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