September 19, 1918 – Full diary entry:

“Still on trucks. Passed Toul + Verdun. Marched ten miles.

Camped in woods. Are soon to go into real action.”

From Chaplain Edwards in From Doniphan to Verdun:

Over the Nancy-Toul Bar-le-Duc road a distance of many kilometres to Triacourt where Division Headquarters were established. The 140th scattered in the village Eclair and the surrounding woods, mostly the surrounding woods. The nights of September 19th and 20th were spent here. The men were exhausted from the trip.

Heroes of the Argonne:

After an afternoon and night of this species of agony, the division arrived in the Charmontois district. Here it was attached to the Third Army Corps and under the Second French Army for tactical control and supply.

I think Robert is mistaken here, but it’s hard to say. If he’s correct that they passed near Verdun, the route would have looked something like this:

Chaplain Edwards has them taking a southern route:

Either way, it was a long and uncomfortable ride for the 35th, with more discomfort to follow.

Where was Robert today? See the timeline.