650. WORLD WAR I DIARY OF SGT. GEORGE S. ROBBINS A fine content diary, in two volumes of approximately 225 pages each (30-40% filled-in) chronicling the wartime experiences of Sgt. George S. Robbins, who was attached to the headquarters of the American 1st Army, from Feb. 7, 1918 to April 5, 1919. The diary reads, in small part: [Feb. 10, 1918] Equipment & records did not arrive and did not work. Went for a walk through abandoned trenches where Germans passed through for 7 hrs in 1915...[Feb. 12]..See several airplanes daily...[Feb. 28] Watched a heavy barrage from hilltop late P.M...[Mar. 8] Took a motorcycle ride to Alliamint[?] & Juvigny[?] a...Passed field entirely blown up with shells. Several villages in which not a house stood that had not been shelled. Came back through Soissons...[Apr.] Big drive by enemy on 104th Inf. at Apremont [?] lasted two days. Enemy driven back with heavy loss. Col. Shelton and 117 men awarded Croix de Guerre for good work...[Apr. 11] Battle still raging at Apremont, 7 1/2 miles away...[Apr. 14] Played baseball vs. 101st Engrs. beat them 5 to 2...[Apr. 17] Enemy airplanes fired on over our heads in early morning...[Apr. 20]...Big battle started in early morn at Seicheprey vs. the 102nd Inf. Enemy with 1200 Strom Troops. Enemy captured Sei.- in evening Our [boys] fought all night. Ammunition gave out. My motorcycle trip? ...[Apr. 21] Battle still raging. We retook Seicheprey. Drove enemy out with heavy loss. Found field full of traps and boxes of explosives...Battle died down at night. Our casualties - 800 to 900. Missing 184...[May 12]...When arrived in Toul learned that Major Lufberry had been killed; that 3 seater German plane brought him down; that the enemy plane was finally brought down near Nancy...[May 23] ...Elsie Janis visited Boucq on a tour of vaudeville sketches. She sang, told stories and danced. She sang in French & English..[May 31] At 2:30 A. M. the 101st Inf under Major Hicks...volunteers from other units made a raid on enemy. Killed all Germans in reach, blew up dugouts, cut wire, destroyed trenches. Captured 17 yr. old German Great success. Lost but few men. Many accidentally gassed by our own gas...[June 16] At 4 A. M. Heavy bombardment with 50 m/m. enemy plane flew over & dropped 3 bombs. Bombardment lasted till 5 A. M. 1 Killed & 1 wounded of Am. Engrs. 2 French soldiers killed. At 12:15 Bombardment renewed. Had to stay at phone. 24 shells sent over, including 4 duds. At 4:30 started again about 15 shells being sent over...[June 16] We bombarded enemy in morning. Enemy launched a raid with 800 men. 103rd Inf. repulsed them with heavy loss, capturing 4 prisoners. We lost about 90 men killed & wounded...[June 23]...appointed 'Regimental Sergeant Major'...[July 1]...Passed about one thousand prisoners; a division of British, a lot of French soldiers. Passed an Airdrome & several planes...[July 16]...Enemy planes flew over and dropped 4 bombs, One hit about 50 yds away, two hit railroad station and demolished it. 5 were killed in station..." At the beginning of August our diarist was allowed several days leave to go to Paris. There he did all the touristy things including attending the Follies BergËre, for which he placed several used tickets in the back of one of his diaries. He simply described it as a "Wonderful Show". On August 11, he: "Received request from 1st Army that I be transferred to those Heqrs for Duty...[Sept. 12] A terrific artillery preparation commenced at 1 o'clock. enemy first thought it to be local. At 4 o'clock enemy expected an attack. Our attack commenced at about 8...No resistance met in open. Wooded areas filled with machine guns. Our objective for the day reached before 20:00...I worked all night at M. P. hdqrs. examining prisoners...[Sept. 13] At 3:15 the 102nd entered Vigneubles. On its left the 52nd Inf. Brig. entered during day...Made contact with 1st Division U.S.A. at 10:00 This left St. Mihel and Montsec cut off and in our hands. We captured 2193 men 37 officers 13 trucks...[Sept 14.] Beginning of day enemy was retreating in disorder out of St. Mihel Salient...[Oct 8]...One truck crashed thru bridge. Had to unload trucks at bottom of hill and then load stuff onto mule teams to be brought up the hill...[Oct. 20, at Verdun]...Enemy shelled city all day...[Oct. 29] Heard Austria were ready to make an Armistice...[Oct 30] British Admiral in command of Fleet in Black Sea signed an Armistice with Turkey...[Oct 7] Peace Envoys...of Germany crossed the lines at 22:00 on way to headquarters...1st Amer. Army advancing rapidly on Sedan. Had advanced 40 kilometers since Nov. 1st....[Oct 8] Papers stated that German envoys had been rec'd by Marshall Foch and terms of peace given them...[Nov. 10]...Kaiser had abdicated...[Nov. 11] Courier came in at 2:15 advised that we were to make a drive at 9:30. Wireless received at 4:30 from Hq. of Marshall Foch that all hostilities and firing would cease on the entire front at 11:00. G. issued Field Order #106 requesting all firing to cease at 11:00 o'clock, French time...no fraternizing with enemy and no crossing the lines until further orders...". The balance of the year was relatively uneventful for Serg. Robbins, but on Dec. 24 he was advised that he "would be in charge of 70 men on Xmas morning to await Prest. Wilson." On Christmas morning he "assembled men in front of Adjutant's Office on Rue Neufchateau at 11:15. President and party arrived at 12:20. Whole party passed slowly by us. He had dinner with Gen'l & officers of Div at French Hospital. he departed at 2:15 without having made a speech..." Robbins remained in France until March, 1919. He described his arrival in Boston in the midst of the influenza epidemic. "[Apr. 4, 1919] Arrived at Commonwealth Pier at about 1 p.m Whistles were blowing...[Apr. 5]...boarded passenger train...for Camp Devens. Got grand reception all along the route. Arrived at Camp Devens at about 1pm. Had to take bath and put clothes through Cootie machine. Steam spoiled clothing. Doctors found my throat infected and ordered me to Camp Hospital at about 7 p.m. Other fellows got leave of absence..." This is the last entry Robbins made in his diary, and whether he survived the flu pandemic of 1919 is not known. Both diaries have been exposed to water which has damaged the green cloth covers and the photographs that Robbins had placed within, the text however is surprisingly clear and undamaged, overall very good. $500 - 700