Across France
The familiar voice of our first sergeant was easy to hear that cool September morning as he led his detail of men down the nurse's tent row. "Strike them tents", and those three words mean you finish your packing and dressing in the minimum amount of time or else! Such was the threat we would hear each time our gypsy camp prepared to take off to keep up with our armiy's advances. Wemay have been concerned at one time at this early morning growl of he sergeant's but, it was an old story by now, and besides, it was too early in the morning to become alarmed. Soon the bedrolls started to appear outside the tents and the usual array of gasmasks, musette bags, and pistol belts. So once again as our little home fell we would sit around the field until the summons to get in the ambulances.
At noon, the C ration picnic lunch in that field, which had been cluttered with officers' and nurses' tents only a few hours before, treated our hunger pains only temporarily. By mid afternoon we were settled, or as much as five nurses ever do get settled in the back of an ambulance, we were starting our long journey from the Crozan Peninsula across France. We had been told our approximate destination but I'm certain few of us fully realized the great distance to be covered. Under far from ideal traveling accomodations our position in the convoy, which included eight ambulances, brought up the rear which made rest stops a bit more private but hardly less conspicuous.
Our move had been planned, to avoid convoys congesting on the roads, so that we would arrive at our bivouac area by midnight each night and leave around four o'clock the following day. This divided our trip into three nights of bivouacing on the outskirts of large towns and, during the eight hours of traveling time, we would cover 150 miles or more. Our first night's bivouac, outside of Rennes was fun in that it was a novelty. When we arrived at our designated area we found that our advance party had crested only the most essential place, namely the latrine. Cold cream or a slight touch of water from the canteen kept our faces clean and that became the extent of our daily baths. We slept on the four litters in each ambulance and preparation for bed consisted of removing heavy field shoes. This is not required but actually does help.
Breakfast and lunch were eaten in the bivouac areas. All meals consisted of the ever popular "K" rations supplementing the occasional fresh tomatoes, eggs, and onions from French civilians. Our men played a game of softball each day which was our only diversion other than reading or a song fest.
Our time on he road was spent trying to find a comfortable position amidst equipment and rations. During the daylight hours we would get somewhat of a view of the scenery, however ambulances do not afford much in the form of "sight-seeing". We hadn't any direct contact with civilians other than the few who might wander around to our area. We passed through Paris just after dark and that was our greatest disappointment in the trip. Our other two bivouac areas were in the vicinity of Chartres and Suippes.
At noon, the C ration picnic lunch in that field, which had been cluttered with officers' and nurses' tents only a few hours before, treated our hunger pains only temporarily. By mid afternoon we were settled, or as much as five nurses ever do get settled in the back of an ambulance, we were starting our long journey from the Crozan Peninsula across France. We had been told our approximate destination but I'm certain few of us fully realized the great distance to be covered. Under far from ideal traveling accomodations our position in the convoy, which included eight ambulances, brought up the rear which made rest stops a bit more private but hardly less conspicuous.
Our move had been planned, to avoid convoys congesting on the roads, so that we would arrive at our bivouac area by midnight each night and leave around four o'clock the following day. This divided our trip into three nights of bivouacing on the outskirts of large towns and, during the eight hours of traveling time, we would cover 150 miles or more. Our first night's bivouac, outside of Rennes was fun in that it was a novelty. When we arrived at our designated area we found that our advance party had crested only the most essential place, namely the latrine. Cold cream or a slight touch of water from the canteen kept our faces clean and that became the extent of our daily baths. We slept on the four litters in each ambulance and preparation for bed consisted of removing heavy field shoes. This is not required but actually does help.
Breakfast and lunch were eaten in the bivouac areas. All meals consisted of the ever popular "K" rations supplementing the occasional fresh tomatoes, eggs, and onions from French civilians. Our men played a game of softball each day which was our only diversion other than reading or a song fest.
Our time on he road was spent trying to find a comfortable position amidst equipment and rations. During the daylight hours we would get somewhat of a view of the scenery, however ambulances do not afford much in the form of "sight-seeing". We hadn't any direct contact with civilians other than the few who might wander around to our area. We passed through Paris just after dark and that was our greatest disappointment in the trip. Our other two bivouac areas were in the vicinity of Chartres and Suippes.