Journal of Paul G. Bradley
From LibraryWiki
Paul's Timeline
The following are some highlights from Paul G. Bradley's journal.
- February 25, 1918
- Paul is located at Camp Sherman, OH. His Sgt. Sharmore has been in the hospital for sometime now, therefore the company has been slow about receiving orders. 6:45 the company received orders to fall out for the trenches at 7:00, the trenches were filled with water but Paul and his company dug some more. The rain continued so the company hiked back. On the way back to base an M.P. stopped Paul for not wearing his leggings; another lesson Paul says “don’t go around half dressed." Paul watched OSU play Camp Sherman, Ohio wins 36-31. (a basketball game?)
- March 1, 1918
- Announced that a competitive drill was to be held. They arranged the company by height. The major won the competition.
- March 2, 1918
- Paul worked in the kitchen, cleaning and cooking. He then went to a community house and he met a high school girl. He said she was a very nice dancer.
- March 3, 1918
- Paul wrote letters home. He also went to the Liberty Theater in the evening to see the show "Have a Heart" by Jerome Kern. Paul said it was “Absolutely the best show I've seen for a long time”
- March 12, 1918
- Paul and his company were up at 5:00 a.m. for a field inspection. Then his company marched to the parade grounds at 7:30 a.m. “pitched up our tents and waited”. A Major Everson finished his inspection and the company was on their way back to the barracks.
- March 14, 1918
- Paul had a bayonet school drill.
- June 7, 1918
- Paul boards a ship. The ship is being tugged by other smaller boats; they are possibly on a river, but definitely en route to New York for departure. Paul writes about reading the book The Trail of the Lonesome Pine by John Fox (1908).
- June 8, 1918
- Paul boards another ship in the New York harbor which is set to depart for Liverpool, England. Paul writes about the convoy of two submarines, two cruisers, and two hydroplanes that are accompanying the ship. The planes turned back shortly after they got off shore.
- June 14, 1918
- First sight of land, proved to be Ireland.
- June 15, 1918-
- Paul reached Liverpool at 4:30a.m., the company was on land by 11:00a.m. They marched through the streets of Liverpool to Midland R.R. Station.
- June 16, 1918
- “About 1:30a.m. arrived at North Hampton and marched to rest camp, arrived at camp 3:30a.m. slept for 4 hours then marched to board a boat and cross the English Channel for France. This was considered the most dangerous journey of the trip, had many submarines around us cause many U boats had struck down earlier ships”.
- June 17, 1918
- Arrived at Le Havre, France at 4:00p.m. saw his first wounded soldier. Then marched through Le Havre to the rest camp.
- June 18, 1918
- Paul writes that the rest camp is a very dirty place. Also air raids are possible, so the company began digging trenches in preparation.
- June 19, 1918
- The company boarded a train with only the bare essentials, and departed for Paris.
- June 21, 1918
- “train stopped…no noise to be made, then were to get ready to move at once”. “Marched towards Langres the future training camp made hay lofts, clean place, not very crowded”.
- July 4, 1918
- “First pay day overseas, French money looks funny”
- July 25, 1918
- Left Langres, France for Italy at 7:30a.m.
- July 26, 1918
- “Traveled all day on the train, through mountains, most beautiful scenery”
- July 27, 1918
- “Arrived in Treviso, Italy at 7:00 where Red Cross and band gave a rousing welcome”
- July 29, 1918
- “There are 400 Austrian prisoners that have signed alliance to Italy, and are digging trenches”
- August 4, 1918
- “went to the village church, walked through the monument where Italy’s heroes have died”
- August 5, 1918
- “it is said that in 2 weeks the Americans consume as much food as the Italians do in 1 month,” “oh we surely do like our food."
- August 13, 1918
- “left Custoza at 8:30 on way to old Camp Perry.”
- August 18, 1918
- Difficult to read what Paul has written in this entry, but it is something to do with a transportation truck.
- March 28, 1919
- Paul leaves Yeuoa for Marieville on a steam liner.
- March 30, 1919
- Paul writes about being on the Mediterranean Sea.
- March 31, 1919
- At about 3:00p.m. Paul writes about seeing the African Continent on their right.
- April 4, 1919
- Paul writes that many Spaniards are boarding the boat from both sides
- April 5, 1919
- The Sea is calm; Paul sees whales and porpoises in large schools.
- April 9, 1919
- Paul writes that it is a rough sea, and he is sick as a dog; there are no meals.
- May 26, 1919
- Paul arrived in Washington D.C. at a freight yard. He did not walk through the city but could see the Capitol building.
- June 1, 1919
- Paul finished getting equipped at Merritt, and then made his way towards New York. He planned on stopping in Philadelphia to see Helen.
- June 4, 1919
- Paul writes about 2 raiders that had been stealing merchant ships off the coast of New Jersey. “Lost 8 service boats”
The Rare Books and Manuscripts Library encourages patrons to examine this collection. If you discover important details or may have information related to this soldier and his company, please note it below:
