More diary entries -

June 19, 1918, Wed., Fair in p.m. Rain in a.m. Warmer

Up at 7. Dead tired yet. Have runs good & strong; pretty weak. Had rotten bkfst. Marched to beach - odds & ends of drill all day - fairly easy. Had my platoon in new formation drill. Went fine. Feel better tonight. Shaved - washed up. Wrote - bed early. Jeal cleans my rifle. By mistake! Ha!Ha!

June 20, 1918, Thur., Cloudy in a.m. Rain in p.m. Hike.

Up at 6 for reveille. Rotten bkfst. Made our packs - preparatory to moving away. Left about 11 and hiked to 1:00 p.m. Fair lunch on road from our rolling kitchen. On the road again at 3:00. Arrived at a camp up in the forest near the Somme about 5:00. Not so tired - men all came in O.K. today. Jeal & I in pup tent - rain at night.

June 21, 1918, Friday. Cloudy. Some Rain. On hike.

Left our camp near Brancourt early this a.m. Delayed a bit a mile out for water - hiked through St. Valerey to Noyelles, where we stopped for lunch. Then hiked until 5:30 p.m. to another town down near Abbeville - and staid overnight in billets. Had some corking good cider here. Fine pile of straw to sleep in tonight - fine supper. B.E. [bed early]

June 22, 1918, Saturday. Cloudy. Windy. Anna's Birthday. 22 in 1918.

Up at 5:30 - left at 8, pretty stiff hike all morning, passed near Abbeville, through city of ______ and swing along toward the front - did about 12 miles yesterday & the same today under full packs - everything we own in our humps. Reached our night stop before 4 p.m. in billets - only 24 miles from (?). Jeal & I in a tiny room with lots of straw. Bed Early.

June 23, 1918, Sun., Fair - Warmer - Cool Breeze. On hike.

Up at 5:45 - Reveille 6:45 - mess 7. Feel pretty fair. Camping near Maizicourt. Out at 8:15 on the road again. Hiked until noon - near Barly at noon - hiked all p.m. arriving at 5 p.m. at Bouquemaison - in billets again. Everyone dead tired. Have my first blisters - on one heel - not both. Supper rather late - bed early.

June 24, 1918, Monday. Cloudy. Some rain. Bouquemaison.

Up at 7:00. Good eats today - no hikes, no drill - washed up, had a shower bath & a nap, washed clothes, saw Alice Joyce in the long film "Womanhood" - a preparedness picture in p.m. Pretty near the front now - we are the reserve for an emergency from now on. Wrote mother & Sis. Bed early. 

[Alice Joyce Brown (née Joyce; October 1, 1890 – October 9, 1955) was an American actress who appeared in more than 200 films during the 1910s and 1920s. 'Womanhood, the Glory of the Nation' is a 1917 American lost silent drama film directed by J. Stuart Blackton and William P. S. Earle, and written by Blackton, Helmer W. Bergman, and Cyrus Townsend Brady. It is a sequel to the 1915 movie The Battle Cry of Peace. The film stars Alice Joyce and Harry T. Morey. It is a lost film.]

June 25, 1918, Tuesday, Fair - Warmer

Reveille 6:30 - out at 7:30. We went to the range. Shot on short range and had musketry this a.m. Fair lunch in the field. Had lecture & drill in new formation - off combat - and finished the p.m. with bayonet instructing. Hiked in at 5 N.C.O.'s meeting - wrote - bed early. Plans of new organization discussed.

June 26, 1918, Wed., Fair - partly cloudy. Warm.

Up at 6:15. Cold night. Fell in at 8. Drilled in a.m. in C.O., musketry, observation, gas, etc. Shot in p.m. Men went pretty smooth on shooting. In at 6. Fair supper. Meeting of Sgts. Band concert in evening. Wrote Claude on firearms, thru Base Censor. Cold night again. Bed early.

June 27, 1918, Thursday. Fair. Warm.

Out all day, at field. Had C.O., musketry, bayonet & physical drill. Saw some good flying with planes being fired at by anti-air crafts today. Wrote Anna a blue envelope. Meeting as usual. Bed early. Capt. Flat Hat Harry Barnard is C.O. now. 

[Not sure of Clyde's meaning of 'blue envelope' - the term has several meanings.]

June 28, 1918, Friday, Warm. Fair.

Up at 5:30 - made pack up equipment & started on Batt. hike at 7:30 - east toward front. Passed through Brigade H.Q. and Monchicourt to thr 3rd line. Had luncheon, went through our future section, stood to (?), saw an allied balloon (observ) shot down in a mass of flames. Returned at night, getting in about 11. Rec'd orders to move at midnight to school. Packed up but didn't go after all. So I slept with Petrols (?). Dead tired. 24 miles today.

June 29, 1918, Sat., Very Warm

Up at 7:00. Drew 2 days rations - and Lt. Cramer, Pinkstall & I left by lorrie for Doullens. Co. paid today. Lt. Hagen advanced me 100 francs on my pay. (8 more due me & 3 from Markham). Left Doullens at 7 for Abbeville in box cars. Arrived about 2 a.m. - no accomodations so Pink & I slept out under the stars. The Boches planes made a try at the place during the night. Were driven off.

June 30, 1918, Sunday, Warm. To Paris.

Up early. Eats in YMCA hut. On the Paris train about 10:30. Saw the ruins of Abbeville & the famous Cathedral's interior before leaving. On train all day. Have 3rd class wagons. Passed through several large cities including Beaunet(?). Arrived Paris 8:30 p.m. at le Gare du Nord. Got beds in underground YMCA quarters.Drove out 2 times by air alarms during night. City extremely darkened. Very little sleep. Our baggage sent to Gare du Est.

July 1, 1918, Monday. Very warm. In Paris.

Up about 6:30. Can't get out until light. About Paris all day. Saw the capitol, the main streets and all the things worth while. Met a cute little girl (Mlle Georgette Dupin, 10 rue de la Ville neuve, Paris F) Dearest(?) clever kid. Meals in some wonderfully nice YMCA refuge canteens. Out at 8:30 - on Gare Est - headed south toward Langres - in 2nd class cars. Slept quite a bit.

July 2, !918, Tues., Warm. Langres on the Marne.

Arrived at Langres, 297k from Paris about 8 a.m. Finally got our stuff loaded & proceeded by a Park (or Pack) and truck - a French army post - now the Army Infantry. Specialists School A.E.F. Had lunch. Were assigned to our specialties - mine being observation & sniping. Had some lectures this p.m. Have nice bed - lots of blankets. This fort is in the walled city - with its moats, draw bridges, etc. of most ancient days. It's the walled city of all Southern France. The Marne valley is most picturesque from here. Great eats. 1st Lieut. Davis chief instructor. (found him a Capt. on return in Nov.)

July 3, 1918, Wed., Cloudy - cooler. Langres.

Slept until 6:45. Cool night but had a wonderful rest. We're quartered in a mammoth stone barracks - have cots, electric lights - wonderful meals - elaborate lecture rooms. Went to 100+ range this a.m. Zeroed our rifles & had a lecture on fine shooting. Had lecture on gas after lunch, then men were picked for tomorrow's events - and bal. of p.m. was spent in lectures on map reading by American officers - as they all are here. Worked on note books all evening. 

July 4, 1918, Thurs., Cloudy - cool. Langres.

Awoke to hear the guns all about announcing it was the Fourth of July. Had races, boxing, etc. this a.m. Shaved up & wrote notes all p.m., in town in evening. Makes me think of the busy day I had at the lake a year ago entertaining my friends with rides in the Juanita, etc. Bed early.

Next up - a letter to Aunt Nell.

Next - Letter to Aunt Nell