[ NOTE: IF YOU ARE READING THIS SERIES FOR THR FIRST TIME, IT'S BEST TO START AT THE BEGINNING]

More diary entries -

Nov. 28, 1917, Wed., Cold. Cloudy. Windy.

We drilled - had talk on going into our trench sector & hiked in overcoats this a.m. Very windy - air full of dust. Went to barber shop this p.m. Loafed & read. School in p.m. and evening. Letters from Howard Field & Frank Yates. Ans'd. Bed early.

Nov. 29, 1917, Thur., Thanksgiving Day. Rainy. Cold.

Went over and made complete study of trench system, going all through the sector we are to occupy tomorrow night. Had sweet corn bread, jam, & coffee for lunch. Big feed at night. Slept all afternoon and wrote Spike and grandma. Had turkey, gravey, cranberry sauce, plum pudding, cocoa, bread & butter, mince pie, mashed potatoes & (?). Talked in evening & smoked. Bed early.

Nov. 30, 1917, Frid., Cold. Cloudy. Some rain.

Had monthly muster this a.m. and signed payrolls. School at 1:30. Prepared to go into trenches, and wrote during p.m. Started for trenches about 8:30 - went clear through - our platoon under Lt. Stout occupied firing trenches. Were in dugout 2 - and had post (?). Were very busy, being tested completely by umpires. Not a man got by. I captured Gen. Phillips, Col. Bates & Gen. Wadsworth and 6 Am. officers & 12 French officers.

Dec. 1, 1917, Sat., Cold. Cleared up.

In trenches. Things fairly quiet. Had gas attack and retreat to B. trench. No breakfast. I had just 2 hours sleep out of 24 in trenches. Things went OK. Great experience! Arrived back in camp - dead tired, hungry & froze at 11:30 p.m. Bed about 12:30. Dead tired.

Dec. 2, 1917, Sun., Fair. Warmed up.

Slept until reveille. After breakfast went to bed and slept until 12:00. After lunch prepared for guard mount. Went on regimental guard as Sergt. of Guard with McGuire as my (?). Everything went OK. Slept from 11-12:30.

Dec. 3, 1917, Mon, Clear & partly cloudy. Cool.

Up 2:30 - inspected guards. Very busy all day. Tour of guard very successful - not a sight call. (Was congratulated by Lt. Stout for our loyal support in our success in the trenches) Came off guard duty at 4:30. Good supper. Wrote letters. Bed early. 

Dec. 4, 1917, Tues., Cloudy. Warm.

Drill in Close order & extended order this a.m. Slow at first, but finished strong in 3 deep game. Had combat problems and practice march this p.m. Good supper. Letter from Uncle D., E. Hoffman & Sis. Wrote. School after supper. Bed early. Expect to go on guard at 2:00.

Dec. 5, 1917, Wed., Partly cloudy. Cool wind.

Went on guard from 2 - 6. Had a run-in with the 1st Sgt. Kiley about food. We guarded a section of the trench system - i.e. 4th Platoon. Then when we came in this a.m. all us in 24th tent went asleep and missed our breakfast. Slept until 10 - shaved before dinner. On (?) from 2 - 5:30 again this p.m. Co. dance tonight. Took Street Sgt. for evening for Bill McGuire. Bed rather late.

Dec. 6, 1917, Thur., Fair. Cool. Some wind.

On trench guard from 2 - 6 a.m. In at 6. Slept until 7. Then I slept from 7:30 - 11:30. Up and had lunch at 1:00. Wrote a few letters. Out on guard duty from 2:30 - 6:00 this p.m. Pretty good supper. Wrote letters. Bed early.

Letter to Aunt Nell -

Camp Wadsworth, USA

December 6, 1917

Dear Aunt Nell : -

Just a few lines to let you know I survived the trenches.

We went in at 8:30 last Friday night and came out at 11:00 Saturday night. We had a rather cold spell - and our men made a great record. Lieut. Stout - a regular army officer - who has been attached to our company - and was given the fourth platoon. He selected Sergeants MacDonnell, Selee and myself as his 3 sergeants. Mac is a lawyer, Selee the Edison Electric expert and I'm the vet. of the platoon. Both Mac and "Don" are both nearly new men - 1 1/2 years service - while I'm going on my fourth year - and have more experience, So you see with a regular army [not federalized Nation Guard]  platoon leader, and us three Sergeants - with eight good corporals and 40 odd good husky privates - we're some gang. Our platoon had the first line sector. You see, there's the firing trenches - occupied by 1st platoon, the cover trenches (2nd. line) by a platoon - the 3rd line are the support trenches and the 4th line the reserve trenches. Ordinarily - the 1st platoon holds the firing trench. If attacked the 2nd line covers to our aid. If we make a charge over the top - the 3rd. & 4th. line come up through the connecting trenches until the first line and A - B approaches are packed. Then - we go over the top together. Again if the 1st line is driven back - we go back to C trench and then C is our front line and D our cover, or support, trench - with E then being filled with the extra men. The enclosed map [which follows] shows how our sector looked. The shelters are chambers on the level with the trench - covered. The dugouts are down deep. In the shelter - the men simply wait, rest, smoke, and eat. In the dugouts men sleep, headquarters are placed and the telephone installed. I'll diagram the shelters & dugouts too.

Clyde's sketch of trench training site

More trench training site notes & sketch

We had a very successful tour as no men were caught asleep, or relaxing in vigilance, and every observer (acting enemy) that tried to sneak up on us was caught. We were poorly provided with food as we were in too short a time to devise a system. One man who carelessly clothed himself is now sick with pneumonia - but not seriously. Everyone got covered with dirt & mud and all learned a lot about trench life. Next time - Monday night - we go in for 48 hours. We will have (4th platoon) - the B trench for 24 hours - the C trench for 12 hours and D & E for 12 hours. Our platoon made such a record - the best of the whole 48 companies - that we are to have it as easy as possible next time.

We go, the latter part of next week to the rifle range - 36 miles into the Blue Ridge to stay about 10 days. We will spend 3 days marching up - 12 miles a day - and will spend 2 nights on the road up in pup tents, Will have big tents while there. The range has 222 targets so that 444 men can be on the firing line at once for time firing. Some range! We return in 2 days!

Since coming out of the trenches last Sat. night I have been Sergt. of the Regimental guard for 24 hours - during which period - one of 88 hours, I had just 10 hours sleep! Then we drilled one day - and have just finished a 48 hour tour of guarding the trench system - coming off at 6 p.m. today. I've been on the job for the whole 48 hours - sleeping about a quarter of that time.

The papers and magazines came OK and were more welcome than ever - as I have had them out at my headquarters on the guard lines - and believe me - as I sat by the fire between visits to my sentries on post - they helped wonderfully to pass the time! Joe Toombs, Sergt. MacDonnell and "Don" are now reading them.

I had quite a run in with our 1st Sergeant yesterday and as a consequence things have been going rather rough! In fact - I've made things pretty miserable for him. You see - he's had a lot of army experience, but is very ignorant, having no education, therefore is terribly inefficient as a first sergeant. The captain wanted me to explain why I called him so many harsh names, etc. before other men. As an answer - I gathered sixty - odd men who had grievances against the 1sr Sgt. and took 'em all up to the capt. Every decent man had some fact of the Sergeants ignorant bullying, bull headed work - and as a consequence, Mr. top Sergt. leaves tonight for N. Y. City - and soon to be transferred to some other company, or at least - such is the rumor in Co. street.

Things weren't going very well here. The men from the old 1st. Regt. are very dissatisfied - as the officers, and most of the Sergeants, are old 7th men. You see - they all think they aren't being treated the same as the old 7th men. Personally, I have rec'd just as fair treatment and gotten as much consideration & praise as any sergeant in the Co.

So, I've no pick. One example of how the men feel - (the old 1st men). The capt. asked that every man who wanted to transfer to the remount station put in his name. Out of 103 old 1st men in M Co. 87 handed in their names for a transfer out of this Co.

Well - I must close as I'm so sleepy I don't know which end of the pencil I'm using, so will say good night, hoping to hear from you soon.

With much love, / Clyde

Observations - Clyde's map and legend of the trench warfare system is well done and quite interesting. Hopefully it will help prepare them for real battleground experience.

Next up - More diary entries and another letter to Aunt Nell.