Calhoun County AlArchives History .....WWI Diary (1918-1919) Written By Sam A. Mellon Sr. - Oxford, Alabama 1918-1919
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Shirley Mellon Dewberry dewberry@cableone.net July 27, 2010, 9:15 pm

WWI Diary (Sam A. Mellon Sr. of Oxford, Alabama)

April 26, 1918
Left Anniston, Ala for Camp Jackson, Columbia, SC.

April 27, 1918
Arrived at Camp Jackson and placed in the 156 Depot Brigade.

May 24, 1918
Transferred from the 24th Co. 156 Depot Brigade to Co F 306th Ammunition Train 
Station at same camp that trained _(?) a branch of the 156 Artillery Brigade 
the later being part of the 81st Division. The Division was commanded by 
General Chas J. Bailey.

July 27, 1918
Left Camp Jackson for Camp Mills Long Island, N.Y. arriving there about 
midnight of the 28th.  Here we drawed out equipment which here I made several 
trips to New York City and Coney Island.

Aug 7, 1918
Left Camp Mills and went on board the same afternoon the Transport "Cretic ".

Aug 8, 1918
Sailed

Aug 20, 1918
Landed at Liverpool England and went by rail to Camp Rumsey near South Ham 
pton passing through Birmingham and Oxford "England". Stayed here about four 
days, and nearly starved.  Anyway we nicknamed this camp "Camp Starvation".

Aug 24, 1918
Marched to South Hampton with full packs, distance about ten miles and loa ded 
onto the channel boat "Test" the same day and sailed for Cherbourg France 
arriving there about midnight.  Unloaded the next morning the 25th and stayed 
there one day at a so called "Rest Camp".

Aug 26, 1918
Left Cherbourg France for Vercel and arriving there on the 28th. Here is where 
I first got experience of traveling on the well known French "Box Cars" 
or  "Cattle Cars".

Oct 26, 1918 Visited Besancon returning the next day to my company at Vercel.

Nov 4, 1918
Left Vercel for a camp near Verdun arriving at the camp stationed near 
Ancermont on the 7th. Don't know the real name of this camp but we named it " 
Camp Mud" on account of so much mud.

Nov 10, 1918 Leaving "Camp Mud" about 8:30 P.M. and hiked all night arrivi ng 
on the front about 6:30 A.M. the following morning.  Went into the second line 
trencher about 8:30 but firing ceased at 11 o'clock the same morning.

Nov 13, 1918
Left the Front going back to "Camp Mud" but finding that some French soldi ers 
had taken possession of our camp we had to stop at another camp of which was 
nothing but dugouts.  We named this camp "Dug Out".  While here I visited the 
City of Verdun going all through but failed to find a single building with in 
its walls not being struck by German shells.

Nov 18, 1918
We left this camp starting on our well remembered hike to Chatillon Sur-Seine, 
a distance of about 175 miles arriving at Chatillon on Dec 2nd.  We hiked all 
the way except the last day of which we rode about 20 miles in auto trucks.

Jan 27, 1919
Left Chatillon for Aix-Les-Buirns and arriving there the next day the 28th.  
While here I visited several popular and historical places such as For ts 
built in Napolean time also a museum of which was built by three races of 
people, the Greek, Roman and French.  This museum claimed to be 7000 years 
old.  I also made a trip on top of Mount Revard 5070 ft alt.

Feb 9, 1919
Started back to my company at Buncey near Chatillon Sur-Seine arriving the 
next day.

March 20, 1919
The 81st Division was reviewed by Gen. Pershing and the King and Queen of 
Belgium.

April 10, 1919
Reviewed again and inspected by General Pershing and was informed by him that 
the 81st Div had been picked for an early sailing.

May 16, 1919
Left Buncey for LeMans arriving on the following day and going into camp at 
Courgann near Beaumont.

May 21, 1919
Left the LeMans area for Brest arriving there the following day and going into 
Camp Poutaneque.

May 27, 1919
Sailed for the USA on the Battleship Missouri.

June 8, 1919
Landed at Newport News and going into Camp Stuart.

June 13, 1919
Left Camp Stuart for Camp Gordon Atlanta, GA arriving there the following 
night.

June 17, 1919
Received my divorce from the Army leaving on the first train home arriving 
there that night.

JUNE 17, 1919.

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