WWI Diary - Back to the Front

Back To The Front

Jul 8, 1918
Hiked to front. No sleep.

Jul 9, 1918
Diarrhea. Wrote to Helen #17. Rain.

Jul 10, 1918
Hiked to camp. Washed clothes. Rain.

July 11, 1918
Wrote to Mother. Heavy bombardment. Eight aeroplanes on our side. Rain.

Jul 12, 1918
Wrote to Helen. Received letters from Joe Tone, Elizabeth Jones. Rain. Heavy bombardment.

Jul 13, 1918
15 months in the Army. 11 months 1st Cl Pvt. Wrote letters.

Jul 14, 1918
French holiday. Five prisoners Boche. 32 French wounded on raid. Bombardment 12pm. Wrote to Helen.

(NOTE: A one-page description of the ensuing bloody battle of the Marne by Martin J. Hogan can be found at www.hourigan.com/69thny/marne.htm. Click here to link to the site's incredible story)

Jul 15, 1918
2nd Batt. hold first line of attack against Prussian Guard. 3rd Batt. Move up. German plane shot down shelter tent ripped by shrapnel. 1st Batt. suffer losses. Germans take 3 kilos from French. Our 2nd Batt. holds the line killing with the bayonet. ATTACK

Jul 16, 1918
Bavarian guard attacks. Germans attack twelve times with tanks but fail to break our line. 2nd Batt. goes over the top at once.

Jul 17, 1918
German Buluon(?) shot down. Plenty of artillery activity.

Jul 18, 1918
Left at 2:30 am from trenches. Hit Vadenay between Chalons and front.

Jul 19, 1918
Big offensive at Chateau Thierry. Good news.

Jul 20, 1918
Left trenches for Vadenay at 2:30am. M. Sherlock, L. Bishop.

Jul 21, 1918
Left Vadenay at 3:30 for Chateau.

Jul 22, 1918
On trains until 7:30 pm coming within 2 miles of Paris. Hiked.

Jul 23, 1918
Hit town next at 2am. Received letters from Grandpa, C. Hart.

Jul 24, 1918
Operating big switchboard. Wrote to Mother, Helen #19.

July 25, 1918
Pack up and leave Chameny. Pulled up to Chateau Thierry and took position at Fue Le Tedenois.

Jul 26, 1918
Wrote to Helen #20. Rain.

Jul 27, 1918
Mailed to Helen #20, E. Jones, M. Sherlock.

Jul 29 - Jul 31 1918
ATTACK (same entry for three days in a row).

Aug 1, 1918
Start again. Maurice's birthday.

Aug 2, 1918
Wrote to Helen #22. Relieved by 4 Div.

Trench Fighting

In In the Trenches

Actual diary pages

Actual diary entries from July 15th and 16th, 1918

From Father Duffy's Story, p. 192
Sunday, July 28, 1918 at Oureq River
. . . .Our own machine guns, the Wisconsin lads manning them, had followed the advance, the gunners fighting with desparate courage. The ammunition was carried up by their men and ours at a frightful cost. Five feet or so a man might run with it and then go down. Without a moments hesitation, some other soldier would grab it and run forward to go down in his turn. But the guns had to be fed and still another would take the same dreadful chance. . . Finally the guns were put out of action by German shell fire . . .and there they stood uselessly, their gunners lying dead around them.