William Miller's WWI Diary-Part 1

William A. Miller served as a Wagoner in the A.E.F. assigned to Company B, 305th Ammunition Train, 80th Division. His diary contains entries from October 2, 1917, when he left home to enlist, until May 18, 1919, when he was about to be shipped home from Brest, France. While in France, he was actively involved in the Meuse-Argonne offensive that was crucial to ending World War I. While no mention is made in the diary, family stories say that while asleep without his gas mask he was gassed during that offensive.

There are no lengthy or poetic passages. William wasn't John McCrae, Siegfried Sassoon or Wilfred Owen. The diary instead reads like a series of Twitter updates a century ahead of its time. One must read into his entries understanding he was just an ordinary man caught up in extraordinary circumstances.

In this post, entries from October 2, 1917 to March 25 cover his leaving Northern Pennsylvania to enlist until contracting mumps at Camp Lee near Petersburg, Virginia.


1917
Daily notes while in U.S.N.A.

Oct .2 Arlo Lent brought us to Smethport and I reported for duty at 11 A.M.

Oct. 3 Left Smethport for Camp-Lee Va. at 10’-10” O’clock. Reached Ridgeway at 11:30 A.M.,
dinner at Salburg house, left at 2:30 P.M. supper on train Passed through Harrisburg at about 6:30 P.M.

Oct. 4 thence through Washington D.C. and Richmond Va. then Petersburg and arrived at Camp-Lee about 11’-58” A.M. Examined physically passed received shot in back and was vaccinated.

Oct. 6 Mustered into service at 11’-45” A.M. in No. 305 Amn. train, No. 2 Truck Co.
Camp Lee, Va.

Oct. 7 Sunday. Measured for clothes in A.M. Carlson brought to camp was found at Baltimore, Md.

Oct. 8 Started to drill at 7’-30” till 11-30 in P.M. from 12-45 untill 3-00 then cleaned up around camp untill 5-00

Oct. 9 Rained all day so we did very little work.

Oct. 10 Detailed to haul provisions in A.M. all washed windows of Barracks in P.M.

Oct. 11 – Nov. – First part of Dec. close order drill, quarentined most of time for either measles or mumps.

Dec. 19 Twenty three of Our men transferred to Camp Greene S.C.

Dec. 24 Christmas eve on guard duty until 9 A.M. Christmas day

Dec. 29 Left Camp for guard duty at power plant. Very cold and stormy on duty from 4 untill 6 P.M.

Dec. 30 On guard duty from 2 untill 6 A.M. was about 12 below zero at 3 O’Clock about 9 below at 7 A.M.

Dec. 31 About same as 30. Zero weather.

1918

Jan. 1 About same as 30. Zero wea.

Jan. 2 “ “ “ “

Jan. 3 “ “ “ “

Jan. 4 “ “ “ “

Jan. 5 Returned to Camp warmer. At noon in motor tr___

Jan. 6 Sunday, much warmer today rained in P.M. barricks quarentined while We were on guard. Still quarentined Cebro-spinal meningitis.

Jan. 7 Back to drilling again went for 8 mile hike in P.M. very muddy.

Jan. 8 About same as 7th, cold but no snow.

Jan. 9 Drilled in A.M. cut firewood in P.M.

Jan. 10 Drilled some

Jan. 11 “ “

Jan. 12 Rained and blew fierce from 12 midnight untill morning customary(?) Sat. Ins.

Jan. 13 Sun. Did nothing but lay around barricks, excepting went to _____ .

Jan. 14 Drilled in A.M. There was general review of all 4 truck Co. in P.M. by Commanding Officer Lieu. Col. Bucan and Captain Hagget.

Jan. 15 Rained hard last night. quarentine taken off and furloughs started again. three fellows left at 3 P.M.

Jan. 16 Little colder today I was in charge or(?) rears three more fellows left in P.M.

Jan. 17 Quite nice today I started going to Auto School. three fellows left on furloughs.

Jan. 18 Went to Auto School

Jan. 19 Inspection no Auto School.

Jan. 20 Sunday. Was to Mass.

Jan. 21 Went to Auto School.

Jan. 22 Left for Home on a 5 day pass. at about 12 M. Took trolley to Petersburg, Left there at 1-45 P.M. got into Washington at about 10-30 Left there about 11-25

Jan. 23 got into Baltimore at about 2 A.M. Left there at about 4-15 A.M. got into Harrisburg at about 8-30 A.M. Went up to State Capitol and museum, etc. Left Harrisburg at 11-35A.M. on Pennsylvania R.R. got into Olean at 7-30 P.M. Left Olean on Trolley for Bradford arrived at Bradford about 10 P.M. got ride in caboose of Erie freight from there to Crawford

Jan. 24 arrived Home at 2 A.M. Spent the day at Home.

Jan. 25 Spent day at Home

Jan. 26 Spent day at Home and Arthur took me to catch the night train at Bingham at 5-36.

Jan. 27 Lost pocketbook and $15. somewhere between Richmond and Camp. Arrived in Camp at 6:30 P.M.

Jan. 28 Went on guard duty at 4-10 untill blank

Jan. 29 Same time 29th.

Jan. 30-31 Regular Routine

Feb. 1 Was on Duty as night-fireman from 9 P.M. untill 6 A.M. of Feb 2. Were issued new
Rifles Lee Engfield 1917 model made by Winchester manufacturing Co.

Feb. 2 Regular Sat. inspection

Feb. 3 Sunday. Mission ended after 1 week session in K. of C. Hall in Camp

Feb. 4 Regular Routine

Feb. 5 “ “

Feb. 6 Was on duty as Room orderly.

Feb. 7 Weather fair a little snow on ground in places but mostly mud got suitcase at Ex Off

Feb. 8 Warm snow all gone. Regular Routine John Bisset Our First Sergent, left on 5 day
furlough

Feb. 9 Regular Sat. Inspection Warm with occasional showers

Feb. 10 Sunday. Very nice day first like spring. Was no(?) snow.

Feb. 11 Nice day. Went on hike to Hopewell in A.M. about 12 mi. and all worked policeing up
in P.M.

Feb. 12 Payday. Drilled in A.M. all worked gradeing around barricks in P.M.

Feb. 13 Was on duty from 9 O’clock of 12th till 6 A.M. of 13th very nice day. all worked
building roads.

Feb. 14 All worked on roads very nice day

Feb. 15 Was on detail. Policed at Canteen in A.M. and built gravel walk in P.M. Very nice day 70°/warm

Feb. 16 Regular Saturday Ins. I went on guard duty at 12-50 P.M. was on until 9:30 A.M. of 17th nice day

Feb. 17 Sunday. Nice day Was to 10 O’clock Mass.

Feb. 18 Nice day.

Feb. 19 Nice day.

Feb. 20 Nice day.

Feb. 21 Nice day. Was in charge of rears all day.

Feb. 22 Went on guard duty at 12-50 P.M. on untill 1 P.M. of 23rd was holiday no drill. Much colder with a little snow.

Feb. 23 On guard untill 1 P.M. I went to Petersburg in P.M. Nice day, but a little cold

Feb. 24 Sunday. To Comm. and 8 O’clock Mass was nice day.

Feb. 25 Nice day

Feb. 26

Feb. 27 Nice day I went to truck school.

Feb. 28 Nice day. Muster and signing of Pay roll.

Mar. 1 Was on guard duty. Very hot day rained a little in P.M.

Mar. 2 Regular Sat. inspection Was to Petersburg in P.M.

Mar. 3 Sunday. Was in ch. of rears, nice day. Went to 9 O Clock Mass.

Mar. 4 Nice day I went to Truck Sch.

Mar. 5 Nice day I went to Truck school in A.M. on guard duty in P.M.

Mar. 6 On Guard, Nice day.

Mar. 7 Rained I went to Truck school

Mar. 8 Nice day I “ “ “

Mar. 9 Regular Ins. I was room Orderly. Nice day.

Mar. 10 Sunday. Nice but terribly windy I was to 9 O clock Mass

Mar. 11 Nice day got Our pay in A.M. I went on Guard in P.M.

Mar. 12 Quite stormy rained almost all P.M. I was on Guard duty.

Mar. 13 Rained almost all day I went to Truck school to Artill range

Mar. 14 Fairly nice day I went to Truck school

Mar. 15 Nice day I went to truck school. I was Night fireman from 9 P.M. till 6 A.M.

Mar. 16 Inspection by Maj Gen Cronkihite and staff.

Mar. 17 Sunday. Rained most all day I went on Guard at 8-50 A.M. on all day and night

Mar. 18 Nice day I was on Guard duty

Mar. 19 Nice day. Drilled and gas mask school in A.M. All worked on garage in P.M. ten Nash trucks arrived three for Our Company.

Mar. 20 Nice day I was on special detail hauling hay, etc

Mar. 21 Rainy. All hauled gravel on new trucks

Mar. 22 Rainy in A.M. Hauled gravel supplies etc I was on detail on Russian Run in P.M.

Mar. 23 Regular Sat. Inspection. fixed target range in P.M. I went to Petersburg.

Mar. 24 Sunday. I went on Guard duty at 8-30 A.M. Rained hard in evening

Mar. 25 I came to B.H. with mumps, thence to Field Hos.