In Their Words

Cpl. Alfred S. Buhl

“July 18 1918. We went over the top at Soissons. Lt. Laken was wounded I carried him 12 miles to first aid station. I walk 49 miles that day, advanced 14 miles & took many prisoners, they came over by the 100dreds. July 19 1918. Capt. Comfort was killed & Lt. Monsae was wounded. Lt. Carver also and Bill Martin was wounded, that left us without no officers & only 2 Cpl., 1 Sgt., & 24 Pvt. in the Battalion & no others in sight & ready to go over the top for the third day. July 20 1918. Went over the top with the bullets flying all around us, many of the men near me got killed, bullets hit by the 100 only a few inches from me. One hit between two of my fingers on my right hand. I thought this was the end for sure. July 21 1918. Over the top again, what a sight the prisoners coming over by the hundreds, machine gun bullets flying thick, one hit my rifle & broke a man’s fingers who was behind me. The sight we saw in the German’s front lines was frightful. I never saw any artillery cut the men out in such a shape they lay, think some dead, others badly wounded, one German was walking around with his head blowed clean off. I got some German pistols in a dugout they sure was fine & also found 3 canteens that was full of beer & one filled with schnaps the Germans left behind them. Capt. Schoenfield who was sent up that morning to take us over the top, got hit with a machine gun bullet under the knee & had to be taken back. He gave me a box of cigars he had with him & we had a good smoke for about a hour when we tried again to take a machine gun post in the attempt I got hit with a machine gun bullet in the elbow, so did Sgt. Scanon & Cpl. Mitchel.”

Entries from the diary of
Cpl. Alfred S. Buhl, 16th Inf., Co. F

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