th food supplies
and cooking equipment, and after it the Renault truck (the writer
driving) loaded with office supplies, cash boxes, and personal
baggage. Last of all was a big three-ton truck with a miscellaneous
load and trailing a small truck loaded with garage tools. This was our
traveling repair shop in charge of our mechanician. The rest of the
staff with their personal baggage went by train.

Ravigny is a small town but an important railroad center from which
troop trains were re-routed to various points on the front line. Our
division was ordered to proceed to Riccicourt, a deserted and partly
destroyed village about twelve miles west of Verdun and about five
miles south of Avoncourt, where our boys went "over the top." The
women canteen workers, much to their disappointment, were ordered by
the colonel to remain at Ravigny, where they could get accommodations
and be saved the danger and distress of the battlefield.

At Riccicourt officers and men were billeted in every building that
afforded any protection from wind or rain. The mass of troops,
however, were on the move and bivouacked or quickly set up their
dog-tents, wherever the order to "fall out" was given. Every road
leading to Avoncourt was filled with the motor transportation of many
divisions. Heavy rains at times made the roads impassable, but in some
way traffic was maintained.

The Y.M.C.A. workers with the 37th Division were the first on the
field. They were the farthest advanced; they had the largest stock of
supplies and the most workers of any organization in that sector at
the beginning of the drive. From this center a supply station was
established at Avoncourt, where hot chocolate was served day and
night to the men as they were going to and from the line of battle.
Hot chocolate and supplies in large quantities were also furnished
free to the field-hospitals.

All secretaries who could possibly be spared were dispatched with
packs on their backs, bulging with chocolate and tobacco for the men
actually on the firing line. As these secretaries trudged past the
long lines of soldiers waiting to "go into action" they would be
greeted with a chorus of "Three cheers for the 'Y'"--"You can't lose
the Y Men," etc.

When in answer to the requests, "Can't you sell us a cake of chocolate
or a pack of Camels?" it was explained, "We can't carry enough for
all, and these are for the wounded and the men on the firing line,"
there came invariably the