March 1, 1918 - Commodore Bennett wants a correspondent at the front

And then at the two-month mark in London, almost a go-ahead for France from the Commodore!

Don Martin diary entry for Friday, March 1, 1918:

Quite a busy day. Lingwood woke me at 9:30 to read a couple of telegrams from the Commodore – one to see Mr. Whitehead of the Whitehead Aircraft Co, which I did this afternoon – his factory is in Richmond – and another, more important (to me) either to recommend someone to go to the front unless I think it preferable to go myself – providing I can get some ”good” man to replace me while I’m away. Wired tonight I think it all right to go myself and to leave the London office as it is. Am anxious to know what the Commodore will say. Whitehead told me most interesting story how the Commodore lent him $1000 years ago at Monte Carlo when he, Whitehead, had lost everything. A good new story to put in the Commodore’s obituary, unless he lives forever. Worked at the office until midnight. Then to the hotel. Irving Cobb has left some things for me to keep till he gets back from the front.

Weather clear, windy + very cold.

Don Martin again hand-wrote a short letter to Dorothy, “just a line before I go to bed”, mostly reacting to her letter writing and doings.

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August 31, 1918: Don Martin reports Juvigny victory, role of French tanks

Don Martin diary entry for Saturday, August 31, 1918: With Smith [Chicago Tribune] and [Edwin] James [New York Times] went to the 32 nd headquarters. There was not much of a story. The Americans advanced and took the village of Juvigny. I stopped at the hospital and talked with some of the men who had been in the Juvigny fight. They are all from northern Wisconsin and Michigan. Wrote about 900 words cable. Published in the New York Herald on Sept 1. Americans Advance on Germans to Northwest of Soissons in Face of Vicious Fire of Many Machine Guns FRENCH SHOCK TROOPS AID IN GREAT ATTACK Aim of General Pershing in New Terrific Assault Is to Demoralize the Enemy HUNS MAKE FIRM STAND Many Americans of German Descent Show Loyalty in Desperate Fighting By DON MARTIN Special Correspondent of the Herald with the American Armies in France [Special to the Herald] WITH THE AMERICAN ARMIES IN FRANCE, Saturday ...

Welcome to Don Martin blog on Armistice Centennial Day

Welcome to the World War I Centennial Don Martin daily blog, on Armistice Centennial day, November 11, 2018. Don Martin was a noted war correspondent reporting on the American Expeditionary Forces in France in 1918. Regrettably he died of Spanish influenza in Paris on October 7,1918, while covering the Argonne Forest offensive. He missed the joy of the Armistice by a month. Beginning on December 7, 2017, this blog has chronicled each day what Don Martin wrote one hundred years earlier – in his diary, in his letters home, and in his multitude of dispatches published in the Herald newspaper, both the New York and the European (Paris) editions. The blog, for the several days following his death, recounts the many tributes published, his funeral in Paris and his trip back to his final resting place at his home in Silver Creek, New York. To access the daily blogs, click on the three red lines at top right, then in the fold-down menu, click on Archive. There are 316 blogs from D...

January 31, 1918 - More Air Raid Suspense and Theatre

Don Martin diary entry Thursday, January 31, 1918: Another day and night of air raid suspense. Was heightened by stories of big raid on Paris. Spent most of afternoon in office. Was writing story of personal experience in raid when Skipper Williams of Times called up and asked me to go to Princess Theatre to see “Carminetta”, a musical comedy. [ It was playing at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Don Martin mixed it up with the famous "Princess Theatre Shows" in New York City, a 1915-1918 series of successful musicals by Jerome Kern, Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, which he no doubt saw in New York. ] Was artistic show but somewhat coarse. Alice Delysia, the Star, is very clever. Is a French woman. [ C. B. ] Cochran, manager [ and English impresario ] , took Williams and myself to her dressing room where we chatted with her. Sir Charles something was there too. Alice Delysia 1918 Went to hotel and finished air raid story. Took...

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