Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 188, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 August 1918 — Omar Osborne Very Close to the Hun Lines. [ARTICLE]

Omar Osborne Very Close to the Hun Lines.

Somewhere in France, July 22, 1918. Dear Friend — , . just received a wagon load of papers today. I was sure glad .to get them, as I have had very little nfrws from home since coming to France two months ago. I also received a letter ,from George a few days ago. I had lost track of him since he left Kelly Field. We tells ae that Deb is either over here or on the way. It may be that we will .ueet some place over- here, although it is doubtful. Just at present we are on the Australian' part of the front, near the scene of gome of the hard fighting of July 4. Refer back to the article'published in your paper May 8, second paragraph of coluunn' six on page one.* That is as nearly as 1 can tell you where we are. Even this may not escape the unfeeling censor, but if it does, all is well. 1 am feeling fine now. In fact, 1 never felt better in my life than at the 'present time. Get enough to eat, although I must admit that i am becoming quite tired of “bully beef,” which is oiir main ration. Some one named this country “Sunny France’’ long, ago, and 1 think Chat he must have had an overload of “Vin Blanc’’ at the time. If not that, something was wrong ’•frith his head. We haven’t had a . day that was entirely clear for over a month, and much of the time It rains. Then the whole of France rolls u<p in one ball on your feet, and you go slipping and sliding around through the mud and water. In dry weather the I roads are fine, but in wet they are When we first came to our present camp the Hun lines were only about four miles over the hills from us, but since that time they have retired at least two miles if not more, and : now are six or seven miles fropii us. However, that Is a little nearer than is absolutely necessary for comfort, as we are still within shelling range. The last time we I were shelled was over two weeks ago, When “Jeny” dropped several shells on us, killing two and wounding several more. Since then he ha* shelled all-around us but has not dropped any in our camp. I took a little trip on a truck Sunday around through some of the towns that have been under shell fire since March. They certainly are destroyed. In many places large chateaus have been almost completely wrecked. In, one town, which was occupied by the Germans until July 4, there is scarcely a building left. Everything is in ruins. Another town just this side of the. line is almost a total wreck, and the houses are just as the inhabitants left them, lace curtains over the windows and furniture inside. Apparently they were hastily deserted. But that is just a minor thing. One of the wort things I have seen was the advance dressing station on the nights of July 4 and 5, where the wounded were brought for first aid. A party of our boys acted as stretcher bearers, and worked all night both nights. That was where the horrors of war were brought home to the greatest extent.

So far we" have been engaged In construction work on the rear lines 6f defense, having only occupied the tenches one night. That night we were well mp on the line, ahead of our batteries, . and could see and hear the guns on both sides and the shells whistling over our lheads. Even now 1 can hear an occasional shell go singing over my head, on its path of ruin to some French city behind us, and an aeroplane fight is a common occurence, and has no attraction any more for me. I am still company clerk, and believe me it is some job. Keeps me busy from early -morning until late at night, and Sunday makes no difference. However, it also has its advantages. One advantage is a chair and a desk. That helps quitv a bit. Well, I must quit and prepare my daily work report. Give my best regards to„ Mrs. Babcock, and to my friends .in the office and. around town. Yours, OMAR O. OSBORNE. Co. E, 108th Engineers, American E. F., via New York. ♦The paragraph referred to above as appearing in. this paper May 8, read as follows: Australian and Canadian troops are in action on the British lines along the vital sectors of the battle front in France. The Australians have "struck the Germans near Mor lancourt, between the Ancre £.nd Somme rivers, east of Amiens, and have advanced their lines upward of three-quarters of a mile as a result of two assaults on the Teutonic positions.