Chapter 6

June 18, 1918
 
A detachment of English non-commissioned officers arrive in the morning to act as instructors in the use of the gas-mask, rifle, bayonet, and helmet, to our non-commissioned officers, who will in turn instruct the enlisted men of the company. The company is formed at the regular drill hour, 8 a. m., and marched to a nearby field that has been selected as a drill ground while we remain in the village, and while half of the noncoms receive their instructions, the other half drills the company in platoon and company formation. We are marched back to our billets at 11:30 a. m., for dinner, returning to the drill ground at 1 p. m., for the afternoon drills, but instead of drilling the privates, while the noncoms receive their instructions from their English instructors, go on a hike, hiking part of the time with gas makes on. We return to Herbinghen at 4 p. m., and are dismissed for the rest of the day. The first sack of mail for the company since its arrival in France reaches us late in the afternoon. Three of us fellows are put on guard at night guarding the kitchen and rations. We guard in three reliefs, my relief being from 10 p. m., to 2 a. m. I watch the English searchlights scouring the sky for German night raiders, in the hope that I might get an opportunity to watch an air battle at night.
 
June 19, 1918
 
For the first time since reaching France it rains. This makes it impossible for us to drill so the C. O. tells us to spend our time cleaning and oiling our rifles and bayonets and checking our personal equipment to see whether we are short any articles or not. I clean and oil my rifle and bayonet in the morning and in the afternoon I go to the writing room and write home and talk with the French or rather try to talk with them. They are very polite to me and though I cannot speak their language, we make ourselves understood. I really start my first lesson in French.
 
June 20, 1918
 
We leave Herbinghen at 8:30 a. m. on the march with full packs and march to Guemy range, eight kilometers away. We pitch "pup" tents (each man carries a shelter-half. To make a tent, two men button their shelter-halves together) in the edge of some woods. Two platoons, the first and second, work in the rifle pits in the afternoon. The ranger, which is to be used for rifle target practice only, is being built on the edge of a hill. It begins to rain after dark and it makes me feel uncertain as to whether my tent will blow down or not.
 
June 21, 1918
 
It rains all night, but my tent does not blow down nor does the rain run under me. In the morning the company marches to the top of the hill and drills, and in the afternoon works on the range. While we are at the range working we learn we are to get a new captain. We are given a certain amount of work to do and upon its completion we stroll about the hill, looking for pieces of old hand grenades and shells. (The hill had formerly been used as an artillery range and for hand grenade practice.) I find several pieces of these, but they are too heavy to carry in my pocket so I throw them away. I missed reveille in the morning so I am given extra duty after supper. I carry all of the garbage from the kitchen to a hole about 200 yards away and empty it. This keeps me busy until dark.
 
June 23, 1918
 
We roll packs in the morning and hike back to Herbinghen, making the hike in two hours and 10 minutes. We passed by scores of French civilians going to church as we are on our way to Herbinghen. I received a letter from home in the afternoon, the first letter I have received since being in France. It was dated May 16, taking it over a month to reach me. Immediately after supper the company is paid getting instead of American money French francs. I draw lots of paper, but little money, as it takes over five francs to equal an American dollar.
 
June 24, 1918
 
We are forced to leave the drill ground in the morning on account of a steady downpour of rain. We spend the rest of the morning cleaning our files and bayonets. It rains all day and we are unable to have any formations. I spend the afternoon with a French family trying to learn their language and more about their customs. I am able to speak a few words that they can understand after listing carefully to what they say and watching their actions. We have an enjoyable time. The Frenchman brings up a fresh bottle of beer from the cellar and we have several drinks together. Any little kindness you may do for a Frenchman always brings "merci" (thank you.) The French are a very patriotic people. Before they begin school the little kids know the national anthem and are constantly singing or humming it. The people at home, even though the issue of rations is small, save part of it to send to their friends and relatives at the front. The people are hard workers, the old as well as the young work in the fields doing the work of some soldier that is at the front defending France. There are no pretty girls to be seen as the work in the fields is hard and soon causes beauty to fade away. But even though their lot is a heavy one, they are always cheerful.
 
June 25, 1918
 
All the morning is spent getting instruction from our company and English non-coms in how to use the gas-mask, rifle, bayonet, and when they are to be used. We get 50 minutes instruction on each of these. The company non-coms give the instruction while the English non-coms look on and see that the instructions are given correctly. The same thing is repeated several times when explaining the details of the rifle and bayonet, and especially the gas-mask. We are glad when recall blows, for we are kept on the go all the morning by our instructors. In the afternoon the non-coms go to the drill ground to receive new instructions, while the privates take a long hike, marching most of the way back with gas-masks on. Before being dismissed our platoon sergeant says for every man to clean his rifle before retreat, for it is expected that the company will go on the rifle range in a day or two.
 
June 26, 1918
 
I answer sick call (sick call goes at 8 a. m.) in the morning to get some medicine for a headache. The major in charge of the infirmary marks me quarters. The company goes to the rifle range and stays all day, but on account of being marked quarters, am unable to go. The cooks go to the range at 4 p. m. and do their share of the shooting, as they are supposed to fight like the rest of the fellows. The officers are satisfied with the scores made by the men on the range. After sun-down the big guns at the front open fire and continue their firing until midnight.
 
June 27, 1918
 
We get our regular instructions in the morning. The same program that we have been going through for the past several days is continued. In the afternoon the third and fourth platoons are sent to the rifle range that the company recently used, to make some improvements. The first and second platoons go on a somewhat similar detail. The range has been built in a cultivated field and is made for short range firing only. We stop work at 4:30 p. m. and return to our billets.