ttalion aid
stations so few that they were sometimes almost in the front line
trench, and at other times quite far back. As a result it was frequently
impossible to place relay posts so as to equalize the work of our litter
squads.

In the Larchey sector there was one main road leading out toward the
front. About two kilometres from Larchey, at a point called Brun, this
road branched, the branches leading to points named Vialet, Sermet,
Fokeday and Old Colette. We had litter squads stationed at each of the
above named points. An ambulance could go from Larchey to Brun in
daylight without being seen by the Germans so when a litter squad had
carried their patient to Brun, they telephoned in to Larchey for the
ambulance. A separate road led from Larchey to a point to the northeast
called DeGalbert. Two litter squads were stationed there, and later a
mule was sent down, to be used for pulling the litter cart. Two litter
squads were also sent to Vialet and some men had to be kept in reserve
at Larchey. By July 4th we had about thirty-two men in the Larchey
sector.

At Mittlach our territory was divided into two distinct parts by a
rather wide valley that ran straight east and west for about one
kilometre below the town, and then joined the main valley running north
and south. The German trenches were on the eastern slope of this main
valley and ours were on the western slope and in the valley itself. The
German artillery had a clear sweep at Mittlach and the side valley,
which could not be crossed in the daytime. Nor was it practical for an
ambulance to go east of Mittlach in daylight. Hence we had to establish
two distinct routes of evacuation for litter cases. The northern route
led from Mittlach out along the side of the mountain to Krantz, where a
relay squad was stationed. Further on at Braunkopf we stationed another
litter squad in the battalion aid station. About three kilometres beyond
Braunkopf, at a point called Runtz, we had another squad. This station
was at the extreme left of the sector held by the 35th Division
Infantry, and was a good eight kilometres from Mittlach. Both Runtz and
Braunkopf evacuated to Krantz, where the relay squad took the patients
and either hauled them by litter carts or carried them to Mittlach. On
the southern route the main road from Mittlach led to Camp Dubarle,
where we stationed six men as a relay. Other squads were stationed
beyond Dubarle at the ruined village of Metzeral, at D'