Philip A Embury Journal #1

as they didn't know the road and I had been over it in the morning due to a little slipup on Foster's part.

Tuesday, June 19, 17

Worked on our cars and around camp. Went swimming at Braine in the Vesle River. Ben took us down in his car.

Wednesday, June 20, 17

Got up at 4 A.M. Went to Ville-Savoye and got a load of ammunition. Had trouble with my car. Bert & Ben got stalled & didn't make the trip. Halled the ammunition through Fismes, Meivalle, Oeilly, and unloaded in some trees by some batteries of small and large guns at Cuissy Fer'me. Had lunch. After lunch

went to inspect the batteries. They fired two rounds for our benefit. Fired at German plane while there. German plane droped bomb on a regiment of soldiers in the road about 15 minutes before we passed and killed eighty of them. Got home about 3 P.M. Had lots of trouble with the motor.

P.S. The evening of our first night in camp we were initiated to our first shell fire. Ernie Deshane & I went on the hill to see the firing. Just about to leave for camp when search lights (16 of them) started to play in the sky and looked very much like the search lights at the P.P.I.E. Soon star bombs were sent up and anti air guns

started up. Soon we heard the propeller of a plane and shells started to whistle over our heads. We were bareheaded and wished we had on our helmets as the shrapnel was wizzing all around us & it certainly gave me a funny feeling. The firing ended about 12 P.M.

Thursday, June 21, '17

My car laid up. The bunch went out at 2 P.M. for a night trip with ammunition for the frunt. Mickie & I went hunting after dinner. Stood watch from 2 to 4 A.M. The bunch got back at 3:30 A.M. Had many German souveniers.

Friday, June 22, '17

Everybody worked hard on their cars getting them cleaned up

for inspection. The new section of Americans arived in camp.

Saturday, June 23, '17

Inspection in the morning. Grand ballout. No 9. on the sick list. Went out with "High" Howard on convoi at 2 p.m. Loaded at Bazoches, passed Fismes, Mirval, Oeuilly, and unloaded at Chateau Soupir. Waited in behind a hill outside of Oeuilly untill dark. Went on hill and watched the French firing. Germans droped ten shells on our road just outside Oeuilly near the bridge. Resumed the convoy at dark. While passing over the bridge on farther side of Oeuilly two German shells

were fired at the bridge & convoi. Passed over our heads about 20 ft. and exploded in a field about 100 ft. from the road and us. First experience of being under fire. Got balled out for driving too fast, but was trying to keep up to our place in the convoy. Chateau Soupir all blown to pieces. Several batteries of big guns at the Chateau. Saw them firing. Started home at 10:30 P.M. Horse killed by shrapnel near the bridge at Oeuilly. Found Kendall standing on his head in a trench at Oeuilly. No chance of towing him out. Passed on. Found Elliot over the bank. Elliot thrown out