Arcille Guillory Faces War in France
Sept. 11th, 1918 - Way down in France long way from Dear old home… We hike again 3 miles in camp with our 100lbs. package & rifle on shoulder. We stay there in La Hearvy [Le Harvre] in France. One day & one night we sleep on small tent on one single blanket on plank…
Sept. 12, 1918 - We ride on the train from La Hearvy 10:00 clock night on box car, 40 men together, no sleep at all… We get off at Leman [LeMans}…. We stay there one night and one day, we sleep on chicken wire bed, 4 men each bed and we pass hard time… We hike from Lemon [LeMans] on truck…13 men on truck with full pack & rifle…[to] Noyen, France.
Sept. 13 - Some men stay at Noyen. Mr. Robert & Pommier stay there in town, but I went with small bunch American Soldier at Dupliser Shotow [chateau] 2 miles from Noyen. When was all at Leman they change us, put one french men with Co. American boys.
Sept. 14 - Was on Sunday me and…Olger from Little Rock, Ark. take our Drinking cup, we went pick some black berries around the camp, have lot black berries in…old France. We been eat black berries till october 15th , large berries to [too]. We start to drill hard on Sept. 15th on monday morning. We stay there 15 days to drill, on Oct. 10 they pick up 3 bunch man, sent to the front. Me and Frank Hook of Banks, Ark. was K.P. that day they send last bunch. We missed to go, we was so glad did not go to the front… After, we went work at Rifle Range…
Oct. 13, 1918 - We move to San [Saint] Jean De Bois. At Rifle range we work on Pit Detail till December 8th, 1918 for 2 months, was very cold… We was in ditch 7 feet deep, rain every day and little ice in ditch keep our feet cold, we wear overcoat & slicker & steel helmet. We was 200 men work on range for 2 month.
3000 men shoot cartridge, about 50,000 shell every day. One co. shoot for 3 days and next day new company come shoot for another 13 days. They shoot about 2 feet high top our head… {taken from conclusion of diary}
Me and Joe D. Garner…, we was 3 miles from town Noyen. We been in town nearly every night for buy news paper and for me hear read french news for tell to the American boys, and first time I talk with french people it was in town of Noyen. I went in large dry goods store, had big crowd of American boys there try to talk with french ladies but they can’t. I went, I told them in french "don’t talk with American boys, they don’t understand french". That ladies ask who talk french, I told I talk French. The say "come here, help me ask the American boys what they want", and after American boys ask me "you talk English", I say yes… [Another time} one man come among the crowd, call [me] to come talk french with 2 sick people…I went help them but it was hard to see how some American men can do with poor people… We was at store one night… I ask who can loan me 1 frank [Franc - French money] for day or two, we will get pay day this week, I will pay, Frank Hook…say "here Guillory, I give you 2 frank piece", call 40 cents in our money. After that night I never forget Frank Hook…We drink some red and white wine & Conike [cognac]. After that day we stay all time together, we sleep together. We had everyone two or 3 blanket but we put all our blanket together, me & Hook sleep well and every time we move to another place we stay together, I help him in France talk french for him.
Dec. 15th 1918 - We move from Dupliser to LaSuze, France. We hike 7 miles with 100# pkge. on our back & Rifle on shoulder… We get all…wet and get tired and feet hurt bad, and we stay at La Suze 16 days. We drill hard on mud, rain every day in 16 days… We pass Christmas at La Suze, France.
One night…we had no bread to eat, only stew, old meat…2 american men ask me to go with them in town for buy some bread. Well we went, we hunt long time before we can get any bread. We was hungry, I ask…to french women for piece bread, she told me officer told them they don’t sell any soldier, I told her "give us some bread, I give you money…give me the bread quick", we got bread tonight [but] it was hard. {taken from diary’s conclusion}
Dec. 30, 1918 - We move, we take train at La Suze. Dec. 30, 9 oclock night, box car 47 men together, hard floor to lay down. No sleep, was to [too] hard. 47 men with full package & rifle, no more room for men sleep, can’t rest, we was one on another. When one want move place in car…pass over other. We ride on train in box car all night long and all day. We get of [off] train 6:00 night…we hike with heavy pack 4 miles to the camp at Brest…
Dec. 31, 1918 - Next day was 1st of Jan. 1919. We was in mud in small dog tents. 4 men in little tent, we stay there 4 days, we move to the barreck [barracks] about 1 miles, take us about 3 hour ride on lot mud. Hike with full pack, walk 2 yards, stop, start again 3 yards, stop, big crowd people you never see in your life. Well we stay there…16 more long days at Brest France. Before go take the Boats to come back to old U.S.A….
All omissions and additions are
noted, some commas have been added to assist in comprehension.
