June 26, 1918 – Full diary entry:

“People here are more civilized here than at Monchaux.

We have no formations here. Only eat + sleep and wait.”

Seems odd that the 140th and the rest of the 35th Division would have their training with the British cut short, then moved by train across the country, then moved again after less than two weeks, only to sit for another week (and as the sneak peek below reveals, with another move soon to come).

As usual, I’m grateful for the perspective offered by Chaplain Edwards in From Doniphan to Verdun. He gives a glimpse of the confusion and uncertainty happening at higher levels of command:

We were in Thann but a week, camouflage and censorship hid our whereabouts from the folks at home and from the French and sometimes apparently from the high command. No one knew where we were except the Germans. We were withdrawn to prevent further shelling of the historic old town.

Where was Robert today? See the timeline.