The Fight for the Argonne

Supply runs in a Ford place William Benjamin West close to the daily pressures of the First World War. A minister working as a driver near the American 37th Division, he carries goods along the Alsatian border to huts serving the troops. Checkpoints and uncertain routes share the account with books, games, music and religious services. His work brings him into contact with soldiers and welfare workers whose routines continue within reach of the fighting.

In the Argonne passages, deliveries mean moving through rain, mud and congested roads. West describes distributing supplies to gun crews, helping wounded men find transport and reaching canteens where hot chocolate is served late into the night. Exhaustion affects the workers as well as the men they assist. His religious outlook and admiration for the troops give the memoir its personal voice. For readers interested in wartime support work, the account shows the effort behind ordinary provisions and brief moments of comfort.