Armistice terms will surely swamp the Kaiser and his gang

The next chapter for our band of ambulance men.

Shortly after the signing of the armistice, SSU 647 was detached from the U.S. Army's 82nd Infantry Division and seconded to the French Army of the Rhine. The ambulances were to help transport Allied prisoners of war from German camps and prisons in the occupied Rhineland.

Even before the Allied armies could take up their positions in Germany, POWs were streaming across no-man's-land in search of friendly faces, food and family.


Wednesday, November 13, 1918:

Am sick with a touch of grippe. Feel rotten! Armistice terms have come through. If we thought the terms to Turkey & Bulgaria were stiff, holy smokes, what would you call the terms to Germany? They surely swamp the Kaiser and his gang.

Thursday, November 14:

Feeling rottener! Got a lot o’fever. We are giving a dance for the town people this coming Sunday. The first time they have danced in four years. We’re going to give them a real party.

Friday, November 15:

We are leaving the division tomorrow for good to return to the French. There isn’t much celebrating around here. Major Sparr isn’t very vexed. We go to Valcourt about 5 km out of St. Dizier.

Saturday, November 16:

A Lt. Wolf joined us last night to take Lt. Smith’s place -- the latter being in Paris with the grippe. Am feeling a bit better today, but am riding in the staff car instead of #11 where I can keep warm and ride on a cushion. Lt. Wolf seems like a nice fellow. An ex-actor who played in “Under Cover” just before the war broke out.

Later -- Had a pretty good ride. Feel much better tonight than I did this morning. Had a long, cold ride up to Valcourt. We are quartered here in barns except that I am living in a house beside a warm grate-fire which Woodie built for me. Am very comfortable.

Orders have just come in for Kendrick’s section (649) and us to leave here for Nancy tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock. We sure are traveling these days. It now looks as though we are going to be part of the army of occupation.