Thomas Edward Shirley '18
World War I Diary
Wed June 27, 1917
We stayed in camp and worked around all morning. I helped dig a trench. I saw Captain Mallet for 1st time to-day. Everybody is crabbing food. The meat sure is rotton.
All this morning prepared for our all night trip. We were awakened about 4:30 by the rain which came through the roof like a sieve. The chief got us up at 6:00 and after breakfast and peeling spuds we went up to the farm and got our cars ready for the afternoon. We left at 1:30 being lead by Bug. who soon lost his way in about three places. Finally we got started and went over to Pierrefonds Castle which was the 1st real beautiful building I have seen in the country out here. We were given 1/2 hours leave of absence, and we immediately beat it for the castle. I took some pictures which I hope will come out good. A bunch of us got a guard to take us through and he showed us all around. We saw secret staircases, places Napolean had sat, and some of the most wonderful brick-a-brack made of stone I have ever seen. It soon began to get dark and we blew into a town which the Germans had practically destroyed with incenduary bombs and shot the mayor burying him head downwards. Soon it grew pitch dark, and we all had our thrills keeping on the road, but finally arrived home at Dommiers at 3 o'clock after going 125 miles. We were all wet, cross, and tired to death, but satisfied that we had done a good job and satisfied our chief. It impressed me more of what all the destruction meant was when I saw an old man driving by what was evidently his home with the tears streaming down his cheeks.
http://www.dartmouth.org/classes/57/tes00.htm
Inside front cover:
Thomas E. Shirley
R.F.D. #2
Manchester N.H.
U.S.A.
Please send this home if any accident should happen.
convais auto
Section Group T.M.184
Groupement Perisse'
Par B.C.M. Paris
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