s. This was the public pool where
the women of the village came to do the family washing, as the village
was deprived of the natural advantages of a river. Watering troughs
surrounded this wash-house on two sides. Twice daily the cattle and
live-stock from all the village barns were led to this watering place.
Water for drinking purposes was also supplied the village from a
special fountain on the exterior side opposite the water troughs.

Mud was the chief characteristic of Blancheville. It was a farming
community of unusual quietude. Plenty of barns and roosts were found
in which to billet the battery. The natives were very hospitable. They
readily chased out the cows and the chickens to make room for the
Americans. The boys lived next door to animal nature. In one billet an
adjacent room housed the live stock and it was not uncommon to have
slumbers awakened by the cow walking into the sleeping quarters of the
troops.

While in Blancheville the boys got used to the largest of the French
rat species. During the hours of the night they traveled flat-footed
over the faces and forms of sleeping soldiers, also played havoc with
all soldier equipment stored in the billet. It may sound like myth,
but it is a fact that a rat in one billet dragged an army mess kit
across the floor--they were some rats.

On the road opposite the church stood an old, one-story stone building
that was built in its present form, eight hundred years ago. The roof
was overgrown with moss and one corner had started to crumble in from
old age. In this building Corporals James Cataldo and Michael A. Tito,
the battery barbers, set up a barber shop. They did good business
after they were able to convince the battery in general that the roof
would not cave in for another hundred years.

The first day in Blancheville was spent in parking the guns and
caissons, digging Latrines and the usual duties attendant upon
establishing a new battery home. It was also a job in itself to make
some semblance at getting some of the billets cleaned up and half fit
to sleep in.

Reveille for the first few mornings was at 8 o'clock. Thursday,
November 28th, was an off day for the outfit, except those on K. P.,
who got an extra job in preparing a battery Thanksgiving spread. The
day was spent by the idle mostly in hiking over the roads and visiting
some of the nearby villages where the other units of the regiment were
quartered. Regimental Headquarters, Headquarters C