EP Dudley’s visit to the front makes for grim reading. His matter of fact reporting of how German prisoners were treated is startlingly contrary to the Geneva Convention. The Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War wasn’t formally signed until 1929 and didn’t enter into force until 1931. It stipulates that captured prisoners are bound to give their true name and rank, but they may not be coerced into giving any more information. This clearly wasn’t the case in WWI.
Sunday, November 11, 1917
Up at 5:00 a.m., took train to Froidos. Walked to Jubecourt and went to the front trenches with ambulance men. Went to Post 1 and walked to communications trenches. Front quiet somewhat, though they shelled us continually all afternoon. The road was marked with holes, especially at Diarrhea Crossroads. Saw hundreds of batteries hidden in the woods and roads all camouflaged. Shells dropped closer than 20 feet and we laid on ground twice. Saw them loading dead men and saw so many in No Man’s Land. War so terrible and cruel. Some of the men were insane. We smelt gas once but had our helmets in alert position all day, no worry there. Saw them pumping a German prisoner. We killed a German general yesterday. We captured five prisoners last Monday and had to kill two of them to get the other two to talk. They gave our artillery the location of the general staff headquarters and we shelled them all week. Prisoner captured yesterday said we had killed one general. Rained in the afternoon. Out batteries are covered with wood and you cannot tell a battery 20 feet from you. Forest of Hess is almost stripped of trees. Great poles stand stripped which once were trees. Sure a pitiful blot on nature. The shells have pitted the ground by the thousands. Our own batteries would bark at intervals and fairly take you off your feet. You wouldn’t know there was a battery in the woods until you hear one at your elbow. They are completely hidden. Little narrow gauge railroad (gauge 1’ 11 5/8”) goes all over the forest in a regular network carrying the ammunition. Reached Froidos 6:00 p.m. Had engineer bring me to Autrecourt. Reached Fleury 7:30 p.m. Cold and dark.
Train for Small Artillery
Monday, November 12, 1917
Up 9:00 a.m. Found three letters from Cecil, one from Frances and also a large box from Cecil labeled Thanksgiving dinner. Had crackers, canned meat, jelly, candy, fruitcake, butter, sugar, canned milk. The greatest treat I ever had. A smaller box had handkerchiefs and magazines in it. Sure was the nicest thing I ever had done for me. Going to try and thank her tonight but can’t tell enough. Box cost $2.70 to send it.
Tuesday, November 13, 1917
Up early. Got another paper today.
Wednesday, November 14, 1917
Paid today. Got another paper, also letter 40 today. Airplane fight. French plane dropped almost in the barracks door. Aviator jumped out before it fell and is still lying on the hill. His plane caught on fire.
Thursday, November 15, 1917
Slept so good last night. Pillow almost done now, stuffed with paper from letters and papers I have received. 47 bags of mail again tomorrow. Sure getting mail in good shape now. Still looks like end of war is further off than ever. Walked to Autrecourt with Smithy. Drank a little champagne and wine. Bought some lighters.
Friday, November 16, 1917
Received 48 bags of mail today. Was so excited I couldn’t sleep and then not a letter or a card – nothing. Sure living high, creamery butter and milk for dinner with cake and candy for dessert. Glad someone thinks of me. Would have been an ideal box if she had just put in a can of baked beans. She never had room in the box or she would have put them in. Lots of air scraps today. Colder. Slept all afternoon.
Saturday, November 17, 1917
Restless all night on account of a bunch of mail coming in. Got two letters, 41 and 43. Took a bath this afternoon, changed clothes. Shaved, got a new hat. Not much doing now. Armies are settling down for the winter, so not much activity now.
Sunday, November 18, 1917
Sunday. Roast beef, spuds for dinner. Sat around all afternoon talking in quarters with Ilette and Beck. Slept from 3 to 4:00 p.m. Cold and cloudy outside. Couldn’t help but wonder what all of them were doing back in the States and what they would have for dinner.
Monday, November 19, 1917
Cloudy and misty all day long. Put floor under cots today. Will probably make it warmer. No mail of any kind. Looks like another spell of mail failures. Walked to Autrecourt with my washing this afternoon.
Tuesday, November 20, 1917
Cold, cloudy, misty rain all day. Haven’t seen the sun shine for days and days. Gloomy. Slept restless, up 10:00 a.m. Loafed around stove. Walked to Autrecourt this afternoon for some matches. Saw General Pershing in car. He came through with six cars of generals. French, English, Belgian, Italian and American. General Pershing was holding his sword against window and his car stopped directly opposite me standing on side of road. I stood at attention and at salute and he saluted me with his sword salute. They were going to the front.
General Pershing and Staff
Wednesday, November 21, 1917
Rained all day. Cloudy and cold. Gloomy. Sun never shines. Shaved, took bath. No mail today, though a bunch came for the companies. Am going to move today to new quarters.
Thursday, November 22, 1917
Up early. Got six letters today. No papers at all. Walked to Nubecourt, bought eggs, etc. with Smithy. Rode home in truck we caught coming our way and rough it was. Sun hasn’t shined for seven days now. Artillery very intense now on the front.
Friday, November 23, 1917
Still cloudy, rain, misty, fog. No sun anymore here. Got lots of mail today 2nd class, but none for me. Not even a paper. Looking for some more tomorrow. Making new place for HQ Master Engineers and HQ Sergeants. Going to fix it up good for winter now. Have electric lights and table, etc.
Saturday, November 24, 1917
Cold, cloudy. Strong cold wind. Everyone happy over Haig’s offensive. Looks like we may take Zebrugge then the submarines will have a hard time. May end the war as far as the submarines are concerned at least, though. Shaved this afternoon, bathed. Surely is cold tonight. No mail.
Sunday, November 25, 1917
Cold, strong wind all day with rain. Had trip to the front planned but weather stopped it. Laid around camp all day. Wrote long letter to Cecil at night. Slept. Cold.
Monday, November 26, 1917
Up early, if you call 11:00 a.m. early, changed underwear. Almost froze last night, cold and windy too. Smithy and I walked to Autrecourt with washing. Very heavy attack north of Verdun last night. Shook the buildings. Five Red Cross trains.
Tuesday, November 27, 1917
So cold, blanket of snow. Laid around all day. Sick tonight, chill and fever. Hope I don’t get sick here so far away from home. I dread it. Appetite good but chilled through. Maybe good sweat in blankets would help. Oh for mother’s homemade dope.
Wednesday, November 28, 1917
Rained all day. Feel better today. Moved to new place with Beck, Doud, Carr, Ilette, Hays, Moody and Haig. Shaved for Thanksgiving Day. All dolled up, goose tomorrow. No mail.
Thursday, November 29, 1917
Thanksgiving Day.
A hell of a place to spend Thanksgiving. Beck stole a goose and we had a widow with a little boy in Lavoye cook it. Beck, Doud, Don Casey and I . We had diner at 2:00 p.m. French fries, apples, goose, cheese, wine, champagne. Everyone got jolly, were stewed up. Wonder where we will eat next year. Hope at home. Goose was sure good. Back 6:00 p.m. and worked until 3:00 a.m.
Friday, November 30, 1917
Slept until noon. Haig upset me 6:00 a.m. I threw shoe at him. Went back to sleep and stayed until noon. Fried some spuds this afternoon. Don and Doud sober this morning. Had to carry water to them last night. Some stews. I was the only one who was sober.
Saturday, December 1, 1917
Cold, up at 11:30 a.m. No mail yet. Guess where the cranberries are. Things are cold now. Looks like a cold hard winter. Think I will go to the front tomorrow.
Sunday, December 2, 1917
Routine. Nothing unusual except very very cold here and snow. Unusually heavy artillery.
Monday, December 3, 1917
180 bags of mail, ten letters, three bundles of candy and tobacco from a Chicago firm. Don’t know who sent it. So cold tonight. Artillery heavier tonight than I’ve heard for some time. Wrote Cecil and Father tonight. Cut Cecil’s letter short on account I was almost frozen, and couldn’t write. She’s a tough old game laddies…
Tuesday, December 4, 1917
Woke up sick this morning. Chauffeur’s building and bathhouse next to French hospital caught fire at 1:30 a.m., caused by a fire in the gasoline tank. We tore the buildings down between the fire and the hospital. One Frenchman burned to death. Terrible sight. He was sitting up pinned down with rails. We got it out 2:30 a.m. but I must have caught cold. Only had pants on and overcoat and was sweating all over. Was so cold. Good thing Fritz wasn’t out. He wouldn’t have wanted a better target. Been in bed all day long with a fever and chill.
Wednesday, December 5, 1917
Cold, calm. Feel good today. Cleaned up. Sun shined a great deal this afternoon with the usual air scraps. Machine guns rattling all afternoon. Loafed all day.
Thursday, December 6, 1917
Cold but clear. Up at 11:00 a.m. Took sponge bath as bathhouse burned down. Going to have to build another. Just read Wilson’s speech. Big man, but he should use Roosevelt somewhere too. Loafed all afternoon.
Friday, December 7, 1917
Sun shining brightly today. Rode to Souilly and back on motor car before dinner with Lts. and Hays. Made blood run, it was good and cold and we rode fast. Hung around quarters all afternoon. Work at 4:00 p.m. No mail today.
Town Hall at Souilly
The image above was taken in 2004. The Souilly town hall was the headquarters for the 2nd French Army and later for Pershing and the American Army.
Saturday, December 8, 1917
Raining, cloudy, warmer. Halifax blown up. Italians falling back. Three years of war more. Loafed all day.
Sunday, December 9, 1917
Sun shining brightly but turned awfully cold, then cloudy in the afternoon. I intended going to Verdun today but gave it up. I’ll go tomorrow I guess.
