More diary entries -

July 5, 1918, Fridat, Fair. Warmer. Langres - Marne.

Up at 6:45. Fine meals - best I've had in all my service here! On 200 yard range this a.m. shooting at 8" bull, 4 sec. disapp'g silhouettes and moving silhouettes (?) much better than average. Had whole afternoon working with & being lectured on range finders - both B&L [Bausch & Lomb] and Barr & Stroud [Barr & Stroud Limited was a pioneering Glasgow optical engineering firm. They played a leading role in the development of modern optics, including rangefinders]. Very interesting. Lecture at 7 p.m. on minor tactics. Covering new assault formation. Saw "David Copperfield" movie after. 2 francs due me from Pinkerstone. (Paid)

July 6, 1918, Sat. Fair. Very Warm. At O.S. School.

At 100 yard range all a.m. after a bit of close order & physical. Shot rifles in fixed rest & transversing mounts, used telescopic sighted rifles and shot with the sniperscope attachment. In the shooting - high man now has 45 pts., 2nd 40 and I have 35 - third. All the rest 30 or below. Had demonstration & drill in new formations from 1-3. Came in, took a good shower. After supper took my laundry downtown, 'round a bit - in quite early. Wrote.

July 7, 1918. Sun. Beautiful day. Langres - Marne.

Up at 7:15. Good breakfast. Washed & had a shave. Wrote Anna & Grandma Spoor and worked on notes all a.m. Wonderfully Sunday like day - bringing hundreds of memories of El Refugio, the home folks and her. Cpl. Bliss, 1st Antiaircraft M.G. [Machine Gun] Battalion, Co. A down to call on me. He & (?) are only 10 Kilo's from here. Expect Al down soon. "Al" came down in p.m. and we had some old visit. Gee! but he looked good to me! Wrote a few letters in p.m. Bed early. To movies in evening - saw "The Field of Honor." [1917. Two soldiers are in love with the same woman. Before they go off to war, she marries one of them, who turns out to be a coward in battle. The other soldier, believing that his rival has been killed, takes it upon himself to protect the man's reputation, only to find out that he isn't dead after all.]

July 8, 1919, Mon. Very Warm. Fair. O&S School.

Up at 6:20. Rotten night's rest - too darned hot to sleep - our first uncomfortably warm night. Had C.O. drill & physical, rifle insp. and lecture & practice on night patrols this a.m. with dark glasses. Hot stuff. Finished a.m. with gas mask hike - those damnable masks! Good luncheon. Took nap after noon. In p.m. had lecture & demonstration in both prismatic compasses and observation posts. Won a Springfield with Winchester telescope sight today.  First name on the list, too. Only 10 rifles in the whole class! Boys! Ha! Ha! Wrote notes & studied in evening. Bed early. Warm.

July 9, 1918, Tues., Some rain - cloudy - cooler. A.I.S.S. School.

Up at 6:30. On 100+ range this a.m. Shot my new rifle - took 2 shots to get into bull. - then made 8 hits in a 3" bullseye. Grouped and zeroed all morning. Had lecture on S.P.'s [?] and constructed some temporary O & SP's [?] this p.m. and an hour of gas drill - in a relay race with masks on. Wrote notes all evening. Bed early again. Have a slight cold. Specialties here - Musketry & Bayonet; O&S; Trench mortar; Rifle grenade; (?) pound - 37mm cannon; Hand grenade; Minor tactics.

July 10, 1918, Wed., Cloudy. Some rain. Army Inf'y Specialists School. Langres.

Up early - feeling rotten. Cramps in stomach, diarrhea and a cold. Had finding position work with maps, etc. all forenoon - and a gas lecture and athletics in p.m. Darned great sports but I was too sick to enjoy them. Went to bed early - couldn't eat any supper. Slept by fits all night. Darned sick.

July 11, 1918, Thur., Fair. Cooler. A.I.S.S. (O&S)

Up early. Feel a bit better - but darned weak. No appetite or pep. Had scouting lecture & a village patrol this a.m. Built some very well concealed O.P.'s this p.m. - worked at it all p.m. Good supper (syrup, bread & butter, coffee, potato salad and salmon). Formation at 8:40 p.m. & marched out to see a demonstration a T.M +/(?) convoy barrage followed by rifle & hand grenade attack and a bayonet rush. Some noise, very realistic and decidedly thrilling. Real enough so 1 man lost a hand and a few were hurt.

July 12, 1918, Friday. Fair. Warmer. At O&S School.

Up early. Had a "canteen wash". Good breakfast. On 400+ range this a.m. - shot at 12" bull, 4 sec. silhouette and walking silhouette. Did very good on all 3. On 100+ range this p.m. shot 3" group with Win. Tel. st. 5 shots and a 4" group with W.&S. T.S. Hit a loophole target 3 ex 5 and 2 ex 5 on a periscope target. At a lecture on minor tactics [the art of fighting individuals or small units] betw. 7-9 p.m. by a French Capt. Afterwards saw the film "They're Off!" Mighty good! (Capt. Cassell - Engineers)

[They're Off! - 1917 - Rita Hackett's father has unscrupulously gained possession of an old southern mansion. The owner, Randolph Manners, is evicted and takes up residence in the training quarters on the estate. It is there when Rita meets Randolph and learns of her father's deeds. Rita disguises herself as a jockey and enters a a race, determined to help Randolph reclaim what is his.]

July 13, 1918, Sat., Fair. Very Warm. Turraine Barracks. Langres.

Up early. Feel pretty good. Shaved. Had c.o.'s physical - lecture on patrols & sketching & a practice patrol this a.m. - also did a small panoramic sketch. Had practice in minor tactics this p.m. - in a platoon organization in trenches. Took shower bath after, changed clothes, and took out laundry & went about town a bit after supper. All O&S men in one bi room now.

July 14, 1918, Sunday, Cloudy. Some Rain. Warm

Today is the French Independence Day. Wrote a bunch of letters all forenoon. Shaved in p.m. and took a walk around the walls of this city - saw places occupied by the Romans at the source of the Marne in 36 B.C. Went to lecture & movies in evening. Bill Harte in "The Primal Lure" a tale of the north country.

[The Primal Lure is a lost 1916 silent film western directed by and starring William S. Hart. Angus McConnell is factor of the outpost of the Hudson Bay Company which is dignified by the name of Fort Lu Cerne. The summer has been disastrous for the trappers, and they are deeply in the company's debt for provision. Angus keeps account of what they owe in a little book, and one night this precious book disappears. Angus vows all manner of vengeance on the culprit who has taken it. He keeps close watch on the office, and at last he beholds Lois Le Moyne, belle of the outpost, rummaging about his desk. Unknown to him, she has come to make him a gift of a beautiful pair of moccasins, made with her own fair hands, so he concludes she is the thief, and has her thrown into the goal. Then Richard Sylvester, the company inspector, comes to Fort Lu Cerne on the rounds. He sees Lois, falls in love with her, and has her released. On his promise that he will have Angus dismissed as factor and himself appointed, she agrees to wed him. This he accomplishes, and Angus takes to the trail alone. But before the wedding can take place an epidemic of sickness breaks out, and in terror the cowardly Sylvester flees with his bodyguard. Angus, who has heard that the Blackfeet Indians are about to descend on the outpost to demand a white person to be sacrificed as an offering to the god who has brought down the plague, happily returns at this time and resumes the reins of authority. The Indian attack takes place, and after a thrilling fight, in which the whites are greatly outnumbered, Angus goes forth to offer himself as the victim. He is miraculously saved, however, and returns to the fort. But he finds that all the garrison have gone save Lois; and with these two great enemies along in a terrible situation there comes about a great finish to a remarkable film. -- Moving Picture World, June 3, 1916.]

Up next - Letter to Aunt Nell.