Maybe someone on the list can explain what an ABRAI is as regard to the
following transcription.
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MILO KING'S CAR STRUCK BY SHELLS
Says machine, in ABRAI was hit during bombardment
Hauled German Prisoners
MILO KING, son of Mrs. J.V. KING of near Rochester, who is now with the
American ambulance corps on the French front, writes an interesting letter
home to his mother, telling of being under fire, of German prisoners captured
and asserting that the Germans do not believe that American troops are now
fighting in France. The letter follows:
"I have not received a letter from you for some time, but have been writing
every week. The last letter from you was dated July 1.
We are about to come out of action and will be out for 20 days repose.
AMBULANCE HIT
No one has been hit but several of the cars were. I was caught in a
bombardment and had several holes put in my ambulance body while I was down
in an abrai. It was hit from three sides, some holes as large as my fist. I
had the car in a pile of stones which was all that saved it. They bombarded
all night, also threw in gas shells and blew a few stones in our abria but
with all the heavy shelling there was not one man injured and they did not
bombard the trenches during the 24 hours that I was on duty.
During that time we only brought down 17 men and all of them were not
wounded. That is very good considering that we have 18,000 men in this
division.
TAKE PRISONERS
We also took about 300 Bosche prisoners which is out of the ordinary. I
brought down two ambulance loads of them and they seemed to be glad to be
prisoners. Got two helmets, a cap and cut off a lot of buttons. One Bosche
who rode on the seat with me gave me a ring he had made and it is a dandy.
Said he was coming to America after the war. He said they had orders to take
back the two trenches they lost or ??????? and that they had to stay in ????
trenches until they did.
TROOPS' PRESENCE DENIED
The Germans are strong yet but when they find out the U.S. troops are here
there won't be so much fight in them. The prisoners would not believe there
were U.S. troops here and said they could not come across. I suppose they
thought that their subs destroyed all traffic.
I am getting a collection of relics but am afraid to try to send any of them
as they may get lost in the mail.
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9-20-1917 Rochester Sentinel (Indiana)