HISTORY
of
THE 306th Field Artillery
Seven Days' Leave
ACCORDING to army orders, Y. M. C. A.
prospecti, etc., a leave or furlough is a certain number
of days' respite from military duties which is usually
spent at some delightful resort especially chosen because
of its adaptability to vacation enjoyments.
From my personal experience, it is one of those pleasures
to which the average enlisted man looks forward with the
keenest anticipation, but which in most instances is a
very long time in materializing. Further, after several
postponements, all for excellent reasons no doubt, the
last one being the need of our division to help finish
Jerry for all time, I came to the conclusion that a leave
is merely a will-o'-the-wisp which even the most
fortunate can never hope to attain. But, when you finally
do get your opportunity, all previous disappointments are
forgotten and it is almost necessary to pinch yourself in
order to make sure that you are awake.
In the first place, a furlough invariably commences in
the sma' wee hours of the mornin', and our case was no
exception. The ten boys from Battery E who had been
selected as the first to explore the mysteries of a
genuine leave, were conveyed by motor truck, at the
unearthly hour Of 4 A.M., to a railway station some
twenty-five kilometers from our billeting village, where
we became a part of a jolly, laughing detachment of
eleven hundred enlisted men, all of the 77th Division.
About 10 A.M. the men were lined up and each was given
without stipulation, thirty-eight francs to squander as
his fancy might dictate. But in addition to this, the
government pays absolutely every expense, such as railway
fare, hotel bills, etc. This detail being complete we
were kept waiting around the forlorn little station in a
nasty rain which continued to fall throughout the day,
and it was not until late in the evening that our train
departed.
Upon ascertaining that second and third-class coaches had
been provided for our comfort, the men assured one
another that things were surely being done up brown.
However, when it came time for our outfit to get aboard,
the cars were filled to capacity, and the only
alternative was that of travelling de luxe in " V
hommes-8 chevaux " cars, called side-door Pullmans
by the boys in khaki, but better known in plain English
as freight cars, Nothing daunted, and further being
accustomed to this mode of travel, the boys in our car
secured two bales of straw, whence no one asked nor
cared, and after spreading this on the bottom of the car
we had the finest kind of bed, and slept much better than
our companions who were compelled to sit up all night. At
times, you see, there are even advantages in being
"out of luck."
The next morning upon arising, we found the sky as clear
as an unruffled lake, and that our course lay through the
most beautiful stretch of country imaginable. Of course,
though much interested in the scenery, the most pleasant
part of the trip was the fact that the Supply Company had
provided us with " beaucoup " eats. The
commonest sight that day was the picture of an olive drab
figure, lying complacently on a heap of straw, gazing at
the fleeting landscape, and munching a huge slice of
bread and jam.
Up to this time we had been given no definite information
as to our destination, but as the day wore on, the
country became even more mountainous and picturesque.
Here an old mill clung to the hillside, its clumsy
water-wheel whirling rhythmically as a swift mountain
current swept by; there a most beautiful falls dashed
madly over the rocks, and fell with a rumble into the
valley below.
Finally our train pulled into Aix-les-Bains, one of
France's most famous watering and health resorts and the
very heart of the "Savoy Leave Area." It was
indeed a most pleasant surprise to find that this place
had been picked for our leave. Aix-les-Bains is located
in the southeastern part of France on the banks of
beautiful Lac-du-Bourget, and nestles in a valley almost
completely surrounded by snow-capped mountains. These are
the famous French Alps and are adjacent to the Swiss Alps
of world renown. This city is mainly level, but wherever
one looks he sees innumerable hotels and chateaux perched
on every conceivable hill and knoll. The place is modern
and up-to-date, and shows plainly the influence which the
American and English tourists, who frequented it in
pre-war times, had upon it and its environs.
At the station a young lieutenant spoke to us, telling us
that we were there to enjoy a complete rest, free from
all restrictions. We were at liberty to go and come as we
pleased, arise and go to bed whenever our fancy
dictated-in a word there would be absolutely no check on
us provided that each man acted in an orderly manner.
Then, in small groups we were sent to the best hotels in
the place, and at 12.01 A.M., December 15th, the actual
furlough began to continue until 11.59 P.m. of December
22nd. All leaves are exclusive of the time consumed in
travel.
Two or three men were accommodated in each room,
according to its size, and when I first beheld my
quarters, I blinked more than once and had to reassure
myself repeatedly that it wasn't all a dream. When a man
is accustomed to any kind of hole or shelter for his
sleeping place, can you imagine what effect the following
scene had on his senses?-a brilliantly electric-lighted
chamber, daintily papered, a velvet rug, two of the most
comfortable looking beds imaginable, a couple of large
lazy armchairs, a washstand with two pitchers of
sparkling water, and handsome silk draperies adorning the
French windows opening on the square. To say that we were
incredulous is to put it mildly. That night I really
hated to disarrange the snow-white sheets, and habit
almost prompted me to unroll my pack and curl up on the
floor. One of the greatest pleasures any of us has ever
enjoyed was that first night's sleep. It was luxury
raised to the nth power,-and at that I suppose most of us
expected to awake the following morning to the bugle's
song of " You can't get 'em up, you can't get 'em.
up, can't get 'em up in the morning," for as you
must know every soldier's dream is of a land of no
reveille and no retreat.
Mess ceased to be dubbed "chow," and meals were
called respectively breakfast, luncheon, and dinner, same
being served in the main dining-room replete with white
linen, china, and silverware. The food was excellent and
plentiful, and to have your needs catered to by a petite
blonde waitress in black gown and dainty white apron,
certainly didn't diminish one's enjoyment of the meals.
The lisping query in broken English, " More meat,
Monsieur?" always met with a spontaneous, "
S'il vous plait ! " And to make it more interesting
seconds, thirds, and even fourths were always
forthcoming. Should one make a request of any French
person, the answer invariably is "Tout de suite,
Tout de suite," and during our stay we heard this
expression so often from waitresses, venders, etc., that
we all got the habit ourselves.
The Y. M. C. A. is the institution which cooperates most
with the government in leave areas, and which deserves
the greatest credit for giving the men on leave an
enjoyable time. At Aix-les-Bains they occupy the Casino
or "Grand Cercle D'Aix," a building which in
pre-war times was one of the most famous gambling
establishments in the world. In fact this city was second
only to Monte Carlo, so it can easily be imagined what a
magnificent place the building actually is. The main
structure and grounds occupy nearly two city blocks and
eleven years (1899-1910) were needed to build them. The
interior is made up of innumerable vast halls,
pretentious ballrooms, banquet halls, corridors, and
libraries, all welded into a harmonious whole by means of
huge arches supported on massive marble pillars. The
ceilings are masterpieces of world- renowned artists,
some being in the form of life- sized paintings, others
being lofty domes of the most delicate and intricate
mosaic work. Myriad electric chandeliers lend a dazzling
radiance to the already brilliant interior. The general
atmosphere and environments are rather those of some
millionaire's club than of a place where Uncle Sam's boys
may enjoy a corking good time at any hour of the day, and
until long past 12 o'clock at night. In fact there is
something doing at the " Y " every minute. In
one of the wings of the building is a beautiful theater
where two performances of excellent vaudeville are given
each day. Then one can always run into a couple of
movies, a concert, or a lecture, enjoy a game of tennis,
or try his dexterity at billiards.
But the crowning events of the week are the tri-weekly
dances. The reader will no doubt wonder where the young
ladies come from, but as the secretarial and canteen
staff of the Y. M. C. A. is partly composed of a group of
most charming young ladies, representing many nations,
this detail is amply provided for. There are Americans,
English, Scotch, French and Italian girls in the group at
Aix, and when they burst into the ballroom bedecked in
their gayest finery, you can take it from me, it was a
sight worth seeing. Of course one must take into
consideration the fact that the female species is almost
an unknown object in a soldier's life-hence the above
ravings.
Naturally another question will arise, "How can so
many men get the chance to dance when there are not near
enough girls to go around? " This problem was more
or less satisfactorily solved in the following manner:
each man was given either a red, a white, or a blue tag
which he fastened to his shoulder strap. A whistle would
then be blown when the music began, and a flag of one of
the three mentioned colors raised by the person in
charge. At intervals the flag would be changed, and a
jolly scramble for the best-looking girl ensued. But if
one paid strict attention to that part of the second
general order for sentinels which goes "keeping
constantly on the alert," he was pretty sure to get
his share of the fun.
But in addition to the above forms of entertainment, the
surrounding country offers a great many natural
attractions. There is the beautiful trip by a little
rickety engine pulled by cable on a cog road to the
summit of Mount R6vard, where one may observe the
surrounding country spread out as in a picture book, and
in the background old Mount Blanc raising its proud head
to the sky as if gloating over the fact that it is the
highest mountain peakin Europe. There are also countless
trips which may be taken on foot or by bicycle to the
"Cat's Tooth," the ancient Abboye d'Hautecombe
which was built in the twelfth century and which is not
only filled with wonderful paintings and statues but is
at the present time one of the only monasteries in France
still inhabited by and kept up for the monks. There is in
the city proper, the former palace of the Duke of Aix and
Savoie, now used as a town hall, and adjoining this
building is a very interesting museum housed in the
original " Temple of Diana. " The outer walls
are the actual stone walls erected by the Romans about
125 Bc., but the interior was remodeled some-time between
the twelfth and fifteenth centuries.
But undoubtedly the hot alum and sulphur springs flowing
directly from the mountains have been most instrumental
in making this city one of the foremost resorts in
Europe. Consequently the bath establishment is a most
pretentious building, and at certain hours the American
soldier is permitted to bathe free of charge. It was our
custom to take a dip every morning in a splendid, white
marble pool filled with the most soothing hot alum water.
Although no fee was charged, by tipping the attendant a
franc or so, one could even occupy a huge white marble
bathroom and enjoy his bath in true Romanesque splendor.
An army bath usually taken in an icy stream, or in a tent
the atmosphere of which is even icier, though the water
may be warm, certainly suffers most ignominiously by
comparison.
For the man who enjoys his glass of beer or even stronger
drinks, there are innumerable cafes, and I must confess
that if you were to go in search of one of your
companions, more often than not you would find him in one
of these thirst-quenching parlors. For those of us with
more temperate tastes there was a fine little English
tea-room where one might obtain large plates of
ice-cream. Yes! real ice-cream scarce as that article is
in France. The inexhaustible Y. M. C. A. canteens served
at all hours large slices of read, butter and jam, cakes,
fruit, hot chocolate, coffee, etc.
It is a striking tribute to the American soldier that,
although the four thousand or more enlisted men who were
in Aix-les-Bains when I was, were given every liberty,
never once did I see a man drunk on the street, or acting
in a loud, ungentlemanly manner.
Every good time must end and although it
was our good fortune to have our leave run two days
overtime, due no doubt to a delay in procuring
transportation, the inevitable day of departure finally
arrived. We reached camp just in time for Christmas
dinner, and there ended the most enjoyable two weeks any
of my companions or myself have ever had in the army.
ALVIN P. ZWETOW,
Pvt. 1cl., 306th F. A.