William Miller's WWI Diary-Part 6

Apologies for a day’s lapse in posting. The wealth of material available to sift through is overwhelming and, as interesting as this research is, there is much else to do each day.

In this diary posting, William moves to the November 11 Armistice Line in Stenay with the 90th Division, goes on a 500 mile jaunt into newly occupied Germany and finally re-joins his division, the 80th.

You can read the New York Times report of Stenay (PDF file) on November 11, 1918 that also refers to the ammunition William was hauling.

After two weeks of moving troops and material, William was taken with other drivers by train 240 miles south to Dijon. There, they picked up trucks, loaded them with material and drove 250 miles to Bitburg, Germany. Bitburg was in the American zone of occupation following the Armistice and presumably this was part of an effort move supplies into the area. I think the links provided within the diary will give you a good idea of just how difficult a drive this was.

Here is a map to follow the movements in the diary.


William Miller Diary, November 12-Deceber 17, 1918.

Nov. 12 Moved in afternoon from Villers to Stenay into old French Military academy

[The “military academy” may have been this school which was occupied by the German military.]

Nov. 13 All policed up barracks and begun having Reville at 6-30 A and Retreat at 4-30 P.M.

Nov. 14 On detail with truck moveing 314 F.A.’s cassions to Salvage.

Nov. 15 General Inspection by Colonel Fairfax in A.M. and general police in P.M.

Nov. 16 Began Drilling from 8-15 A.M. untill 11 A.M. and Police in P.M. I was on police duty all day

Nov. 17 Sunday. On Police detail most all day.

Nov. 18 I was on Truck with water detail

Nov. 19 Nice I was on water Detail

Nov. 20 Regular Camp Routine

Nov. 21

Nov. 22 On detail to Muzay hauling rubbish with truck

Nov. 23 Regular Sat. Ins. in A.M. On detail moveing 367 Inf. from Muzay to blank about 30 K.M. from 12 P.M. untill 11 P.M.

Nov. 24 Sunday I left with 21 other Drivers and Sgt. Dotterer for Dijohn. Rode in trucks to Dun. then rode on boxcar ? 55 men.

Nov. 25 On road in Boxcar.

Nov. 26 Same as 25

Nov. 27 Arrived at Dijohn at about 7 P.M. Got sandwich, soup and coffee at Red Cross and went to Camp about 3 K.M. from town.

[A major American supply depot was located at Is-sur-Til near Dijon.]

Nov. 28 Thanksgiving Had breakfast in Camp Went to Truck yards and got trucks in shape had dinner in Camp and left with trucks I got a Nash Quad. Drove almost all night untill 3 A.M. very dissagreeable night rained steady.

[Go here to read what driving a Nash Quad was like. Then imagine driving one 250 miles on muddy roads in an open cab while it is raining.]

[More pictures of a Nash Quad]

Nov. 29 Arrived at Langre at 3 A.M. Gassed up and loaded trucks with Motorcycles, tires truck repair parts etc and parked for night about 5 K.M. outside town

Nov. 30 Got started about 11 A.M. arrived at Neaufchateau about 7 P.M. Breaker on Magneto spring on My Quad broke so left her at repair shop with about 10 others Parked about 3 K.M. out of town all night

Dec. 1 Left Neufchateau at 11 A.M. arrived in Toul about 6 P.M. Had supper and parked for night

Dec. 2 Left Toul about 9 A.M. arrived within about 5 K.M. of Metz and parked for night.

Dec. 3 Gassed up in Metz and left about 10 A.M. passed through Luxenburg about 3 P.M. run about 11 K.M. out of town and parked.

Dec. 4 Left 8 A.M. On wrong road so came back into Luxenburg. through Gonderfrance [Gonderange, Luxembourg] at 10 A.M. stopped in Idleburg over night

[Unable to locate town named Idleburg but Angelsburg, Luxembourg is a possibility.]

Dec. 5 Run about 40 K.M. into Bitburg arrived at about 2 P.M.

[The Allies and the American troops had zones of occupation in Germany up to the Rhine river. The American zone included Bitburg and Koblenz on the Rhine.]

[Read the New York Times report from Bitburg and the Occupation zone here.]

Dec. 6 Nice day still in Bitburg. Prepared to leave in evening

Dec. 7 Left Bitburg at about 11-30 A.M. on Liberty trucks passed through Treves (inserted:bunked in trucks) and arrived

[Treves is the French name for the German city, Treir.]

Dec. 8 at Longwy at 6 P.M. Had supper at Supply-train and bunked in Red Cross hospital.

Dec. 9 Still in Longwy

Dec. 10 Left Longwy on A. Co’s truck arrived in camp at Stenay at 12.M. and prepared to move

Dec. 11 All left Stenay at 8 A.M. arrived at Baleycourt about 6 P.M. staid in same barracks as were in and left Oct. 3

Dec. 12 Very rainy Left Baleycourt about 8 A.M. passed through Bar-Le-Duc and arrived at St. Dizier staid untill 11 A.M. of

Dec. 13 arrived at Bar-Sur-Seine about 6 P.M. slept in hay-mow. Rained.

Dec. 14 Left 8 A.M. traveled all day arrived at Bragelogne at about 3 P.M. and went into billets

Dec. 15 Sunday Nice day I went to Mass.

Dec. 16 Still at Bragelogne I was on detail with truck in A.M.

Dec. 17 Left Bragelogne at 8-30 A.M. arrived at Ancy-Le-France about 2-30 P.M. Were billeted in old flour-mill Rained very hard most all day

[The 80th Division headquarters were in Ancy-le-Franc. Perhaps it was here. William’s unit was stationed a few miles South in Cusy near the railroad.]