Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 301, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1918 — LETTER FROM McCOYS. BURG SAILOR BOY [ARTICLE]

LETTER FROM McCOYS. BURG SAILOR BOY

The following very interesting letj ter was written by Harvey Phillips to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John R. Phillips, of McCoysburg: L’Aber Wrach, -November '26, 1918. Dear Mother and Aik— Well, the censor has lost his job along with the kaiser. . I will tell you just where we are. If you get snap of France and find Brest, then just north of there about' 25 miles up the coast is where we are. We are On the point nearest the U. S. A. and just at the beginning of the English .channel. We are on an island about one mile from the nearest town. I said an island, but at low tide we can walk to the mainland on one side. We have the highest tide here of any place in the world. Last September it was 38 feet. What was the cause of Roy Bussell’s death? Opal said he had died but she supposed. you had told all about it. I got six letters but none from you. That was -the first mail that I have received without a letter from home. I know you have written so. lam not worrying. I did get the Post Heard Elvin was being sent home. Seems as though it don’t rain but it pours. I can hardly think of Roy being dead. Don’t seem possible. What are the family doing? It will be hard for several to get along when the boys come home and relatives of there's are missing. A Frenchman came home last night that had been a prisoner in Austria for nearly 'four years. He was captured on a French submarine in the Mediterranean sea. There was a big time in L’Aber Wrach. He was married and had a little boy about nine years old. I- used to have to buy provisions for the officers’ mess, such as eggs, butter, milk, fresh vegetables and the like. Had to get them from the French. Seems funny now as I had to take a dictionary along and then* had a hard time getting along. But after I got the regular market places it was easy. There has been 200 men left our camp for the States. We win all W home about the first of the year. ' You had such a hard time getting sugar all summer. We had over 20 tons all summer and got in another shipment last mpnth. We stocked up with one year’s provisions for 500 men. That was before they began any peace talk. Gee, but things come fast after it did start. I won a little money by betting that some of our boys would be home by Xmas. I told you about having a motor boat and also a light truck at my disposal. Have had it pretty fine since I got out of the canteen. Have to get all the commissary stores at i Brest. We get all our bread there I as we cannot get the material to finish our oven. Believe me, it takes a I gang of junk to feed 500 hard working men. One to nos fresh beef, 3,500 pounds of bread, 500 pounds of pork loins, 200 pounds of pork sausage; that is our usual' amount. Of course, when possible we get fresh fruit, sweet potatoes and the like. We have our Thanksgiving dinner all here. We are having roast turkey, sweet potatoes, minced ham, cranberry sauce, sage dressing, mince and pumpkin pie, layer cake, green peas, oranges, nuts, candy and cigarettes and cigars. How’s that for a sailor’s feed. Can’t heat Uncle Sam for a boss when it comes to eats. We have it much better than the soldiers. The reason we feed so good as because of the “clean plate” method. Our rations have cost on the average of 48c per day per man for ten months. That’s not so bad, eh? The worst feature we have to contend with is water. We have no well on the island as we could get nothing but salt water, although they went down over 100 feet. AH our cooking and drinking water is carried over in the boat sin barrels. For washing we have a semi-salt well on the mainland nearby which is pumped by an engine to big .tanks on the island. When we first came it was pretty hard to get along, but now we are jake. \

Well, this Has been a big latter, but there are still lots to tell that I can’t think of. however, it jwtil keep until I get home. Am going up for a rating this week. If I make it it will mean six more dollars. Everv little hit helps. . Give my beat regards to everyone. WH be home before spring. Love to *H. Your sori, I ) HARVEY.