Administrative Information

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Preferred Citation

World War I Diary of an Unidentified Soldier, 1917, Accession #11724, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This Diary was purchased by the University of Virginia Library from Mike Robertson, Dripping Springs, Texas, on May 14, 1999.

Scope and Content Information

This collection consists of a small one volume diary of a National Guardsman who was called out from August 5-16, 1917, being mustered into Federal Service on August 16, 1917. He drilled in St. Louis, Missouri, until September 30, 1917, and arrived at the Field Artillery School in Fort Sill, Comanche County, Oklahoma, on October 1, 1917. He remained at Fort Sill until May 10, 1918, when he left to travel from Topeka, Kansas, across the United States to Camp Mills on Long Island, New York, arriving on May 14. The soldier visited New York City on the 15th, left Camp Mills to board the R.M.S. Saxonia in the New York City Harbor on the 20th, and reached Halifax, Nova Scotia, on May 23, 1918.

On the trip across the ocean to England, he saw ice bergs (May 26, 1918) and experienced submarine attacks (June 2 & 3). England was sighted on June 4th and he traveled across England to Southampton to board the Arbroath for Havre, France (June 7-8). He crossed France, arriving first at La Membrolle and then La Rouissier on the Loire River, billeting first in a grainery and then in a chateau (June 10-July 8), and mentioned swimming in the river, the dispersal of gas masks, working on the new guns, and the poor quality and quantity of the food. On July 9th, he left La Rouissier for Guer, located fifty miles away, and Camp [Cortquidan?]. There he began training to fire the [French] 75 mm artillery guns (Jul 15-Aug 6), mentioning the return of Corporal Dickey from Gas School as one of the Battery Gas N.C.O. s (Jul 23, 1918).

His battery packed up and moved by train to Remiremont towards the Front (Aug 15-18, 1918); his detail and the rest of his battery moves to the Front (Aug 20-22); his first shots at the Boche (Aug 23) and experience being shelled (Aug 27-Sep 1); travel to English hangers (Sep 2-8); knee deep mud (Sep 11); the drive through Nancy to reach the Front (Sep 12); and arrival at an aero field near some thick woods, taking his horse for water during the night (Sep 15); their arrival at Rirecourt (Sep 22); his battery at the front and firing their first barrage (Sep 23-26); McCarty of "A" Battery killed near Cheppy (Sep 27); infantry very badly shot up, relieved from duty, passing over the ground where the drive took place and seeing terrible sights (Sep 28, 1918).

Descriptions of a three day trip to Rosnes and return to the front (Oct 13, 1918), where he takes charge of the third section (Oct 26); Germans drop a few "whiz bangs" close by (Nov 2); his transfer to detail as instrument sergeant (Nov 7), news of Armistice being sighed (Nov 10-11), "wild cats" left front with no one on line but battery "C" (Nov 13), guns and fire control instruments turned in (Nov 18), regimental review on Verdun Metz Road (Nov 27), Thanksgiving meal (Nov 28), regimental review (Dec 4), the battery billets at Verdun and he explores the city (Dec 9-10), ground covered with snow and Christmas meal (Dec 25, 1918).

Details of his meals every day, the extreme cold, and lack of activity (Jan 11-Feb 28, 1919), stables moved on longest trip made by the battery, 27 miles (Feb 4), more snow and cold (Feb 6-11), a review by General John Pershing (Feb 17), fourth section bathe to remove lice, Major Sanford decorated with the Croix de Guerre, and bands play (Mar 3), loaded train at Tronville to leave (Mar 6), with stops at Le Mans and Champagne, then billeted in an old hotel (Mar 7), several hikes and inspections (Mar 8-18), granted a pass to Le Mans (Mar 19), the lasting after effects of a shot in the arm (Mar 24-26), several inspections for lice (Mar 27-29), leaving on the train (Mar 30), men on detail putting narrow gauge track together, full pack inspections, more lice inspections, with rumors of sailing times (Apr 5- 9), loaded and ready to sail, with many becoming seasick on board (Apr 11-13), rough seas (Apr 16-19), and arrival at Boston, taking the train out to Camp Devens, which they leave on the 27th (Apr 22-24, 1919). There was also a poem or song "National Guard Boys" written in back of diary.