Getting To Know Granddad
A World War I Doughboy Diary
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Granddad describes how the war was fought in World War I; sometimes not eating for days on end, sleeping in fox holes (dugouts) and not being able to take care of personal hygiene for days on end. Most of the travel from France into Germany was just plain marching while carrying 80 lb packs. There is considerable fighting with the Germans and what his outfit's role was after "D" Day.
"June 1918 - Went out to the front line trenches where I found plenty to do. We sure kept busy dressing the wounded that day. I stuck on the job and got the last wounded man to the hospital at 7 o'clock that night. Had to do my work in between times as they would send over a barrage about once every hour. I sure thought that my darling wife and baby would have to look for a new daddy."
"June 1918 - Found a couple of hams in one house, a big sack of flour in another, tea and coffee and plenty of loaf sugar in another and caught 10 or 12 chickens at another house and 14 rabbits at another place. We all had bacon and hard bread with us so we sure done some mean eatings."
"Later - "Hundreds of men and horses were killed that night and to make matters worse, they started in throwing gas shells. I put on my gas mask but didn't know where there was any dugout. While looking for one, an air burst shell busted behind me about 50 feet and knocked me into a hole."
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About the Book
This is a diary that my Granddad Ora Bowen wrote to his wife and my mother (the oldest of 5 children) during his tour of duty in World War I. He started writing in his diary April 4, 1918 and continued until May 16, 1919, just prior to his homecomiing. It accounts his preparation in Hoboken, New Jersey and passage over the Atlantic Ocean to Brest, Franch. From there he was put into Box Cars and shipped to the front line.
About the Author
I was born in 1939 and since my Granddad died in 1949, I didn't have much time to get to know him. All of my memories are of him with me as a little boy under the age of 10. I do remember sitting on his lap by the fire in the living room where he used to sing to me and end his songs with "Ein swine dry fier, who is going to buy the beer…..Well Bobby…..that's who." I remember running to my mom when he would do that.
I didn't know that Granddad had written a diary of his time overseas in the First World War, therefore I didn't know of it's existence until later in life after my mother died. She had had it all that time. I kept the diary with me since her death and after my retirement I decided to share the contents.