Diary of Private Clifford Tribbett
Service No. 2,006,308
This copy made by Jane Johnson Ruddick in February 1985.
This is a copy of a diary kept by a cousin of Flora Willkom Ruddick during his service in France in 1918 - 1919 in W.W.1.
Page 1:- Sept. 15 - Got Gas Mask
- Oct. 4 - Had a Burnout in Camp (Lamp?)
- Oct. 8 - Griscourt
- Nov. 4 - Left (Villiers* -en(styles?)
- Nov. 5 - St.Jean
- Nov. 9 to 11 - (Thorocourt?) St. Jean
- Nov. 13 and 28 St. Jean
- Jan. 1 1919
- Friday, March 29 - Left home for Camp Taylor, KY. Had a pleasant trip all the way. Arrived in Camp late in the evening. Were marched to our barracks where I spent my first night in soldiers life. Slept good all night. Was issued my uniform next day.
- First Morn*ing(word not decipherable) After getting my uniform, thought I would never get dressed.
- First week, Done a little drilling. Was vaccinated and had one shot in the arm. Which made for a pretty sore arm.
- Second and third week - Got two more shots and done some more drilling. spent one hour each day playing games.
- Apr. 28 - Left Camp Taylor for Camp Upton, N.Y. Got to camp May 1.
- On May 2, left Camp Upton for Camp Merritt, N.J.
- Got to Merritt May 3rd. Left Merritt and got back to Upton May 4.
- May 5, Took sick with measles. Had (Phrynemania?) (Pneumonia?) and Mastoid. Was on liquid diet for fourteen days.
- June 5th, was operated on for mastoid. Was under the knife for forty minutes. Operation was performed with cocaine (anesthetic).
- June 13, My first day out of bed since May 5.
- July 16, Left hospital and went back to barracks again.
- July 23, left Camp Upton for Camp Merritt.
- Aug. 3, transferred to Co. B, 19th Machine Gun Battalion.
- Aug 17, left Camp Merritt for (boat?) Marched until 5 o'clock in the morning.
- Aug 18, Boat started.
- Aug 27th, Land somewhere in France. The ocean was smooth, no storms. Saw no subs. Helped unload cargo.
- Aug 29, Left boat.
- Hiked to a rest camp. Pitched tents. Slept about 3 hours. Orders came to break camp. We rolled packs and hiked back to station.
- Aug. 31, Got on train to go to where we were going. Sat. Night, Aug. 31, midnight, pitched tents and stayed there until Sunday.
- Sunday Sept. 1, took down tents and rolled packs. Ate dinner and went on a hike of about 2 miles. Landed in a small where we stayed all night.
- Sept. 2, (first man?)
- Sept. 2, up early.