A French trench grenade launcher with a team of four — an observer, one to man the catapult, and two managing the grenades. Photograph from 'Ambulance No. 10; Personal Letters from the Front,' by Leslie Buswell. Most of Buswell's book consists of his letters in June, July, and August, 1915. A volunteer corps, the American Ambulance Field Service had over 200 ambulances in the field in 1916.

Text:

Grenade catapult, first line trenches

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Sunday, July 4, 1915

"The feast was to start at seven o'clock, and nearly every soldier in all the regiments round here knew it was the American Fête Day. Suddenly at two o'clock commenced a tremendous artillery duel — the whole earth seemed to tremble and the noise of rifle fire almost drowned the explosions of shells — the Germans had attacked!

. . . We all rushed to our cars to be ready for the call, and about six o'clock every car was ordered to X— — poor little village already badly enough damaged by the bombardment of a few hours before! We worked late and I got to bed at three-thirty, having carried some fifty wounded a distance of about ten kilometres — ten trips — two hundred kilometres! In all we carried away over three hundred and fifty crippled wrecks who three hours before were the pride of their nation and families!"

Quotation Context

Excerpt from a letter written July 6, 1915, by Leslie Buswell recounting the previous days. A driver with the American Ambulance Field Service, a volunteer organization attached to the French Armies, Buswell was stationed at Pont-à-Mousson, France, north of Nancy. His small book is a lively account of his experiences and grim work between June 17, and October 1915. Each unit of the Service consisted of 20 to 30 ambulances. In 1916 over 200 cars were in service.

Source

Ambulance No. 10; Personal Letters from the Front by Leslie Buswell, pp. 44, 45, copyright © 1915, and 1915, by Houghton Mifflin Company, publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, publication date: 1916

Tags

France, Ambulance, Ambulance No. 10, Buswell, Leslie Buswell, America, letters, 1915, American Ambulance Field Service, 1915-07-04