GEORGE S. PATTON DIARIES Annotated transcripts July-Dec 1918 BOX 2 FOLDER 7 July, 1918 Map - St. Mihiel - C (Diary 1918) Thursday August 1 Left for Paris at 5:31 reached there 2:30 train very late. (Diary 1918) Saturday September 7 Went to see 1st Div Gen Summerall in morning all most obliging and did all I asked. Went to 42 Maj Murphy G3. Found that they had adopted my plan in total. Thought Col Hughes less of an ass. Fixed up plan for French Maj. Chamoine Wrote new plan for 327 Compton etc got lost Tanks shipped from Langres Gen. R. called. (Diary 1918) Tuesday September 10 327 Failed to detrain as Frenchmen had put ammunition on the tracks and we could not move up. Things look bad but we will do out best to get them off Lt. Col. Mitchell came to observe also Viner (Diary 1918) Wednesday September 18 Made Reconnaissance of Woods & think [Chamont] Clermont better place got telephone connected and office & mess running expect to be shelled at 9:30 now 10:05 P.M. and nothing has hapened but they are shelling Parirs [Parnis] to the west. [*Army Check*] (Diary 1918) Wednesday September 25 Inspected Battalions at 9 A.M. Found 345 very dirty Ordered correction. 344 in better condition but might have been improved upon. Gen R. called. Went to corps to get H & D also passes for tas trucks. Went to meeting at 35 Div. One of our trucks full of runners hit by shell 6:15 P.M. Near [Anvilly??] Newilly no report yet. Had big dinner. Will start soon. Wrote B. (Diary 1918) Monday September 30 Was put on cattle train in rain and had a rather bad night as the iron bars of the stretcher hurt my back and I could not move. (Diary 1918) Thursday October 17 Came up to Camp hospital No. 24 at Langres by arrangement with Gen. Smith (Diary 1918) Saturday October 19 Spent the day at Bourg and played my new phonograph. Very nice. Felt tired. October 23, 1918 Bound mimeographed book with maps "OPERATIONS of the 301st BATTALION - T.C. Sept 29th to Oct 23rd 1918" Colonel G. S. Patton T.C. 305th Brigade - Tank Corps. American Expeditionary Forces, France Secret - Copy No. 42 (Inside page states: 2nd Tank Brigade, American E.F. Report On Operations September 27 to October 1st, 1918 October 5th, 1918) (Diary 1918) Friday October 25 Got out of hospital and moved to Bourg. (Diary 1918) Monday November 11 Peace was signed and Langres was very excited. Many flags. Got rid of my bandage. Wrote a poem on peace. Also one on Capt. English. (Diary 1918) Wednesday November 20 Got letter from Nita in which she said Gen P wrote her. "I know of no one who has as much courage as George. Tell Aunt Ruth she should be mighty proud of him." J. J. P. Had big minstrel show to night quite a success. (Diary 1918) Friday November 22 Gave lecture to a lot of generals and in P.M. demonstration of Bn attack it worked fine. The generals were all dead ones. (Diary 1918) Wednesday November 27 Rode horseback and hurt my leg. So I do not feel very flip (Diary 1918) Thursday November 28 Went on bore hunt with Capt. Thompson and killed a rabbit. Ate a huge dinner and felt very stuffed. (Diary 1918) Saturday November 30 Drove one of the American Renaults to day. Col Taylor left. Got Black male letter from Mr. Whiting? Who in hell is he? Bill Reed says not to worry about it. (Diary 1918) Tuesday December 3 Left Varennes at 8 A.M. Went to Verdun and San Mihiel. Verdun is not hurt much. St. Mihiel less Trench system is most interesting as one crosses both lines twice. French did more digging but Bosch better and they had much better shelter for the men also better wire. Called on Col Horton at Neuf Chateau and bought a Trench coat. (Diary 1918) Wednesday December 4 Got D.S.C. Wired Beat to that effect [*(wire dated Dec 10!] (Diary 1918) Thursday December 5 [*for staff college*] Gave lecture to G.S.C. at 11 A.M. They asked to have it printed. Had manuver in P.M. quite successful Wireless Tanks worked for first time Sent and received while in motion. Staff very inatentive due to end of war probably. Got letter saying I had D.S.C. (Diary 1918) Friday December 6 Left for Paris on 2:18 train. Gen. Reckenbach let me wear my D.S.C. Ribbon. Had dinner with Caroline went to the theater (Diary 1918) Sunday December 8 Had lunch with Gen Pershing. Called on the Boyds. Anne said she wanted a watch for Christmas. (Diary 1918) Monday December 9 Nothing much have bad cold and feel rotten. (Picture Postcard)- Photo [of] Boppard - Partie mit Fahre Officer's Letter Geo. S. Patton, Esq. First Savings Bldg. Los Angeles, Cal. 9:45 A.M. December 10, 1918, The first American General to establish his headquarters on the German Rhine, sends you Holiday greetings and best wishes for the New Year. Brigadier General F. C. Marshall Commanding 2nd Inf. Brigade (postmarked Jan. 16, 1919) (Diary 1918) Wednesday December 11 Semmes, Weed, and Castle came to tell me good by. They are all on the way to the states. (Diary 1918) Thursday December 12 Bought a Police Dog for 1200 F. with the help of Caroline. His name is Char [*illeg*] (Diary 1918) Friday December 13 Took Anne to the movies and had Tea with her and Mrs. Boyd. Anne likes her watch (Diary 1918) Saturday December 14 Went to the Place de La Concord to see the President. There was a large crowd but little noise. Gen. P. was in fifth or sixth carriage. President looked fine and very much a man. Man in crowd saw my wound chevron and thought I was a 2d Lt. he said, "What a happy day this would be if it were not for the fact that England makes us always keep the hand on the sword." Felt very badly and went to bed right after supper. (Diary 1918) Sunday December 15 Got up early and went for "Char" in one of the general's cars. Got a Dog ticket for him and took him in the apartment? (Diary 1918) Monday December 16 Weather very bad and rainy. (Diary 1918) Thursday December 19 328 Bn. had a manuver with a Bn of candidates it went very well and showed the possibilities of Light Tanks in bad country in open war. (Diary 1918) Friday December 20 Gave lecture to a bunch of artillery officers they were all most interested and it was a pleasure to talk to them. Had demonstration in P.M. which was not well staged as the tanks bunched too much. (Diary 1918) Sunday December 22 Went to Chaumont to have uniforms tried on. Had to wait two hours there was such a crowd. Had dinner with Gen. McAndrew at the general's [*general's? yes*] chateau. Mrs. Boyd and Anne were there. (Diary 1918) Tuesday December 24 Braine and I talked over our last Christmas eve. I read a Book B gave me "The Kingdom of the Blind." (Diary 1918) Saturday December 7 Met Morgan Adams and called with him on Mrs. Johnson & Mrs. Ayre. Took them to lunch. [*? this was ayer before*] (Diary 1918) [*check names*] Wednesday December 25 Went on horse back to see the review but it was so cold I did not wate for it. Inspected [*illeg*] of men and found them very good. Ate dinner here at one Went to Gen P's for dinner at eight. Present, Gen. P. Gen. McAndrew, Gen Davis, Boyd, Quekemeyer, Bowditch, Collins, Hughes. Lt. Pershing, Dame Ranche, [*?*] M. D. Ouvre, Mrs. Boyd, Ann and myself. Got some nice presents. Quek. gave me two fine helmets. Left at 12:30 A.M. in snow storm Char had eaten my shoes. (Diary 1918) Thursday December 26 Drill only in A.M. until 31st. My Christmas box arrived in good shape. (Diary 1918) Tuesday December 31 End of a fine year full of interest. I hope it will be the only one in which I am away from B. for such a long time. Set up until 12 reading French [victory] history from 1814 to 1914. Got letter from Frenchman again accusing me of all sorts of vice and saying he would write Gen. P. I hope he does. Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.