The War Diary of Cpl H. Fletcher Davidson, USMC
WITH THE ARMY OF OCCUPATION
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Dec 15th - - Left Brohl. Company crossed river (Rhine) on a boat at Neider-Breisig and Company train crossed bridge at Remagen to Expel. Stopped in Rheinbrohl. [11K].
Dec 25th - - Xmas in Rheinbrohl. Had fine Xmas dinner. The Zimmermans gave us a fine Xmas supper. Went to movies in PM.
1919
[Letter home]
Rheinbrohl, Germany
April 13, 1919
Dearest All,
There was lots of mail in my box the other night, your letters of Mar. 17th & 23rd, the birthday card and the pictures, a letter from Vera, Mable Fiero, and several bundles of papers and magazines. The first number of Popular Science was among them. I must thank you ever so much for it. They have no sugar maples here in this country so I couldn't very well hang a bucket out, I am glad you hung one out for me. You must have had the spring fever too. Today is just a steady rain but the last week has been just wonderful weather. Some of the apple and peach trees are in blossom now and a few bushes along the brooks are showing green leaves.
I have not seen Wilford Ayers but the one time, so do not know whether he is still here or not.
I have been through Heddesdorf several times since, but have always been on a wagon or truck and so had no chance to look him up as he was living back off the main stem. Yes, I read the letter Millard Gow had written that was in the Express.
I have a diary that I have been keeping for some time that I wouldn't take a good deal for. I haven't written in it this year though. It starts from the time I enlisted until I reached Rheinbrohl. No it is not the same one I have had all the time as the biggest half is written from memory. I had one that I kept until we went to the trenches the first time. We received orders to pack everything we owned in our sea bags except what would be absolutely necessary for a two week trip to trenches and the sea bags would be stored. That is where the marines lost practically everything of their personal property. The bags they say are still in storage, the bags may be I doubt if there is anything in them, for they cut all the locks off them and took out such clothing and blankets as they might contain to reissue. I have heard from men who claimed they knew that everything was dumped out and the clothes separated and the S.O.S. guys that were doing the stunt took anything else they wanted and what no one wanted was put back in. My first diary was left in my bag, after a while a [I] managed to buy a little notebook and wrote up another from memory, only to lose it later with my pack in the field of battle. The one I have now I bought just after the battle of Soissons and by the aid of friends who had managed to hang on to theirs I wrote up another one and kept it always in my pocket and wrote in it at least once a week until we reached Rheinbrohl. It is mostly nothing but mere notes so I think I shall get myself a good notebook and go over it all fill it into a sort of a story of my life as a marine. There are some pretty good stores here in Rheinbrohl considering the circumstances and paper is one of things that Germany seems to have plenty of. So we can get pretty good stationary here for a reasonable price.
We have our new mess hall and barracks completed now and moved in this last week. I however am still in the same house. There was not room enough in the barracks built for a hundred men so we still have many living around in the houses. Another fellow and I have a room to ourselves now that there were four in before. We always had our field kitchen (mounted on wheels) that did our cooking and we line up with our mess gears and got our chow and stood around in the weather any place that was handy and ate it. But now we have enamel ware dishes and do not have to wash them ourselves when we get through. We march in and seat ourselves on benches, twelve men to a table and have the food brought to us by the mess men.
And we certainly have no cause to kick either concerning the quality or quantity, though of course it is nothing like sitting down to a table at home.
The time that some of the letters have been going through in lately this ought to reach home just about in time to wish you a happy birthday. I certainly wish you a very happy one and lots more happy ones to follow it.
I think we will have things much better now as there is more room for everyone and there won't be so much work to do either. We are supposed to devote the afternoons to athletics now and are organizing a ball team in the company and have several games scheduled with other companies so we may have a little fun. We have reveille in the morning twilight and a long forenoon full of work or drill so there is not much danger of growing stale.
We have regular army canteens now instead of the Y.M.C.A. canteens so we are able to get considerable candy, toilet necessities, canned fruits, etc. We have a good bathhouse for the use of our company, where there is always plenty of hot or cold water. And I think every man has someone who does his washing for him regularly. So you see we are pretty well fixed. A fellow by the name of Black ate with our company for about two months this spring and I got pretty well acquainted with him. He said that and Millard Blair had palled together for over a year.
Don't think of any more news at present so will say good-bye for present.
Lots of love.
/s/ Fletcher
Cpl Howard F. Davidson
81st Co 6th M.G. Bn
U.S.M.C.
A.P.O. 710
DIARY CONTINUES---
Jun 16th - - Left Rheinbrohl and hiked 32 kilometers to Gierend and billeted for the night.
Jun 17th - - Hiked from Gierend to Schenkleberg and camped awaiting signing of the peace.
Jun 29th - - Hiked from Schenkleberg to Oberbieber, 36 kilometers in 7 hours.
[Letter home]
Oberbieber, Germany
July 3, 1919
Dearest All,
It is over two weeks since I have gotten a letter written. We have been doing some maneuvering around and were out on the occupied zone limit ready to go over the top again if Fritz didn't come across and sign the peace treaty. It seemed quite like war times in a way, the orders came in the night and we left Rheinbrohl next morning with our worldly goods on our backs. We had a few days of pretty stiff hiking and stood by on the line about a week while the Peace delegation was arguing over the last extension. Then when they signed we came back here. We are not going back to Rheinbrohl again but remain here until we start for home which we are expecting to do inside of two weeks now and maybe sooner. So I may not write again before I get home.
The reason that we did not go back to Rheinbrohl was that the whole battalion must remain together to facilitate the turning in of ordinance and quarter-master stock. It is only about five miles from here to Neuwied and a electric car line runs to there from here and the railroad from Neuwied to Rheionbrohl so I may get to go back to get some personal stuff I had to leave there when we left. But the best news of all I am expecting to get my discharge within two or three days after I reach the States, so when I come home it will be to stay.
I have a fine place to stay here, in fact, the best accommodations I have had since I have been a Marine and we are feeding fine so I ought to be able to worry along in great shape what little time we have left to stay here.
The last two weeks has been mostly rainy with some pretty hard showers so it was a little disagreeable on our maneuver. It is raining now just a slow steady drizzle.
Our battalion had our colors decorated again this morning. That adds another palm to our Croix-de-Guerre.
Hoping that everything is going fine at home and that I will see you all soon.
With heaps of love
/s/ Fletcher
DIARY CONTINUES---
Jul 15th - - Left Oberbieber at noon and hiked to Engus and entrained.
Jul 16th - - Train started at 3:28 AM. Went by northern route through Koln, Belgium, Northern France to Brest, arriving at 6 PM on July 18th.
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