By John Hale Chipman, Class of 1919

"September 23, Sunday, Fair.

Up at 7:30 and down to clean the car. Pete Winship came back yesterday, so we are almost whole again as the rest of the permissionaires return today. Pete passed his exams and was accepted for aviation, but he must serve his four months in the service before he changes over.

The bus was very dirty, so I worked all morning till 11:00 then had dinner. Walter Carr [Dartmouth class of 1917] and Ned Ross [Dartmouth class of 1918], SS U 66 (Ambulance) are "en repose" so they came over this morning,--Stan Jones [Dartmouth class of 1918] after dinner. After dinner George and I went down for a bath where we now have hot water (shower). Gee! how the dirt would fall off in cakes. No orders, so the bath.

We came back to the remorque [trailer] again and Ab Street was teaching me about engines when the Y.M.C.A man came in so we talked awhile. Well soon in walked David Garrat [Dartmouth class of 1918] and Frank Lewis [Dartmouth class of 1918] in SSU 66 and they are en repose just over the hill here in a small town T.--. They asked us over to supper so Pete Winship and I went over and looked over their place. They are stationed in one of the big barnyards of a typical immense farm and while we were eating on oilcloth covered and movable dining tables, the "bergère" [shepherdess] an old woman of perhaps 80 came in driving her herd of sheep and put them to bed in a big hollow, cut in the side of a cliff. Here we examined the boys' cars and saw how they carry the wounded. They sleep on these stretchers where often wounded have bled to death, but c'est la guerre.

After we Dartmouth boys got together (it really seemed like home and our Alma Mater certainly was the joining link) we all went down to the Y.M.C.A. tent to play but when we got down there and sat around and I started to play, I found that my right hand was playing notes that were all a half-tone too sharp, the left being sadly "unnormal" so we broke up in disgust. But the fellow is going to have it tuned so we ought to be able soon to get together again. Bed 9:30."

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To see the actual diary, come to Rauner Special Collections Library in Webster Hall and ask to see MS-1229 during normal hours of operation.