rasguy24's Blog

The following letter contains a fine description of the end of the war and written by Harold Larson, My Great grandfather. He went through the fighting without a scratch.
as a direct aire to Harold I have the right to his words.

Nov. 24, 1918

Dear Father:
I will write a little letter to you today as it is Father's Day today and all the boys are writing to Dear Old Dad.

To start with we landed in Brest stayed four days, then went on to the English Sector around Ameins,  Albert,  Villeras,  Bretnay and Hamel, was up in the front line with the Australians. Some of the boys went over the top on the Fourth of July with great success. I saw several German prisoners comeback from the lines. We stayed at this sector until Audust 25th. We then boarded a train at Ameins for the American Sector down near Verdun to the town of Velianes. Here we stayed and drilled for ten days. On September 6th, we got on motor trucks and went for a fourty-two mile ride, which took us to a French camp near Hill 304. You remember this place in 1916. On September 8th, we went into the front lines at Hill 304. This was a quite place when we went in, but it didn't last long after Thirty-third dropped in.

On the 26th of september, everything was set for a big drive and it sure was a great sight to see when all the artillery opened up fire at 5:30. All we could see was flashes and streaks of fire all around us. A few hours after the barrage had started, the infantry went over the top, and here is where our real fighting started. Well it kept us going to keep up with the Fritzes, but a lot of them were trapped in the barrage and had to stay too as it was so hot with all kinds of cannon balls; they couldn't  get back so they were prisoners of war, and we sure got a lot of them, both young and old.

Our next battle was at Hill 208. Here we had a hot place to go through. Fitz was throwing all kinds of stuff at us but we went right on, took more prisoners and Frizes on the run again.

Next, we were in the big drive on Mouse River. If you can find Consenvoye on your map, that is where we had another hard fight. Fritz tried to get the best of us with all different kinds of gas and hot steel, but there was no stop, some more prisoners and Fritzes on the run again. We then made a move, walking thirty-eight miles in two nights (some hike) to a place called Reupt. Here we had a few days in the support trenches until the last day of the war.

On the evening of the 10th, we went up to Fresnes, ready to hop the bags in the morning. Morning came; we were supposed to have a barrage to go ahead of us. We waited but it didn't come so over the top we went and it sure was a hot one, but it didn't last long because eleven o'clock came and everything was quiet and we were mighty glad. The men on both sides stood up and faced each other. Th fritz came over and shook hands with us, tickled to death to think the war was over. It was a great day and always will be. The eleventh month, eleventh day and the eleventh hour will never be forgotten. We had a good stretch of it from September 8th to November 11th, and all this time we slept out in the rain, mud and water, in German dugouts some of the time. Oh, it's a great life if you don't weaken. We are now in dugouts in a big wood near Moulins taking life easy. I am well and feeling fine and I hope you are all the same.

This will give you a little idea of what I have been doing since I came here. I have a lot more to tell you when I get home. I do not know when it will be, but some time this winter.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and love to you and mother.

from Harold.