In the Flash Ranging Service: Observations of an American Soldier During His Service With the A.E.F. in FranceTrueblood, Edward Alva
History
In the Flash Ranging Service: Observations of an American Soldier During His Service With the A.E.F. in France
Trueblood, Edward Alva
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, American
There are no skyscrapers in Brest, that is to say, there are no tall
office buildings there, although the city is an important business
point. The only tall structures are the churches and an old castle,
dating from the thirteenth century. The business buildings are all of
two or three stories. The stores are not as up to date as the retail
establishments in America, and the methods of doing business are
entirely different from ours. Goods are not on display in the open as
they are in American stores, but are kept in show cases. If you are
interested in a certain piece of goods, the clerk takes it out of the
show case and exhibits it to you. If you do not buy it, the article is
placed right back in the show case. The clerks are mostly girls. They
are plainly dressed but always neat. Most of them wear black. They are
by no means as well dressed as American girls who work in stores. The
French store employes are very poorly paid, the average wage for a
clerk being two and a half francs, or about 50 cents in American money
a day.
During the war, Brest was very much of a cosmopolitan city. On the
streets most any day could be seen the uniforms of the soldiers and
sailors of all the Allied nations--French, British, Italian,
Portuguese, American and others. The uniforms of the different nations
are of different hues and they gave a tinge of color to the crowds on
the streets. They ranged from spotless white to faded blues. The
uniforms of the Italian soldiers, in my opinion, were the most
attractive. They were a pretty gray, well made and attractive in
design. The uniform of the American soldier, while not the prettiest,
is the most serviceable. For war use it is no doubt the best. The
British wear uniforms very much like ours, although a little different
in shade and design. They are serviceable and neat but not attractive.
The coat has a small lapel and large brass buttons that are always
well shined. The home guards of the French army wore flashy coats and
trousers. The trousers were either blue with a broad red stripe or red
with a blue stripe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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