Chapter 11

August 5, 1918

I work on the kitchen police all day washing dirty pots and bringing water from the water cart that is about 100 yards away for cooking and washing purposes. We have a physical examination at 7:30 p. m., and every man is supposed to be present. It does not take us long to finish washing pots after supper.

August 6, 1918

Am on the kitchen police again all day washing and scrubbing pots and pans. The three platoons go to the rifle range for target practice, and two of us K. P.s. and a cook carry dinner to them on the field kitchen. Several of the fellows make good scores on the range with their rifles.

August 7, 1918

Work on kitchen police all day scrubbing pots and pans and bringing water from the water cart to the kitchen. We do not have any dishes to wash as the fellows all have mess kits. We sit a pot of hot water out in the field near the kitchen for them to wash their kits in. It does not take us long to complete our work after supper. German 'planes pass over at night bound toward the port towns to bomb them. They do not drop any bombs about Proven as they pass over as they have been doing. Write several letter to the States.

August 8, 1918

As usual I spend the day on the kitchen police detail scrubbing pots and bringing water from the water cart. The company drills on the old aviation field nearby in the morning and afternoon. At night the German 'planes come over again to bomb towns, this time dropping a few bombs close to Proven on their way. The search-lights get busy searching for the raiders while the machine and anti-aircraft guns start a barrage on them. It looked for a while that the Germans were trying to locate our camp as they gave us a few bombs for souvenirs.

August 9, 1918

Work on the kitchen police all day scrubbing pots and pans. After dinner another fellow and I have a steady job bringing water from the water cart to the kitchen. It does not take long after supper to clean all the pots and pans and get through all the work. At night German 'planes pass over, headed for the port towns to bomb them, while British 'planes go over the German lines to bomb their towns. They (the Germans) do not drop any bombs near Proven as they pass over that town.

August 10, 1918

I spend my last day on the kitchen police. After we have completed our work at the kitchen after supper, I go to the battalion minstrel show that shows in a former British Y. M. C. A. hut. Four or five fellows from Company F belong to the show. I enjoyed it better than lots of the shows that I have seen in the States. It lasts for two hours and we were kept laughing all the time. This show was gotten up by our regimental chaplain in order to help us get some amusement.

August 11, 1918

The company is excused from all duties during the day as it is Sunday. Several of us fellows go to Proven in the morning and learn all the latest rumors. This town has a population of about 3,000 people and has not been damaged by shell fire. I stop a while in an estaminent crowded with French and Belgian soldiers and Belgian civilians. On the wall is plastered a large notice warning all soldiers to not talk about the movement of troops or discuss anything of the late happenings in regard to the war as there may be spies about.

August 12, 1918

The fourth platoon takes a 14-kilometer hike in the morning, carrying only rifles and side-arms. We start at 7:30 a.m. and get back in time for dinner. We hike to where the platoon had worked on the pill boxes while stationed below Poperinghe and stop a while and chat with our former instructors. The pill box that I had helped work on is not quite completed, but the instructor says it will be soon. The company drills all the afternoon on the aviation field. The fourth platoon goes on guard at 5:30 p.m., relieving another company. I get the gate post and my orders are to take the name of any man coming after taps has blown, and in case any gas shells are thrown over by Fritz to give the alarm. About 11 p.m., German 'planes bomb the railroad near Proven, but they are soon run away by the anti-aircraft and machine guns.

August 13, 1918

We are relieved from guard at 7 p.m., by one of the other companies. The company drills in the morning and is given the afternoon to wash dirty clothes. I go to Proven after supper, but there is nothing unusual happening there. English soldiers march through about dark headed for the front. Following them is several batteries of English artillery and lorries with anti-aircraft guns mounted on them.

August 14, 1918

All the morning is spent checking our equipment to find out what each fellow is short. With 11 others I am selected from the fourth platoon to attend handgrenade school that will begin in the afternoon. Dinner finished we start for the place the school is to be held. Reaching there we begin practicing throwing dummy handgrenades and for nearly two hours we are kept doing this. Then each man is given a live grenade to throw. We get in a small place surrounded by sandbags and pick as a target a little mud hole filled with water and toward them we throw our grenades. We return to camp in time to stand retreat.

August 15, 1918

We go to the handgrenade school again in the morning and continue practicing throwing grenades. The company drills an hour in the afternoon and is then dismissed in order that we might attend an athletic meet between American, British, French and Belgian soldiers. The Belgians get the best of the meet. Plans are made for another meet at an early date to be held at the same place.

August 16, 1918

We are given the day off in order to have time to wash our dirty clothes and clean our rifles and bayonets. The lieutenant says that we are to move back to near where we were formerly stationed in dug-outs in a day or two, and that he wants every man to have all of his clothes clean, as it will nearly be impossible to get a place to wash them when we move. We get paid at 7:30 p.m. getting paid as usual in French money. The fellows flock to Proven and buy souvenirs and eats. A good meal (beef steak, a couple of eggs, and a few fried potatoes) costs eight or ten francs. A fellow can get only a few meals before his francs are gone.

August 17, 1918

We drill in the morning and afternoon on the old aviation field. We are expecting orders any hour to move to a place near Vlamertinghe. Fritz sends over a few shells at night, but they all hit near Proven. German planes come over at night and bomb.