approaching as it is cloudy outside tonight. Stood and watched the water this afternoon and it is a pretty sight where it gets stirred up.

We are going along about xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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So far the time has passed quickly and we are enjoying every hour of it. The air is certainly fine and there is plenty of it out here.

This morning the boat just ahead of us dropped back and had target practice. The boat had a six inch gun and ten shots were fired. This I think explains the shooting of yesterday. They say that our boat will try their hand at it tomorrow. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Will close for today.

Oct., 18, -17

Our good weather left us in the night and for the first time we are experiencing some rough weather. A high sea is running tonight and the boat is making some fine side dips. Sometimes it seems as though we were going to tip over but the old ship

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always rights itself. It is also cold and rainy which keeps me inside with nothing much to do. Have been reading and studying my French, but it is even hard work to do that with the boat pitching about. Attempted to walk the deck for a little excuse but as yet I haven’t developed my "sea legs" so I gave it up as I was afraid I might slip on the wet decks.

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place today so there isn’t much to write about. We have a British Naval officer with us and I spent a couple of hours in his cabin this afternoon. He has been on a furlough and is returning to report for duty. Has been in several engagements and tells some interesting tales. Have a little headache tonight so will close and get into bed. Am going to get all the sleep I can before we get in the danger zone because there I am going to keep close to the lifeboats. Will write again tomorrow.

Clint

Oct., 19 -17

Last night and today has been some rough and in fact I didn’t sleep much last night, the boat rolled and pitched so much. At times I thought we were going to turn turtle but so far we are right side up. Got up once

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in the night and chased some of my shoes and other baggage that had rolled out of my room and I wasn’t the only one who was up. The companion ways were filled with clothes, shoes and other things and also a few humans running out to the edge of the boat. Quite a lot of sickness this morning on board. I haven’t been sea sick as yet but I have got a terrible cold in my head which makes me feel miserable. Outside of the weather nothing exciting has happened. The roll of the boat makes it hard to write so will close for today.

Clint

Sat. Oct., 20, -‘17

A week has passed and we are still sailing on. Seems strange

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to be on the water for so long a time but can’t say anything no matter how bad we would like to see land. The weather has been a little better today but not pleasant enough to get out of doors so I have been reading and sleeping most of the time. Hope tomorrow we can get outside. The boat rolls around but we are getting used to it. Last night they put the plate rails on the tables but that didn’t stop soup and coffee from going into a few laps.

As this is Sat. night I suppose the family is gathering around the fireplace and discussing the topics of the day. Am wondering how long before I will be there. Not for a while at least. I still have my cold and feel disagreeable. Hope it passes off in a few days. Will close for the day.

Clint

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Sun Oct., 21st

The storm and my cold have somewhat abated which doesn’t make me feel bad. The sun is shining and it is mild enough to sit on the deck once more. Not very pleasant to be cooped up in a boat, but when it is bad weather on the sea you just have to stay inside and hang onto your chair.

Had a concert scheduled for Fri. night but sickness on part of talent and also part of the "gallery" prevented it. They gave it tonight and we enjoyed an hour of music and speaking.

The report came thru this morning of a naval engagement in the No. Sea and we were informed that

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several German ships had broken thru. Would hate to see just one modern ship get xxxxxxxxxxxx

We wouldn’t last long. Fear raiders worse than U boats out here. So far we haven’t been bothered with either but we have four or five more days to go and we all wait developments. Expect the cruisers and destroyers will pick us up some time xxxxx and for my part I will feel a lot more safe.

Suppose you are all home today and I have been wondering what you are doing. I have been reading and sleeping most of the day. Took a walk around the deck after supper and drove just left the concert. Nothing else to do so will crawl in my bunk and dream of U boats. Will write tomorrow.

Clint

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Oct., 22- 17

One nice day was all the weatherman allowed us and today has been very stormy. More sea than at any other time and the temp. has also dropped a few degrees. The waves are the kind you read about, they look like mountains xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx will disappear from sight until we would think they had gone down to the bottom. Our ship does a lot of rolling and it is not an uncommon sound to hear dishes and pans clattering around. Makes it rather difficult to write so if you can’t read parts of this letter don’t lay it entirely to my early educators. It’s about like trying to write a letter in an auto.

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The close confinement and the rolling of the boat has caused considerable sickness xxxxxxxxxxx

Hope we get some good weather before landing so they can stand the rest of the trip or we will have to camp a few on stretchers.

We are now in the danger zone and naturally the topic of conversation is "Subs." Had life boat drill this P.M. and it was carried thru with not a hitch. I don’t fear the daytime but at night an attack would mean a xxxxxxxxx. The nights are as dark as any I ever saw and with a high sea running it would be a hard task to get in the lifeboats and get away from the boat.

Nobody is especially worried; if we get hit there will be plenty of time to worry so we are just awaiting result. Will close for today.

Clint (Page 19)

Oct., 23-17

Our bad weather is still with us but we are still going on toward our destination. With good luck we ought to get in sometime Friday. Have been busy looking over men’s mess today. Officers are detailers each day to go down below and see that no trouble occurs. Once in a while someone starts a riot but we haven’t had any trouble to speak of so far. The boys are giving a minstrel show tonight and as it is about time to go will close for today. Storm is getting close.

Clint

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We are now going thru one of the most terrible storms I ever saw. Since xxxxxxxx last night it has been getting worse and while I am writing it is at its height. There is a sixty mile gale blowing and the sea is a mass of white foam. The waves are like small mountains and where the boats go down in one of the troughs it is lost for a few seconds. Words can’t describe it and I will be mighty glad when the voyage is ended. They can all travel by sea that want to but for mine, I’ll stay on dry land. We have been forced out of our course which will make us late in getting in. Expect to pick up the cruiser and destroyers today but probably won’t until the storm abates. Rotten luck is what I call it. Just have to wait for better or worse.

Clint

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Oct. 25/17

When I looked out the port late this morning it was a sight to behold. The sea was acting like mad and about every 15 minutes we would pass thru squall of hail. Guess you knew from this that we are experiencing some terrible weather and for the last 36 hours have made very little progress. This means we will be at least 24 hours late in arriving. Learned that yesterday morning we had turned around and were going in the direction of N.Y. again. Did this to head into the storm.

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The old boat takes some nice dives and comes up with her nose full of water and this will spray all over the ship. Once in a while we get a little sunshine but it doesn’t last long. Hope this storm will break and tomorrow will come in with good weather. Nothing exciting has happened on board but we are all more or less nervous. Great life this; can picture mother taking a sea voyage. The last two days would mean her finish. "Us land lubbers’ doesn’t know what a storm means. Must close for today.

Clint (Page 23)

Sept* 26-17

[* as written]

Still sailing on and we are in the worst part of the danger zone, although I must say that ocean travel is dangerous anywhere you go. If it isn’t U boats it’s raiders. The weather has abated but we are all a little nervous and about the only thing that will look good to all of us will be land. So far we have had no escort thru the zone so we are running the gauntlet alone. Will tell you the reasons for above worries when I get back but can’t say much in letters. I perceive that some of this letter will be censored by the boat censor. We are censoring the men’s mail and the officers’ mail is to be turned in to the purser and be censored in his office. Some of the letters I censored were funny.

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One chap from Kansas wrote home and told his father he couldn’t see why Kansas was so dry when there was so much water in the world. I guess there are a lot of others that feel the same way.

Am going out on deck and look for U boats so will close for today.

Clint

Sept* 27/17

This morning the sun came out in all its glory and the ocean has calmed down considerably. We are still in danger zone and getting near the place where a good many vessels have been sunk. Our nervous condition has been relieved at the appearance of two destroyers which will escort us in. We are approaching land and can see the high cliffs and snow-capped mountains. Can’t tell where in this letter. We are not going to proceed

27/17 (cont)

any further as there is a certain area that is treacherous so will wait until morning. The scenery of the surrounding country is very pretty to look at but that is about all. No doubt you will all guess and wonder where we are and I am sorry I cannot describe it but it is impossible. We are taking a round about way to get to our destination and when I get back will tell you the whole story and believe me some parts of it will make your hair stand on end. Think one more day will finish the trip. Hope so will write you again tomorrow.

Clint

28/17

Sometime in the night we pulled out of our port or stopping place

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and when we looked out this morning we were anchored in a different port or harbor. Lots of ships in here and high mountains on both sides of us. Don’t know how long we will be here but probably will pull out sometime tonight and go on to our final destination. We all wanted to get shore leave today but they refused to let us off the boats so we must pass another Sunday aboard ship. It is a very pretty day, weather mild, and a bright sun which shines on the snow covered mountains making a very pretty sight. Wish I could tell you where we are and more about it but can’t so will close for today.

Clint

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Oct. 28 -17

We left port again last night and are now nearing our destination which will be England. Can’t tell you the name of the port but it is one of the large sea port towns. We are now about halfway across the Irish sea. The day is clear and quite cold and practically no sea at all. This is another place that is infested with the "iron fish" as they call them. We have several destroyers with us and feel quite safe but one can never tell what will happen these days.

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Sure will be glad to land. Think this will wind this letter up. Probably have said more than I should and as I said before may be censored.

Well, we are in sight of land and one destroyer is in sight. I have ..... detailer to act as Q.M. for the command and will have charge of all our supplies and equipment. Three more destroyers have picked us up to help take us in. The passage is heavily mined and the ships must travel with great care. The Germans sure have raised Hell with shipping and the pleasure is all taken out of pleasure reading on the high seas.

We have taken a roundabout way to get to port and our boat is four days overdue. No doubt you are worrying and I will send you a cablegram just as soon as we get in . Am feeling fine in spite of our long confinement on ship.

We have in our Squadron as 1st Lieutenant a Mr. McIves from Detroit, also Mr Beuchnell. McIves lives at 561 Semiole Ave , Detroit and I want you to drop over and see his wife some time. He will be with us and will act as construction Lieut. He is a fine fellow and I am glad that he and Beuchnell were assigned to our squadron. Don’t fail to see his wife; know she will be pleased.

Must close and get busy with my details. Love to all. Let Pat and others know of my trip and extend my best regards and wishes to all. Will write again when we get located. Close with love.

Clint

1st Lieut. A.S.S.C. U.S.A.

51st Areo Squadron

American Exped. Force – France via New York