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diff --git a/old/68333-0.txt b/old/68333-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 38294ac..0000000 --- a/old/68333-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7541 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The history of Company B, 311th -Infantry in the World War, by B. Allison Colonna - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The history of Company B, 311th Infantry in the World War - -Editor: B. Allison Colonna - -Contributors: Bert W. Stiles - David Gardenier - Charles Peter - Tracy S. White - -Release Date: June 16, 2022 [eBook #68333] - -Language: English - -Produced by: David E. Brown and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team - at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images - generously made available by The Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HISTORY OF COMPANY B, -311TH INFANTRY IN THE WORLD WAR *** - - - - - -[Illustration: Capt. Colonna and Lt. Foulkes at Camp Dix, 1918.] - - - - - THE HISTORY - OF - COMPANY B, 311th INFANTRY - IN THE - WORLD WAR. - - Edited by - B. A. Colonna - with contributions by David Gardenier, Charles Peter, - and Tracy S. White. - - Statistics compiled by Bert W. Stiles. - - FREEHOLD, N. J. - TRANSCRIPT PRINTING HOUSE, - 1922 - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1922, - BY B. A. COLONNA AND B. W. STILES. - - - - -INDEX - - - Page - - Introduction 5 - - Chapter I--Madison Barracks 6 - - Chapter II--Camp Dix 7 - - Chapter III--The Cruise of the “NESTOR” 11 - - Chapter IV--The English Sector 16 - - Chapter V--The American Sector 32 - - Chapter VI--St. Mihiel and Limey Sector 40 - - Chapter VII--Meuse-Argonne 67 - - Chapter VIII--Flavigny-sur-Ozerain 74 - - Chapter IX--Homeward Bound 76 - - Alphabetical Roster of Officers 81 - - Alphabetical Roster of Enlisted Men 83 - - Classified Rosters 108 - - Number of Officers and Men by States 111 - - Lists of Casualties 112 - - Decorations 114 - - Extracts from General Orders No. 6 115 - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -You, my comrades of the past two years, for whom this history is -written, know that I have but small gift of expression at any time, -and least of all for the things closest to my heart. At your request, -however, made when we parted for the last time, I am writing the -story of our company. I shall do my best to put down everything as it -occurred, so far as my knowledge and memory will serve; and I trust -that if the matter is true, you will overlook crudeness in the form. - -“Company B, 311th Infantry”--Only a letter and a number? Only one -company out of the hundreds in the National Army? Yes, to outsiders; -but to me, and I trust and believe to you, Company B was a living and -vital being, composed of part of what was best in each of us. Its -official life was twenty months; in that time it was born, grew to -full strength, was trained, travelled some 7500 miles, fulfilled its -destiny--fought, suffered, lost; and finally returned to its birthplace -and was mustered out. But the spirit of B Company is still with each of -us, and not a man but has carried away more than he gave. - -Relatively, B Company was a very small part of the army. But to us, -it was the army; just as we shall always think of the war in terms of -St. Mihiel and the Argonne. We have heard of the Marne, Ypres, Verdun, -Chateau Thierry; but every man sees the war through his own eyes. - -For this reason, I am writing in the first person. The best I can do -is to relate things as I saw them so I shall not take refuge behind an -artificial impersonality. Probably a good many things were pulled off -that I did not know anything about. And then you may discover that I -knew more about some little matters than you thought I did. - - - - -CHAPTER I - -MADISON BARRACKS - - -On May 5, 1917, I reported for duty at the Officers’ Training Camp at -Madison Barracks, New York, with a commission as Second Lieutenant of -Infantry in the Reserve Corps. My call to active duty had cut short my -law course at Columbia University two months before I was to take my -degree. - -Having graduated three years before from the Virginia Military -Institute, and served there a year as sub-professor of German and -tactics, I had some idea of the fundamental principles of military -training; but, like almost all the other reserve officers, army paper -work and administration was a closed book to me. - -A few days later I was told off to report to Capt. Haynes Odom, U. -S. R., commanding Co. 5 of the 2d Provisional Training Regt. Capt. -Odom was already conspicuous among the batch of reserve officers for -his efficiency and tireless energy and industry. The tall, upstanding -figure, with the mark of the regular army man indelibly stamped upon -him; the head carried well back; the weather-worn, sun-wrinkled face, -the hooked nose, cool hazel eyes; the smile that accompanied alike -a friendly greeting or a merciless balling out; the soft Southern -accent indescribably harshened by thousands of commands given--do you -recognize the Major, boys? - -The three long, hot, arduous months of training at Madison Barracks -can be passed over briefly. My cot in the long frame barrack was next -to that of a tall, lithe, black haired lad from Rochester, N. Y., with -the merriest, keenest, black eyes I ever saw. Before a week went by he -stood out above the average candidate. He was young, just twenty-one--I -was at the venerable age of twenty-two. But he had the keenest, -quickest, practical mind I have ever met, and the gift of natural -leadership, which is compounded of courage, intelligence, unselfish -sympathy, and a sense of humor. He had graduated from Cornell in 1916. -Later you knew him as 1st Lieut. Louis Sinclair Foulkes, the best -officer in “B” Company; the best officer it was my fortune to come in -contact with during the war. - -One of the training companies was organized as a cavalry troop. We saw -them now and then being led in physical drill by a handsome, muscular -young chap, so alive and vibrant with nervous energy that it was good -to watch him work. He was Roy A. Schuyler, of Schenectady, a graduate -of Union College, and a descendant of that General Schuyler whose -record in the Revolutionary War makes so bright a page in American -history. Brilliant, impulsive, generous, full of the joy of life, -passionately eager to serve; he was a worthy descendant of a long line -of fighting patriots. - -In Co. 9 was an earnest, dignified, hard working reserve first -lieutenant, one of the most capable of the reserve officers on the -post. He was a prominent lawyer of Utica, N. Y., and one of the leaders -in the Plattsburg movement. Though well over the draft age, he had -given up his large practice and had gone into the service at the first -call. This was Russell H. Brennan, the first commander of “B” Company. - -At last our course drew to a close; the commissions were announced and -we departed for ten days’ leave before reporting to Camp Dix for duty. -Will we ever forget those ten golden August days? The world was ours, -and life was sweet. No one knew what lay ahead, but we all made the -most of our last taste of the old life for some time. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -CAMP DIX - - -Most of you saw it for the first time when you rolled into the long -train shed, and hiked up to your barracks through a mile or more of -company streets, in a city of forty thousand men, the hundreds of large -barracks already weatherbeaten with the snows and rains of winter. - -We, however, after changing trains several times, finally rolled up -to what was apparently a piano box in a lumber yard, and were there -assured by the conductor that this was Camp Dix. We tumbled off, and -trudged away through six inches of New Jersey dust toward the only -building in sight with a roof on it--camp headquarters. Our bags became -heavier and heavier; our new uniforms were fearfully hot; our new shoes -and puttees, with which we had been dazzling admiring womenfolks and -causing menfolk to grunt with assumed indifference, were abominably -tight and pinchy. - -Finally we straggled in to headquarters, to indulge for a couple of -hours in that amusement so familiar to every man in the army--standing -in line for an hour to do two minutes of red tape. When our turn was -over, we went over to a partially completed barracks, where we were -each allowed to appropriate 1 cot, iron. This was the limit of our -accommodation--those who couldn’t get away to some nearby town slept on -the soft side of a piece of bristol board. We walked to the ether side -of camp for all our meals--about two miles, if you didn’t lose your way. - -The next morning we attended a rollcall at 9 A. M. There we met Col. -Marcus B. Stokes, the commanding officer; and Lt. Col. Edgar Myer, -second in command. We found that the officers from Madison Barracks, -Cos. 5 and 6, with half of the Troop formed the nucleus of the new -regiment. - -Capt. Odom was Regimental Adjutant and to my horror I was at once made -Regimental Supply Officer. The following officers were assigned to “B” -company: - - Capt. Russell H. Brennan, commanding company, - 2d Lt. Roy A. Schuyler, - 2d Lt. Fred S. Fish, - 2d Lt. Wm. D. Ashmore. - -For a month the regiment went through the agonies of organization. -Supplies came in by driblets; transportation there was none, save for -two hopelessly over-worked motor truck companies, which put in half -their time trying to separate their trucks from the sacred soil of -Jersey. A great swarm of civilian workmen were toiling feverishly to -get up the barracks. The regiment was moved four times in as many -weeks. The roads were six inches deep in mud or dust. - -The first enlisted men in the regiment were three former candidates at -Madison Barracks, who, through no fault of their own, had not received -commissions, but who wouldn’t leave the bunch, and enlisted in the -regiment,--Dave Gardenier, Art McCann, and Jimmie Hooker. McCann and -Gardenier were made regimental sergeants major, and Hooker was my -regimental supply sergeant. - -In about a week a number of men came in from various Regular Army -regiments, to form a nucleus of N. C. O.’s. “B” company received -Ertwine, Robbins, and J. M. Newell. These men were shortly afterward -made corporals on recommendation of Capt. Brennan. - -From Sept. 19th to Sept. 22d, the men of the first draft came in. -As Supply Officer, my own troubles kept me pretty busy during those -strenuous days. I knew “B” company, however, as a good outfit. Capt. -Brennan’s steady, methodical, tireless work, and the energy and -devotion of his three lieutenants showed results from the first. Lt. -Fish, a former National Guard officer, was an old hand and steadied the -younger officers. - -After two months of hard work, the companies began to round out into -some sort of shape. The non-commissioned officers were selected, -with as much care as was possible in the limited time allowed for -observation of the new men. The first top sergeant of “B” Co. was -Eilert, a sturdy and sterling product of the first draft, who had -been a foreman in a large factory. The “top” is, absolutely, the most -essential man in a company. His position is such that he has to see to -the carrying out of all the disagreeable orders, and making the details -for all the dirty jobs, while at the same time he is not protected by -any barrier of rank. He is usually cordially detested and thoroughly -respected by the men, and is about as useful to the officers as a right -hand. We never had a top in “B” Co. who was not absolutely loyal to -the service and to the company commander; never one who shrank from -the most disagreeable duty, nor who gave a thought to his personal -popularity. They were human, of course, and made mistakes like the rest -of us; and sometimes they couldn’t help being placed in a bad light to -the men. But you men--some of you, even, who beefed most against the -tops--if you only knew how many times that same top came to the company -commander or other officers to help out this fellow or that, to suggest -some way of making things easier for the whole company; if you knew -how hard and thankless a job they held; possibly you would have been a -little more lenient in your judgments. - -James McC. Newell was the first supply sergeant, and got away with -everything not nailed down. Samuel Tritapoe was Mess Sgt. until Lt. -Wagner recognized his ability and took him for a regimental supply -sergeant, and Warren Sculthorp succeeded to this thankless but highly -important job. The other sergeants, as well as I remember, were -Ertwine, Perry, Anness and Robbins. Joe Levy was soon drafted by -Newell to make the accounts balance; Harold Sculthorpe started on his -culinary career; Sweeney, Rogers, Tom Viracola, Howard Lehy, Hayden and -Long Bill Reid were corporals. Sutton and Weber were detailed at the -regimental exchange where they were a great factor in making it the -best in the division. And last, but not least, deBruin was man of all -work and plumber-in-chief. Red Sheridan also started his lurid career -with “B” Co., and helped deBruin and “Bugs” Wardell to dispose of the -vanilla extract rations. - -Toward the middle of October, Lt. Foulkes arrived from Cambridge, -Mass., where he had been sent for a special course in trench warfare. -He was assigned to B Co., and remained as second in command until he -was made battalion adjutant in July 1918. - -Now started in the era of transfers. New drafts were constantly coming -in; and as soon as we would get them uniformed and able to negotiate a -“Squads Right” without losing each other, they would be drawn away to -fill up some other division destined for overseas duty before the 78th. -Not once, but a dozen times between September and May did this happen, -leaving the company with its officers and a skeleton of N. C. O.’s, -cooks and orderlies. - -On December 6th, Capt. Brennan and I were interchanged, he taking over -the Supply Company and I, “B” Co. - -The winter wore on, and spring was upon us, and we seemed no nearer -France than before. Changes took place in officers as well as enlisted -men. Lt. Ashmore went to “A” Co.; Lt. Fish to the Supply Co.; 2d Lts. -Dunn and Merrill and 1st Lt. Vanderbilt took their places with “B” -Co. The time was filled with training and equipping the ever changing -quotas of recruits and drilling them in fundamentals; for the training -cadre of officers and N. C. O.’s there were special courses in bayonet -fighting, bombing, trench digging--how many cold and weary hours were -swallowed up in that trench system east of the regimental area!--and -ever and always wind, mud and snow, or wind, sun and dust. - -When the March drafts came in, rumors took a new lease on life. The -77th division was being equipped to leave Camp Upton; our turn would -probably come next. The transfers went out now to fill up, not other -divisions, but our own artillery regiments across the parade ground. -Work on the target range was increased. Ah, the joys of being routed -out of the hay long before daybreak, snatching a hasty breakfast, and -hiking off through the cold dawn, five miles through the barrens to -that wind-swept waste with the long rows of targets. - -1st Sgt. Eilert and Supply Sgt. Newell had been selected to attend the -officers’ training school. Sgt. Ertwine, who had shown exceptional -ability while in charge of the recruits’ barracks, was made 1st Sgt., -and Joe Levy, of course, became Supply Sgt. - -It was not all work and no play, though. At night there were movies at -the “Y” huts; the Post Exchange for those who had something left from -insurance, allotments and other ornaments of the pay roll,--or who were -gifted enough to fill a full house or roll a “natural” consistently. -And on Saturday afternoon and Sunday the lucky 25% would be off for -a few precious hours at home or in the city, while the camp would be -filled with visitors to the less fortunate. - -April passed, and May arrived with green trees and warm days. We bought -baseball equipment, and each company had a team (I wonder who got hold -of all that stuff finally?). The April drafts had brought the companies -above normal strength. Tents were put up in the company streets to -accommodate the overflow. - -These were busy days for Supply Sgt. Levy and Cpl. Jimmie Jones, -Company Clerk. There was a continuous procession in and out the -door of the squad room where Levy had established his headquarters; -recruits going in with blissful visions of emerging in the likeness of -a magazine ad. soldier; departing with murder in their hearts because -their trousers bagged at the knees. And Joe, who remembered last -September when recruits would bum around for a month before getting a -sign of a uniform, had scant sympathy with them. - -This was also an era of reports. Reports on how many men we had; -how many shirts each man had; how many extra shoe-laces were in our -possession; how many men had W. R. insurance; how many were yet to be -inoculated and how many times. Twice a day did I have to report for -officers’ meeting; twice a day would the Colonel hold forth on the -reports the general wanted, which company commanders would prepare at -once, personally, in writing; then the adjutant would begin on the -reports the colonel wanted; then the supply officer would chime in with -a few more that he had to have by six o’clock at the latest. Life was a -veritable nightmare of typewritten figures. The supply sergeant of “L” -company actually lost his mind under the strain. Drill was carried on -in the intervals of lining up for another check or inspection. And the -men, quite naturally, looked upon the officers as a set of lunatics who -didn’t know their own minds for ten minutes at a time. - -About May 1st, an advance party of some 25 officers and men left -the regiment, so we knew we were soon to follow. Lts. Schuyler and -Merrill were in this party. They attended the A. E. F. Schools at -Chatillon-sur-Seine, and rejoined us about July 1st. - -At last the company was filled up to war strength, and equipped down -to the last shoe lace. On Friday, May 17th, all visitors were excluded -from camp. That evening I assembled the company and put the proposition -up to every man in it whether he wanted to go to France or not, -offering to leave anyone behind who wished to remain. I am proud to say -that not a man applied to be left. - -Saturday was a hectic day of last preparations. The barracks were -stripped down to their last mattress and swept out. The typewriters -clicked busily until the last minute. Tom Viracola, one of our best -sergeants, who had been tripped on a slight disability by the medicos -at the last minute and was nearly heartbroken, was to be left in charge -of barracks. - -About nine o’clock the company was formed for the last time at its -old home. Packs were heavy with the regulation equipment, tobacco, -and gifts from home. As I was signing some last papers under the arc -light, “C” company moved out silently. I gave “Squads left, march,” the -company wheeled out and we were off for the station. - -The road was lined with soldiers from the Depot Brigade as we passed. -Here and there we saw a familiar face, and though the movement was to -be kept as quiet as possible, there was many a husky “so long, fellows” -and “good-bye, 311, good luck,” to cheer us on our way. - -Packs were heavier every step, and what with the extra rations, -typewriter, etc., we were glad to have a half hour’s rest at the -station. Then the word came to fall in again--how many times were we -to hear those weary words, “Fall in”--and the company filed along to -the day coaches awaiting them. Equipment was removed, and all made -themselves as comfortable as they could for the night. - -Early in the morning the train pulled out. As dawn broke, we made out -the names of some of the New Jersey towns we passed through. Many a -lad saw his home town for the last time as we rolled through it in the -chill of that May morning. - -At Jersey City we detrained and passed through the station to the -ferry. Several civilians asked us where we were going; but the men -realized the importance of secrecy, and all the curious ones got was a -gruff invitation to “put on a uniform and find out.” - -Then we were jammed on a ferry boat. It was some jam, too, leaving -those who hadn’t been trained on the subway gasping. - -Down to the street, on between the great warehouses, and into a -spacious covered pier. Here was the point of embarkation, where we -had been told every service record was examined, every man inspected; -the focus of all the red tape that had been driving us insane for the -past two months. To our very agreeable surprise, however, the loading -was handled by two or three business-like men in civvies, who merely -checked each company on the boat by the passenger lists as fast as the -men could hike up the gangplank. - -We were met by Lt. Gibbs, battalion adjutant, who led us below, pointed -out three decks each about the size of our Camp Dix orderly room, and -announced that these were B Co.’s palatial quarters. I gasped, and -remarked that we were much obliged, but suppose someone should want to -turn around, where would he be, and howinell was Geoghegan going to get -in one of those little canvas napkins they called hammocks, anyhow? He -replied that I ought to see “C” company’s place, and melted away in a -fashion peculiar to Bn. Adjts. when leaving Co. Cmdrs. S. O. L. A few -moments later we heard him consoling Capt. O’Brien on the deck above by -telling him that he ought to see “B” Co.’s place. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE CRUISE OF THE “NESTOR” - - -By the time the space and hammocks were assigned to platoons and -squads, the ship was under way. Orders were to keep below decks until -out of the harbor; and for many, their last look at America was a -glimpse of the harbor front through a port hole. - -At this point Lt. Gibbs reappeared, with the cheerful order that -life preservers would be donned at once, and kept on for the rest -of the voyage. For the next ten days all waddled about feeling like -motherly hens. The apparatus I drew seemed particularly dirty, and most -unbecoming to my figure, which is built close to the ground anyway. - -Breakfast had been nothing more than a cracker and bully beef, snatched -at odd moments. The good ship hadn’t started to roll much yet, so all -looked forward to dinner with a robust interest. Then it evolved that -this was an Australian transport, the “Nestor;” and as such, sailed -under the British flag; and hence and therefore, the next meal would be -tea at 5 o’clock. Eternity passed, and about half an hour thereafter -the steward came around, and in queer, clipped cockney English -introduced us to “dixies” and “flats.” Another half hour, and the first -messes to be served saw their hash-grabbing detail returning, bearing -through aisles of famished Yanks--bread and cheese and tea! A planked -steak would have been more to the point, we felt, and a towering, -raw-boned countryman in a corner,--Lory Price, I imagine--opined -dismally that we were being mistaken for an orphan asylum. However, -what there was aroused the boys sufficiently to take a less morbid -view of life, and as the officers departed to the cabin, cards and -books appeared, and the mystic words were softly chanted: “Natural, -bones”--“Read ’em and weep.” - -But there was not what you might call a festive air to that first -evening; nor to many thereafter. Of course, for some fellows who had -no one dependent on them, who were setting out foot loose for a great -adventure, there was nothing to interfere with the thrill of the -unknown before them. But the majority of these men had been taken out -of their civilian life but two or three weeks before; they were among -strangers, and in an absolutely foreign environment; their new uniforms -still uncomfortable and scratchy, and army regulations and discipline -an incomprehensible set of shibboleths. Far down in each heart the -love of their country burned, steadily enough for the most part; white -hot in some; in others, but recently kindled. All hid it diligently, -of course, from the general view. They had been so fed up with windy -orators, with politicians waving the flag with one hand and keeping -the other on exemption certificates, that the real thing was jealously -concealed. - -As I made my final inspection that night, looking out from the -companion-way over the rows of close slung hammocks, I wondered what -their occupants were thinking; what forms of dear ones were present to -their minds; to what homes their thoughts went back--a Harlem flat, -a Jersey farmhouse, a great hotel, a tiny pair of rooms in Jersey -City; comfortable, well-off American homes; tenements in the foreign -districts--each one dear for its memories, each one the home to fight -for. Would we have time to train these men into a fighting machine, or -would we be thrown in at once to stop the great Hun drive in Flanders, -then at its height? How many of us would see these homes, these dear -ones again?--But a company commander has little time to indulge in -reflections; and thoughts of the morning report, and how to distribute -the chow more evenly, and a large budget of orders I had to read, soon -chased away everything else. - -The NESTOR carried the 1st and 2d Bns. and Headquarters Co. of the -311th Inf., a Machine Gun battalion, and Brig. Gen. Dean, our brigade -commander, and his staff. Our colonel was in command of the troops on -board, such things being below the dignity of general officers. He was -in his element; he had an officers’ meeting the first thing, and dished -out about 4 square acres of orders to be read and put into effect at -once. - -[Illustration: 1st Platoon, Flavigny, France, 1919.] - -Now no one knows better than I how many orders you men received, and -how it was often beyond human power to obey all of them. But I call any -company commander to witness that we got them coming and going. The -Co. Cmdr. is the one man who can’t pass the buck on responsibility. -We had to take the bushels of orders we received, eliminate those -utterly impossible, select from those remaining what seemed essential -and what we thought the Major and Colonel would deem essential, and -then get those things done by the company--that is, issue orders to the -1st Sgt. for details, Supply Sgt. for supplies, Mess Sgt. for mess, -officers for drill and instruction, company clerk for paper work, and -then see to it that the whole is carried out. And then one usually -amasses a balling out for something or other that he has left out. - -One of these orders was the censorship order, of which we had heard so -much. Instead of having all letters censored at post offices by clerks, -some genius had decided to follow the British plan of having officers -censor their own men’s mail. Thus at one brilliant stroke a situation -was created which embarrassed men and officers alike, imposed an -irksome and continual task on over-burdened officers, delayed the mail, -and was in every way sweet incense in the nostrils of the little tin -gods of the red tape; the exponents of the theory of How Not to Do It. - -The principal morning sport on the trip was the ship’s inspection. The -holds of that old tub received such a scrubbing and cleaning as they -had never had before. In spite of the close quarters, everything was -kept quite fresh and clean. It gave me a vast respect for the women who -do such work all day for paltry wages. At 10:00 A. M. the call would be -sounded, and all except the day’s orderlies would be massed on decks in -their boat drill stations, and a merry little crush it was. Then the -lords of the earth would solemnly parade along in single file, preceded -by a bugler, who blew a seasick “Attention” at each deck. Everybody -would then step on everyone else’s feet, and make a little lane for the -procession. The adjutant, the ship’s captain, the colonel, the ship -supply officer--poor old Gibbs was the goat for that job--would play -“follow my leader,” and look into corners, and sniff importantly, and -everything would be very formal and terrible, and grand. - -The rest of the day would be taken up with physical drills--one company -using the deck at a time--and fire and boat drills. It was given out at -first that four long blasts of the boat’s whistle would be the signal -for “Abandon ship.” This was changed later by the ship’s captain, but -somewhere along the line there was a hitch, and the information never -got down to the company commanders. About five nights out, at about -10:30 P. M., the whistle began to toot, once--twice--heads began to -appear over the hammocks; thrice--the hammocks began to be agitated; -four times--two hundred and thirty odd hearts gave a leap, four -hundred and sixty feet hit the floor, and B Company started up the -gangway, with three sergeants, who shall be nameless, leading the way -to victory. Lt. Foulkes, who was on fire watch, judged hastily that it -must be all a mistake somehow, and calmed the riot with his .45 and a -few choice remarks in the vernacular. - -Then the chow--oh, the chow; oh, the Gawd-forsaken chow. It was doled -out as breakfast, dinner, and tea. It was none too much in quantity. -There were here and there newly made n. c. o.’s who were not above -holding out more than their share. And our American stomachs were -several times abruptly introduced to strange dishes. First it was a -weird looking mess that tasted like an explosion of mustard gas. How -did we know it was currie? Few had sufficient faith in human nature -to down their portion. Then one day a ghastly odor tainted the noonday -air, and we were introduced to tripe. The latter was finally buried -with military honors, and I arrived on the scene just in time to save -the ship’s cooks from being the star actors in a similar ceremony. - -“Tea” was bread and cheese and tea. We thought of the days of plenty at -Camp Dix and reflected that the culinary end of this war business was -hardly a success so far. - -The officers were fed well and in civilized fashion in the cabin, -which didn’t help matters much for the men. Also some members of the -boat’s crew took advantage of the situation by running a sub-rosa -restaurant in the forecastle, gouging such as had the price. Of course -the Americans thought right away that they were holding out part of our -rations for this purpose, and international relations began to get very -strained. The officers were finally informed, and the practice stopped. - -There were ten or twelve other ships in the convoy, which was headed by -the battleship Montana. At last one morning the latter was missing, and -we knew that we must be nearly across. Precautions were redoubled and -life preservers were not removed even at night. - -On the morning of May 31st we sighted land--a welcome sight indeed. -Capt. Breen at once identified it as dear auld Ireland, and was much -disgusted when we learned later that it was Scotland. We had sailed -around the north of Ireland, and were dropping down the Irish sea to -Liverpool. - -This was the submarine zone indeed. Destroyers appeared from the -horizon and hovered on the outskirts of the convoy. A great silver -dirigible swung lazily from the clouds and floated along above us. The -Irish coast came into view on our right. - -At about 2:00 P. M. there was a scurry among the destroyers. The -dirigible descended above a spot some half mile off our port bow. Guns -began to speak from the transports and destroyers. It only lasted for -about five minutes, however, and we couldn’t see any visible results. -But we were told that a sub had been spotted and destroyed. - -Late that night we took the pilot aboard and proceeded up the Mersey. -Few of us slept a wink. After the long strain it was good to see -ourselves surrounded by the lights of shipping, and to see the shore -on either side, though as few lights as possible were shown even then. -However, we could open the portholes, and the long, long line of docks -slipped by until we wondered if this great harbor had any end. At last, -about 2:00 A. M., we docked and settled down to wait until morning for -a glimpse of Merry England. - -The next day we waited around until 1:30, when we disembarked. We were -marched about half a mile through the streets to a railroad terminal. -The people hardly glanced at us. They were well used to soldiers by -that time. Not a cheer, not a sign of curiosity. Another herd for the -slaughter house. A few wounded soldiers, in their flaring “blues,” -looked us over with some professional curiosity. - -At the railroad station we were halted on a cobbled street for a weary -three hours’ wait. There was an English-American Red Cross canteen -there, and we bought them out of buns in short order and distributed -them to the companies. An aviator appeared on the scene and amused us -for a while by doing all sorts of acrobatics--loops, whirls, twists -through the air--such as we had never seen before. - -Finally we were formed and marched into the station, and boarded -the funny little English coaches, and were locked up in different -compartments. Canteen girls gave each of us a printed letter of welcome -from King George, and finally we jolted out of the station, rolled -along between factories and munition plants--manned mostly by girls and -women--and so out into the countryside. - -That was a wonderful ride through England on the last day of May. It -was a perfect evening, the air soft and balmy; light until ten o’clock. -It was like a toy country to us, beautifully ordered and groomed, with -little villages here and there, and green hedgerows, and usually one or -two Tommies on leave walking down the lane with their sweethearts--that -made us homesick already. And the train sped along, stopping only once -for us to get out and have some coffee and a drink of water; and we -were all thrilled and excited and felt a little tickly in the stomach, -as you do before a big football game. We were fast drawing near the -greatest game, now being played to a finish. - -As the night wore on, and it became dark, and we couldn’t look out the -windows any more, our cramped quarters were anything but comfortable. -Also, sanitary arrangements on European trains are conspicuous by their -absence. When at last, at 2:00 A. M., we were told to detrain, we were -pretty thoroughly uncomfortable. - -After the usual hubbub of detraining--“which way’s comp’ny form?”--“I -dunno”--“First squad”--“Ninth squad”--“Where’s me bayonet?”--“Oh, -thanks”--“D’ja get the can open all right?”--We departed into the -night, filing past a little station out into a dark road, and then at -a good round pace on through silent, dark streets, for about a mile. -There we were introduced to our first billet. - -It was a large empty stone house in a row of similar ones. Bare -floors, bare walls, but clean, and not so bad. After a vast amount of -unnecessary fussing about the company got itself settled. Sixty men -were to leave at six o’clock under Lt. Foulkes. - -That night and early the next morning we heard for the first time the -distant rumble of the guns in France. - -In the morning we discovered that we were in an embarkation camp at -Folkestone, near Dover. A beautiful place it was, something like -Atlantic City, only everything seemed more permanent, and the boardwalk -was lacking. The camp was a section of the town set apart for the -purpose. Everything was well ordered. These Englishmen had been at -the game a long time, and after some chafing and fussing around -we discovered that though no one displayed any particular “pep,” -nevertheless things really got done quite well; in the British way, of -course. But woe be unto the ambitious Yank who sought to alter anything. - -Most of the company had not even been in the service long enough to -master the manual of arms, and part of the day was used in instilling -the rudiments of this essential into them. Time was still left for -a short ramble about Folkestone, however; and the promenade, town, -pubs, Tommies and Waacs were all investigated enthusiastically and as -thoroughly as time and opportunity permitted. - -The next morning the battalion was formed at 6 A. M. and marched -along cobbled streets to the pier, where we were sardined into a fast -channel steamer, and donned those confounded lifebelts again for a -short farewell wearing. Then, with an American destroyer racing along -on either side, we slipped swiftly down under the Dover Cliffs, then -swerving out and across the channel to Calais. A dock, a Red Cross -train on the other side of it, a fisherman in a little boat alongside -us--France at last. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE ENGLISH SECTOR - - -The company filed off the boat, and crossing the dock stumbled into -formation down the railroad track by the hospital train, and was -introduced to a bit of backwash from the drive. Some English wounded -were being carried from the train to the boat by German prisoners. We -looked curiously at the latter. These were the Huns we were taught to -hate, whom we were to kill. They were husky, blonde chaps, in faded -greenish gray uniforms, with their little flat caps. They paid scant -attention to us, but carried the English very carefully and gently. -Maybe the Tommy who walked near by with fixed bayonet had something to -do with it. At any rate, I didn’t feel any very lusty rage or horror -at them, and though one or two of our men cursed at them under their -breath, it didn’t seem at all convincing, but rather forced. Most of -the wounded men whose faces I saw glared at us with the usual British -“What the devil do you mean by looking at me, sir?” so I suppose they -were officers. I don’t blame them for not liking to be stared at. One -or two fellows couldn’t help groaning when their stretchers were lifted. - -But “C” Co. is moving off, and we swing into column of squads and -hike off behind them, our great heavy packs, religiously packed with -all the items prescribed for us and much besides, getting heavier -and heavier. It was a beautiful, sunny day. Calais was quiet; the -cobbled streets apparently peopled only by a few little gamins of -both sexes who greeted us with the cries that accompanied us through -France--“Souvenir,” “Bis-keet,” “Chocolat.” - -We passed through the outskirts of the town and into a dusty, sandy -road between green dikes or ramparts dotted with anti-aircraft guns. -Then we passed by a group of weather-worn barracks, dusty and dreary, -labeled--doubtless by some wag, we thought--“Rest Camp,” surrounded by -wire fences. - -We cross a canal, turn to the left, and pass along to another--“Rest -Camp No. 6.” The leading company turns in at a gate in the wire fence; -we see American uniforms and campaign hats; one or two officers in -overseas caps, strange looking to us then; then we pass in through the -gate and realize that this is our temporary destination. - -We were billeted in tents, about 12 feet in diameter--and about 20 men -to a tent. Sand everywhere. A hideous open latrine next to the mess -hall. After the usual hurly-burly and confusion, we finally kick other -companies out of our tents, are in turn kicked out of theirs, and, -after a long wait, get--“tea.” Oh, how Americans did love that word! - -The officers were lodged in luxury--the five of us had a whole tent, -with some boards to sleep on. We ate at the British officers’ mess, -where meals and very good beer and wine were served by Waacs. The next -thing was an officers’ meeting, and that night a talk by an English -major. He cheered us up by telling us that very few ever came back, and -narrated several choice tales of sudden death in unusual and gruesome -forms. He was apparently bent on removing from our minds any impression -that we were in for a pleasure trip. We afterwards heard that he was -severely criticised by other British officers for trying to get our -wind up first thing. - -The next morning our equipment was cut down. We could only keep what -we could carry on our backs. The contents of our barrack bags, the -extra equipment, the complete outfit that had been subjected to so many -inspections, upon which we had turned in reams upon reams of reports at -Camp Dix, were ruthlessly collected, dumped into trucks and carted off -to Heaven knows where by a Q. M. 2nd Lieutenant. No count was taken, no -papers signed. The omniscient powers, who had deviled our lives out to -collect this stuff, hadn’t told us anything about this little ceremony. -So underwear, socks, extra pairs of shoes were a drug on the market; -and we simply couldn’t give the cigarettes away. A great quantity were -turned over to the Y. M. C. A. canteen. Of course, we never saw our -barrack bags again. - -The next day we formed with rifles, belts and bayonets, and marched -about four miles out into the flat, flat country; past windmills -and hedges and a little estaminet here and there, until we came to -a British gas house. Here some English and Scotch sergeants issued -English gas masks, and after a couple of hours gas mask drill we went -through the gas house, and started back to camp. On our way we stopped -by at an ordnance hut where our American Enfields were exchanged for -English Enfields, with their stubby looking barrels and heavy sight -guards. In our army issuing or exchanging any piece of ordnance -property is like getting married, and when a rifle is involved it is -like five actions at law and a couple of breach of promise suits. -Here we filed in one door, shoved our rifle at a Tommy, beat it for -the other door, grabbed an English weapon and bayonet, and the deed -was done. I happened to be in command of the battalion that day, and -somewhere I suppose the British government has a couple of grubby slips -of paper on which I’ve signed for 1,000 gas masks, rifles and bayonets. -The transaction would probably have been a fatal blow to a U. S. -ordnance officer. Being only a reserve officer of infantry, it seemed -to me pretty sensible. - -Back in camp we were pretty much left alone, and some there were who -lost no time making an acquaintance with the estaminets of Calais. In -thirty-six hours we had learned enough English to discourse glibly of -“tuppence ha’ penny,” and I even overheard Price offer to “Shoot you a -bob,” and somebody promptly took “six penn ’orth of it.” But this was -nothing compared to our excursions into the unexplored fields of the -long suffering French language. By that evening most of the men seemed -quite proficient in a few such indispensable phrases as “Vin rouge tout -de suite” or rather “Van rooge toot sweet,” “Encore,” “Combien,” and -“Oo la la, ma cherie.” - -The next morning--Wednesday, June 5th--we left Rest Camp No. 6, and -glad we were to leave it, for a dirty, hot hole it was. We hadn’t -been bombed, though the town got its usual raid, and the camp was -complimented the next night by the Boche. - -The hike to the station was long and hot and made without a rest. Of -course, not knowing as much as they would later, the men’s packs were -tremendous. The overcoat, blanket, 100 rounds of ammunition and extra -shoes and rations alone are a good load, and when one adds several -suits of underwear, extra toilet articles, Jenny’s sweaters, Aunt -Sarah’s wristlets, a couple of cartons of cigarettes and pipe tobacco, -and some chocolate, it gets tremendous. Little Effingham’s pack as -usual, was down to his heels, but he stoutly refused assistance, also -as usual. The company arrived at the station feeling like a dyspeptic -bear with scarlet fever. - -We were forthwith introduced to the famous “Hommes 40, Chevaux 8.” It -was seldom that bad, but even 25 or 30 men are a tight fit in those -little cattle cars, as you all can testify. - -We rolled out of Havre, pursued to the last by the children and orange -sellers, who seemed to spring up from the ground everywhere in Northern -France. - -This first trip was short. We passed from the low country into a gently -rolling terrain, and at about 1 o’clock arrived at Marquise, where we -detrained. - -We were met by a couple of Scotch officers from the 14th Highland -Light Infantry. They guided us up the road to the village where we -were billeted, about two miles away. On the way one of them, Captain -“Jimmie” Johnston, told us that their battalion was detailed to act as -instructors for the 311th Infantry. - -The first little crossroads village was our billet--Rinxent. The -command “Fall out t’ right of th’ road” sounded quite welcome to the -overloaded marchers and we watched the rest of the battalion march by -enroute to their billets at Rety, two kilos further. - -The company was scattered along the road in small billets of from -ten to forty men. Company headquarters was established in the corner -estaminet. This was our first introduction to French billets. The usual -procedure consisted of: - -1. Protest to billeting officer or N. C. O. at putting human beings -into such a place. Unsuccessful. - -2. Long argument with house holder, he speaking French very fast and we -speaking American very loud. Usually ended by the argument of a five -franc note to the frugal French peasant. - -3. Cleaning out the stable, chicken house, or barn, with voluble -protests from f. F. p. - -4. Making sundry discoveries during the first night. - -5. Pitching pup tents in nearest field. - -We got permission to use a field about 100 yards square for a drill -ground and two platoons pitched pup tents there. - -The first night a few of the boys became slightly excited over the -privilege of visiting the estaminets, and tried to drink up all the vin -rouge and cognac at once. The consequence was that the dispensers of -good cheer were put under the ban for several days. - -Now the training of the company began in earnest. The majority of the -men had had only the most hasty smattering of the elements of squad -drill; many could not shoulder arms properly. Two platoons would use -the drill field while two drilled on the roads outside. The training -schedules called for a good nine-hour day of drill and ceremonies, -varied occasionally by short practice hikes by company or battalion. - -Lewis guns were issued to us here. A few officers and n. c. o.’s -had taken courses in the use of this weapon at Camp Dix; company -and battalion schools were at once started, the latter conducted by -Scottish n. c. o.’s from the 14th H. L. I. - -In addition, there were battalion, regimental and corps schools for -bayonet, gas defense, liaison (for the runners), bombing, rifle -grenade, musketry and several more. From this time until we left -France there were always a number of men away at schools. Of course -this was necessary, but it broke up the training of the company as a -whole. Also, we were brigaded with the British, and some men would go -to a British school and qualify as instructors, only to come back and -find that the American system was being used, and vice versa. Both -systems might have their good points, and did have, but the rate at -which orders and instructions and ways of doing things changed from -day to day was enough to bewilder old hands at this game; and we were -greenhorns. - -“Jimmy” Johnston helped a lot. He was in command of what was left of -the 14th battalion, Highland Light Infantry--about four squads. Of -medium height, rather stocky build, with a bonny, handsome face and -bright blue eyes under his Scotch cap, Jimmy was one of the finest -fellows and best officers that ever stepped. He had been through the -Gallipoli expedition, and two years on the Western front; had been -reported killed in action, and gone home on leave to be greeted as one -risen from the dead. - -Jimmy had been through the mill. He knew. Always with a word of -encouragement, to avoid dampening our American energy, he would help -along with quiet hints and canny suggestions that were worth their -weight in gold. When we came staggering along under heavy packs, he -said nothing, but strolled along with his little cane and admired -the landscape. When orders would come in thick and fast, each one -contradicting the last, and all to be executed at once, Jimmy would -intimate verra, verra cautiously, that if we used our own judgment we -should get along somehow, and that C. O’s and chiefs of staff had to -keep themselves busy, and what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt ’em. Like -most Scotch officers he seemed to live mostly on whiskey, and throve on -the diet. - -On June 11, Major Odom went to a Corps school, and I was left in charge -of the battalion. Of course, that evening orders came in to move next -morning. We had just begun to get in our English transport--the little -limbers and the cranky rolling kitchen with which we were to become so -familiar later. Up to then we had cooked on our American field ranges. - -At 7 o’clock next morning we pulled out and marched down to Rety. -There we fell in behind the 2d battalion, and started on our first -full day’s hike. The packs were still heavy, and those full cartridge -belts--Lord, how much 100 rounds of ammunition can weigh after a -while! As usual with green troops, the leading element set too fast a -pace. Rests seemed but a minute. Finally, on a long, long up grade, we -halted for lunch. After chow and an hour’s rest, we pulled on, picking -’em up and putting ’em down. On, over broad white roads; turning off -into narrower roads shaded by rows of tall trees, turning into the -highroad again. We passed stragglers from the 309th and 310th Infantry, -so knew that the whole 78th Division must be in France and on the move -near us. The hills were higher, the women were older. We came to a -village; three estaminets, two stores, a school house, a blacksmith’s -shop, a sign. “Brunembert.” Regimental Hdqrs. and Supply Co. are halted -there. We keep on; on the other side of town “C” and “D” companies meet -their advance party guides and turn off; we hike on half a kilometer, -half way up a hill, turn off to the right, hike around the hill, and -finally, at about 3 P. M., plumb tuckered, the company is split, two -platoons going to one farmhouse, the other two to another, at Haute -Creuse. - -Haute Creuse itself was only a crossroads, with one poor cottage. -Battalion headquarters was there. The company billets were a good -quarter of a mile apart. In addition, when I inspected the billet -assigned the 3rd and 4th platoons, I found a remarkably dirty old -barn, with a cesspool and manure heap outside that was awful, even -for France. The only spring was near the pool. So the next morning we -moved these platoons over to the other billet, pitching pup tents in a -beautiful field just on the other side of the barnyard. - -That afternoon an old duffer in an English major’s uniform came ambling -along. He expressed great anguish at our not using the billets assigned -to us. It meant nothing to him that our comfort, health, convenience -were served by our using our own tents. The plan was that that lousy -old typhoid trap should be occupied, and so it must be done. And he, it -appeared, was the “area commandant.” - -So I said “Yessir,” and tipped Sgt. Ertwine off to have some men make a -great show of striking tents, and resolved privately to take a chance -yet. Jimmy Johnston came along later and told me that area commandants -were a tribe of dud officers who were given that job to keep ’em out of -mischief. - -I was hauled over the coals three or four times about it. The old Major -wrote to his General Hdq., and they wrote to our hdq., and it came down -the line to our Colonel, whose soul shivered before the wintry blast. -But finally Lt. Col. Myers took it up and obtained permission for us to -stay where we were. - -At Rinxent a number of second lieutenants, just commissioned at the -Officers’ Training Camp at Langres, had joined us. We had a captain -and five or six second lieuts. attached to “B” Co. The captain, who -was commanding the company in my absence at bn. hdq., was a peculiar -individual, with very fierce and imposing mustachios, and a manner to -match; but an absurdly incongruous weak and husky voice, due to throat -trouble. The lieuts. were rather a good bunch; men who had been n. c. -o.’s in outfits that had come over during the preceding year, and some -of whom had been in the trenches already. We were fortunate in keeping -one of them, Lieut. Bivens Moore, in the company; the others we lost by -transfers from time to time. - -Training was resumed again; schools ran in full force. Officers and -men were continually going off to sundry corps or army schools in the -vicinity; at St. Omer or points near by. Harold Sculthorpe went off -to a cooks’ school, and we didn’t see him again for many a month. Sgt. -Peterson was made Brigade Postal N. C. O. We received our first mail -from home, and nobody can ever tell how welcome it was. Letters were -the one slender thread that connected our new life with the old. A -bit of mail cheered up a soldier for days; a disappointment when mail -came in without one for him made him blue for a week. It was pleasant -to see the earnest faces of fellows like Sgt. Schelter, and Corporal -DeGrote beaming when they heard from their wives and little ones. -With the impatience and eagerness of the newlyweds, I was of course -sympathetic. And as for the majority, who were waiting for letters from -the best little girl in the world, they were either insufferable in -their glamourous egotism, or serio-comic in their suffering, according -to whether the lady had seen fit to be kind or cool when she took her -pen in hand. Certain ones, too, who shall be nameless, would receive -letters in sundry handwritings, with a variety of post-marks. Don -Juans, these; gay and giddy Lotharios in the old home town. - -We were billeted at a typical French farm of the larger type. As you -turned in off the road through the gateway, a black dog chained in a -little stone dungeon just inside barked fiercely. This poor beast had -been chained in that one place for so long that he knew nothing else. -He was half blind; and one day when I unchained him and took him for a -walk down the road, he was desperately frightened; and as soon as he -got back he made a dash for his kennel, and refused to come out. - -The long, two story house took up most of the left hand side of the -courtyard. The officers had two rooms here, one of which we used for -a mess. The family lived mostly in the big kitchen, where a little -fire burned on the great hearth. On the other two sides were stables, -some of which were used as billets, storeroom and orderly room. The -manure heap adorned the center of the courtyard. Behind lay a small -but important yard, which in turn opened on the big field where two -platoons were in pup tents around the border, and where the company -formed. - -The people here were dull, homely, grasping and churlish. I do not -recollect ever having been given a pleasant word by one of them; but -of complaints and claims for damages there was no lack. They seemed to -resent our presence from the very first; we were apparently as much -intruders to them as German troops could have been. - -The men soon began to resent this attitude, and to reciprocate in kind. -Soldiers are apt to be heedless, and are of course a nuisance to the -people they are quartered on; but at Rety they had greeted us in the -main as friends, and we in turn tried to give as little trouble as -possible. Here our notions of being the welcome young warriors got a -good severe jolt. - -We on our side took some time to learn how to conduct ourselves. How -were we to know that a French peasant would far rather have you walk -over him than over one of his fields? Why was it a crime to cut down a -stunted dead tree for the company kitchen? And where, oh, where were -the pretty mademoiselles? - -But even in Northern France all the people were not like this. Remember -the old woman just down the road, who lived with her daughters in the -cottage which was battalion headquarters? They were very poor, and -worked very hard; all the long summer day--and it was light from 4:30 -A. M. to 9:00 P. M.--they were busy, indoors and out. Her three sons -were in the army, one a prisonier de guerre, two at the front. When one -of them, only a young lad, came home for a few days’ permission, he -went out every morning at 6:00 o’clock and worked until dusk. How many -of us would have done as much? And the old lady and girl always had -a smile and cheery word, and would give soldiers a drink of milk and -insisted on having officers going to bn. hdq. stop for a cup of coffee. -Even the pretty little goat in the yard grew friendly with olive drab, -and would romp with us like a dog. - -For several days we used whatever little fields we could for drill; -every square foot of land that was suitable seemed to be under -cultivation. This was unsatisfactory, to say the least. Finally Col. -Meyers arranged for us to have the use of the top of the great hill. It -was a splendid place to drill--after you got there. But oh, that hike -up that young mountain and down again, twice a day! Will we ever forget -it? - -When we had been here about a week, Major Odom returned, and a day -or so later Lieuts. Schuyler and Merrill rejoined the company. They -were all primed with the new wrinkles they had picked up at school at -Chatillon, and took over the first and third platoons respectively. -Schuyler’s conscientiousness, high spirits and inexhaustible energy -made him a great asset to the company. Merrill was an equally hard and -willing worker, and though young, was one of the brightest men in the -regiment. He had graduated from the school at the head of his class, -which included majors, captains and lieuts. from all over the A. E. F. - -We were stationed about 50 kilometers behind the lines; and had the -Germans made one more drive on Calais that summer we should have -undoubtedly gone into action. No lights were shown at night, and it was -seldom that we did not hear the droning buzz of the great Boche bombing -planes winging their way to bomb Calais or Boulogne, or maybe some -nearer town, Desvres or St. Omer. - -At the beginning of July details of officers and n. c. o.’s were -sent up to the front lines for four day tours of observation. Sgts. -Ertwine, Perry and I went on the first one, and were in the line with a -battalion of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers. Our experiences, while -interesting, hardly belong here. Lieut. Foulkes went up the next week -and landed in the midst of an attack, so he saw plenty of action. Then -Lieut. Schuyler went up with an Australian outfit, who didn’t let him -pine for excitement during his stay. It was an excellent system, and we -saw at first hand how things were really run in the trenches. - -When I returned from my tour, an orderly brought around late that night -some red covered books and leaflets, and we were told that these would -be put into effect the next day. These were the new system of combat -formations, involving an absolutely new extended order drill, and -formation of the company. Lieut. Moore had drilled a few times in these -formations; the rest of us knew no more about them than the company -cooks did. So next morning we sallied forth, books in hand, and worked -the formations out step by step. Everyone was quick to see that this -was something like business, as of course our old army regulations -were absurd when it came to using the new special weapons, such as -automatic rifles, hand and rifle grenades, and so on. So the new -formations were mastered remarkably quickly. - -A bayonet course with trenches, “shell holes” and dummies was -installed, and a sergeant of the Northumberland Fusileers was -instructor. He was a good one, too; but as usual, we were up against -it, as he taught some things slightly differently from the American -methods. - -It was while going over this course that Gustave Fleischmann stepped in -a hole and broke his leg. It was a bad break, for I saw his foot and -lower leg go out sideways at a right angle, in spite of his leggings. -He was game enough, though, and smoked a cigarette while waiting for -an ambulance and surgeon. We heard from him several times from English -hospitals, but he was never able to rejoin the company. - -We also lost another very valuable man in Corporal Edward Johnson. -This man could have claimed exemption for either dependents or a weak -heart. He refused to do either, and we managed to get him passed by -the medicos for foreign service. The daily hike up that hill, however, -and the strenuous life generally, were too much for him, though he -kept at it until he was worn down to a very dangerous point. I made -him go before the surgeon, who at once ordered him transferred to a -depot brigade. I know that Johnson was not liked by some of you men -on account of his conscientiousness. I believe, however, that when -you look back upon it you will appreciate his honest, unselfish and -unceasing labor for his squad, platoon, and company. - -That countryside was beautiful at this time. It rained often, but in -showers; not the continuous drizzle that came later. Maybe it was -because we took more notice of such things than usual, not knowing if -we would see another summer, but the green fields, fresh in the early -morning and cool and sweet at night, and the hedges, and the pretty -little bits of woodland along the creeks and ravines, all seemed lovely -as never before. - -In the next town, just over the hill, was an Australian rest camp. We -got along with the Aussies much better than with Tommies, and every -night numerous visitors went down to cultivate the entente cordial with -the assistance of the town estaminets. - -Our first payday in France came about this time, and what with back pay -coming in, and the high rate of exchange, and being paid in francs, -some of the boys waxed rather too exuberant over the flowing bowl. What -with Janicki and Effingham trying to clean up Brunembert, starting in -with a couple of Tommies and ending with an abrupt thud when they got -around to “D” Co. headquarters; and sundry members of the Irish brigade -making a Donnybrook Fair out of the highways and byways, I had a busy -night. - -Another night we shall remember is that of July 4th. Sgts. Ertwine, -Perry and Anness were going up for commissions at the Officer -Candidates’ School at Langres, and the officers gave them a farewell -supper that evening. The company was, I understand, also celebrating -the national holiday conscientiously. When the festivities were at -their height, we heard the squealing of bagpipes, and the curious -bump-bump-bumpetty-bum of the Scottish drummer, that nobody on earth -but a Jock can keep step with. The band of the H. L. I. had been -serenading the Col. and were going back to their billets. - -All turned out to see them pass, and as they swung up the road, Lt. -Foulkes, in an inspired moment, detailed Supply Sgt. Levy to bring ’em -back for “B” Co. - -In five minutes the pipes returned, with Joe marching at their head -twirling the drum major’s baton. They turned into the courtyard, and -were taken into our midst with a mighty burst of cheers, skirling -of pipes, and thunder of the drums. That was a scene I shall never -forget--a wonderful setting for a musical comedy. The dark courtyard, -fitfully illumined by the glare of a few lanterns and torches--the -crowd of olive drab figures around the Scotties in their kilts, with -one in the center doing a Highland fling. The visitors were already -fortified, but additional liquid refreshments were hastily procured for -them, and a testimonial taken up in the way of a collection. In the -meantime the drummer, well on the shady side of sober, rendered several -ballads. We reciprocated with Irish songs by Peter and others, and a -breakdown by Kitson. It was well on towards midnight when they left; -and next morning the Major wanted to know “what the hell was B Company -up to last night?” - -Another pleasant time was had by all one day while I was at the -front. Someone at staff hdq. felt an idle curiosity to see how fast -the division could turn out, if it had to. Accordingly the order went -forth--march at 2:00 P. M. Thinking the Boches had broken through and -we were “for it,” there was a mad scurry and scramble; the kitchen -pulled to pieces; rations hastily issued; and the company, under Lt. -Dunn, reported to the Brunembert road about half an hour after the time -set, and about two hours sooner than had seemed possible that morning. -After fussing about a bit, the companies were marched back to their -hastily abandoned billets. - -All the time we were in the English area, rations were short. The -British ration must have been much smaller than ours, or else there -was a hitch somewhere. Our men were used to three square meals a day. -The British only had porridge, tea and bread and jam for breakfast; a -regular meal--stew or meat and vegetables--in the middle of the day, -and tea and bread and cheese at night. This didn’t go far to relieve -the aching void that every American soldier cherishes under his belt. -We spent thousands of francs from the company fund buying potatoes and -whatever else we could to eke out the ration. But even so, there was -never any difficulty in following the advice of those doctors who say -to stop eating while you still feel hungry. - -July 14th was Bastile Day. We were turned out for a ceremony to -celebrate it. The ceremony consisted of marching to Brunembert in -the rain, squads left, right dress, present arms, order arms, squads -left, and hike back in the rain. I can’t say my bosom dilated with -enthusiasm, nor did the spectators--a dozen children, two estaminet -keepers and the usual “orangee” girls--emit any rousing cheers. - -I see by the Regimental History that the Duke of Connaught and General -Pershing “honored us with a visit” at this time, but said visits were -practically painless for “B” Company, as we didn’t even see the dust -from their automobiles. - -By this time the regimental transport was complete--or as nearly so -as it ever was; all furnished by the British. Each battalion was now -functioning as a separate unit, and Lt. Gibbs had his hands full -with the supply and transport. He was accordingly made bn. transport -and supply officer, and the Major selected Lt. Foulkes as battalion -adjutant. So we lost the best officer in “B” Company, and I believe -the best line subaltern in the regiment. I know he hated to leave the -company, and there wasn’t a man but missed him from that time on. He -always had a soft spot in his heart for us, as Bn. Adjt. and later -as Regimental Adjt. Foulkes was one man I was never disappointed in. -McMahon, his striker, went with him. Mac was a good scout too. - -By July 18th we had skirmished over every inch of the big hill; hiked -over all the roads within a six mile radius; bayoneted about 500 -“Boche” gunnysacks apiece, and made ’steen triangles at musketry drill. -We got another march order, and after the usual bustle of cleaning up -we pulled out with full equipment on July 19th at 9:00 A. M. - -It was only a four mile hike this time, to Lottingham, the nearest -railway depot. There we were parked in a little yard off the road, -and saw the 309th and 310th Inf. go by to entrain. We waited about an -hour, and I broke up a very promising crap game, to my secret regret. -I afterward chucked the bones out of the car window, much to Dunn’s -disgust. - -At 11:30 we were packed into a train, which rolled off in the usual -nonchalant manner, at an average speed of six miles per hour. We passed -through some pretty enough country during the afternoon, and speculated -wildly on our destination, as usual missing it completely. - -At 8:30 P. M. we pulled up at Ligny alongside an American Red Cross -train, with a couple of real American nurses in it. How good they -looked to us! The car windows were nearly all shattered, and the cars -scarred with bullets and shrapnel. This was a bit of the real thing. - -The battalion detrained, formed on the road, and we hiked off through -the long summer twilight, guided by Vafiadis, our advance party detail. -We were being introduced to the Arras-St. Pol road, with which we were -to become well acquainted shortly. We went on, over the railroad tracks -at Roellecourt, stopped for a ten-minute rest at dusk and watched the -cows come home down the hill--another homesick sight for the country -lads--and hiked on and on. At last, well after dark, we turned off up -another road; past a bit of woods, then off to the right past a large -farmhouse, and Vafiadis pointed out a little plot about as big as a -Harlem flat and said we were to billet there. I remarked “likell” and -pushed ahead into a nice grassy field where we pitched pup tents for -the night. I knew there would be an awful yowl from the owners in the -morning, but let it slide. - -Next morning we found that this was St. Michel, and that St. Pol, quite -a sizeable town, was only a quarter of a mile away. Pup tents were -pitched up the hill from the field, in the woods, along a rough lumber -road. The kitchen was installed under some trees near the farmhouse, -which was deserted. We found a lot of kitchen utensils--the place had -been an estaminet--and put some of ’em to use. The day was spent in -resting and getting cleaned up and settled. In the evening some went -into St. Pol. - -That night we found out why the place was deserted. St. Pol was a -railroad center, and quite convenient for the Boche bombers. No bombs -landed in camp that night, but they were hitting all around, with a -roar and a jar that gave a fellow a queer sensation in the stomach. -Being bombed is such a helpless, hopeless sort of process. - -Earlier in the war St. Pol had been under long range artillery fire; -and between that and the air raids there were plenty of shell holes all -around. There were some among our pup tents, and a couple of huge ones -just across the road in the woods. - -Company headquarters was established in the attic of the farmhouse, -battalion headquarters being on the first floor. Regimental Hdq. was at -Foufflin-Ricametz, about 4 kilos away. - -In a couple of days a vitriolic and voluble French woman descended -upon us. It appeared that we had broken into the house, used her -things without permission, taken eggs the hens had laid, used several -priceless old boards from the barn to make a mess table, walked on the -grass, and disturbed the manure pile. I never did believe she and her -husband ever lived there; but we put everything back, and ate in the -mud until Thompson and Farry found some boards elsewhere. These two -French people made life as miserable as they could for us while we were -there, continually claiming damages and protesting at everything we -did, it seemed. - -Most of the inhabitants of St. Michel and St. Pol slept at night in -long dugouts tunnelled underneath the hills. They were very damp, foul -close holes, with little cubicles scratched out of the walls to sleep -in. They weren’t taking any more chances with H. E. - -Our “intensive training” was continued here. We were rejoiced that we -hadn’t that awful hill to climb, and somehow we got away with using the -field to drill on. The mornings were taken up with problems, and before -long we were well acquainted with those woods; then there was bayonet -drill, bombing, the everlasting gas mask drill, musketry, physical -drill, and so on. The afternoon was devoted to special drill for Lewis -gun, V. B. and hand bombers, runners, etc., while the rest of the -company did problems or musketry. We stood retreat and reveille along -the lumber road--oh, yes, and that 15 minutes of manual of arms before -retreat every night. - -Usually it rained here. Drill went on just the same, though. We could -hear the thunder of the big guns at night, and the crash and roar from -the droning bombing planes let us know that this was in grim earnest, -and it behooved us to make the most of our time. - -Regimental, brigade, and divisional problems began to be all the -rage. Since nobody below majors ever get any information as to what -these are all about, the troops were usually represented by flags. -In good weather these things are just a bore; when it rains, they’re -considerably worse. - -On August 3d, the H. L. I. detachment left us, and we completed our -training on our own. - -About two weeks after our arrival at St. Michel, the word was passed -that Elsie Janis was coming to visit the division. Of course that -afternoon was marked by a good old Northern France soaker. How it -rained! We hiked about three miles through it, and were packed into a -courtyard with five or six thousand other shoving, soaking doughboys. -Miss Janis had our band to help her out, and a little platform with a -bit of canvas overhead, which kept off a little of the rain. Half of us -couldn’t see her except for occasional glimpses; officers and men were -drenched right through and through. Besides, Miss Janis was physically -about all in from overwork, and had a peach of a cold--a real A. E. F. -cold, not the kind that amateur singers always use for an alibi. The -bunch was sore at being hauled out in this weather for anything short -of going into action. - -And yet, from the first moment that girl stepped on the platform, she -had the crowd with her. We were fed up, lonesome in a strange land, -sick of hearing a foreign tongue, longing to see a regular girl again. -And here was a bit of real America before our eyes; pep incarnate--a -snappy, clean cut, clean girl from home, laughing with us, making us -laugh at ourselves and in spite of ourselves, jazzing it up in the -rain. And we sloshed and squnched back to St. Michel, singing: - - “Beautiful Elsie, beautiful Elsie, - “You’re the only, only girl that I ado-o-re.” - -On August 5th the battalion left St. Michel at 9:00 A. M. in full -marching order. We were going to occupy a trench sector for a practice -tour. - -As you all know now, the trench systems of each side during the war -were in triplicate, or maybe quadruplicate. There was the system -actually being occupied against the enemy. A couple of miles back was -another complete system, to be defended in case the first was taken; -and, if time permitted, yet another behind this. - -We were to take over a sector of the G. H. Q., or second system, just -behind Arras. While this was partly a regular item on our training -schedule--the last one before actually going into the line--it was also -contemplated that in case the Boche uncorked another drive on Arras, we -should occupy this line and bar the road of the enemy should he break -through, as he had done in the spring further north. - -After a long 12 mile hike up the Arras road, we turned off to the -right, past a long train of British motor lorries, of which there -seemed an inexhaustible supply. On through roads ever rougher and -narrower we went, and halted at last in a clearing in a patch of woods. -The officers went out to reconnoitre the sector and have their company -sectors assigned, and the company stacked arms in the wet woods--it was -raining, of course--and wondered if we’d get any chow. - -It was dark when we had had supper from our one lunged rolling kitchen -and filed off to take up our position. “B” Co. was battalion support. -The trenches were only dug about waist high; there were no dugouts or -cubby holes to sleep in; not even a firing step to keep you out of the -mud. We splashed and squatted through the pitchy blackness; no lights -were allowed, of course. We reached our post finally, and settled down -in the bottom of the trench in abject misery. The only lights were from -the star shells that the Germans were sending up from their real lines, -only a few kilos away; and the rumble of artillery fire there ahead -reminded us that we were pretty close to the real thing. - -While I was making my final inspection, I saw a light come flashing -down the communication trench towards us. This was against all orders, -so I snarled out a peremptory command to put it out. The light didn’t -pay any attention. This was the last straw; I thought that so long as -we had to go through this performance it was going to be done right, -with nobody privileged to cross their fingers and say they weren’t -playing. I wallowed off in the direction of that flash light, wet -through and getting pretty sore. I hailed it; I adopted a false, -feigned politeness; I remarked that this was not puss in the corner, -nor was I talking for my health, and if they couldn’t douse that glim -I had a .45 that could. The light went out abruptly. I asked if he was -simulating a steamboat on the Mississippi. I finally got quite near and -demanded whoin’ell that was anyhow. And it was the Colonel. Yes, of -course. - -The best of it was that he had issued the order against lights himself -about two hours before, and couldn’t very well blame me. - -An order came round to send a detail after some corrugated iron at -point “G24a7.3.” I stumbled around until I walked on a sergeant, Bill -Reid, and so I made him the goat, and told him to take a detail and -go to it. The place was about 300 yards away over a couple of fields. -Bill and his detail floundered off, and roamed about until 3:00 A. M., -when they hailed a figure in the darkness as “Hey, buddy.” It was Lt. -Col. Myer, at regimental hdq. at Hermaville, a couple of kilos away. He -steered Bill back to the company, where he arrived at dawn--without the -iron. - -During the day the sun shone at intervals, and we scraped out cubbies -in the side of the trench, and tried to get a little dry. Barney -O’Rourke, who had been missing since the night before, showed up under -guard, somewhat the worse for wear. He had wandered off to Hermaville, -met an Irish Tommy, found a hospitable estaminet, and subsequently -had severely rebuked an officer from Rgt’l. Hdqrs. who undertook to -reprove him. Regt’l Hdq. was all for having Barney shot at sunrise or -something, and of course I got a call. At the courtmartial, though, -we got him off with a month’s hard labor and a $10.00 blind, which -was really quite all that happy-go-lucky, golden-hearted son of Erin -deserved. He never did the month at that, or rather we all did. But he -dug me a company headquarters when he came back, and it would have been -fine only someone walked through the roof. - -We were relieved that night by “E” Co., 24 hours before we expected. We -marched back to the clearing in the woods, had supper at the rolling -kitchen, pitched pup tents and had a comparatively dry night’s sleep. -Jerry came over and tried to drop an ash can on the kitchen, but didn’t -succeed. - -They let us sleep late next morning, and we started for our billet at -10:00 A. M., leaving the 2d bn. to the joys of make-believe trench life. - -Right here I want to say a word about our experience with -court-martials. There has been much criticism of military justice as -administered in the A. E. F., but the 78th Division was fortunate in -having as Judge Advocate a most capable, honest, experienced, broad -minded man, Major George G. Bogert, formerly Professor of Law at -Cornell, I believe. His assistant, Lt. John J. Kuhn, was an equally -fine type of lawyer and gentleman. I know of no accused man who did not -get an absolutely square deal from them, and from the courts-martial -before which they appeared. - -Well, here we are back in St. Michel, rocked to sleep every night by -the free fireworks from our aerial visitors. We had hardly rested from -our trench experience before I was ordered to take details from each -company to the rifle range. Part of “B” company had gone a week before, -and their tales of woe had in some measure prepared us. - -We had no guide. As we hiked through Foufflin-Ricametz, I stopped off -and Capt. Wagner showed me our destination on a map. We plodded on -and on, through about 20 villages, all alike, and all with a maze of -crooked little streets that weren’t on any map. We passed by a lot of -Canadian artillery back for a rest. The Canadians had been badly shot -up before we got to France, and were being reorganized and recuperating -that summer. They, the Anzacs, the Australians, the Scotties, and the -Guard regiments were the shock troops of the British Army. - -Finally we came upon a welcome sign, “Target Range,” and we bivouacked -in woods behind the slope whereon the targets were. The next day we -plugged away at 200, 300 and 500 yards at four rickety swivel targets. -It rained, of course; but we finished in the afternoon, and hiked back -to St. Michel. It seemed even longer than before, though we took a -short cut by a back road; and we were for once glad to see the lonely -tower of St. Michel rising above the woods outside St. Pol. - -I returned to find Major Odom on the eve of departure for another -school. From this time, then, until he returned on August 20th, the -company was commanded by Lt. Schuyler, who carried out his additional -duties with characteristic energy and conscientiousness. - -On August 12th, the whole regiment was on the move; and this time -we were leaving St. Michel for good, though a small detail was -left to guard the baggage. Sgt. Haynes, who had hurt his leg in -bayonet practice, was left behind with water on the knee, and never -succeeded in rejoining the company. Our faithful company clerk, too, -Cpl. Jimmy Jones, broke his ankle, and was sent to a hospital in -England. Fortunately for me, we had Cpl. Stiles ready to step into -his shoes. From this time on Stiles handled the company paper work -in a most efficient and conscientious fashion. Most fellows never -have any idea of the long hours, day and night, that a company clerk -puts in, struggling with the labyrinth of forms, records, reports -and correspondence that are vital to the running of the company. -The greater part of the paper work that was done at Camp Dix by the -officers and Co. Cmdrs. was turned over to the Co. clerks in France, -and many a night Stiles and Jones have pored over that field desk, by -the light of a candle, keeping us straight with the authorities. If -records ever went astray, or passes went awry, it was not their fault. -“B” Company was certainly most fortunate in its company clerks. - -It was a long, hot march that sunny August day up toward the front, and -the company pulled into Lattre St. Quentin pretty well tuckered. I had -been taken up in a British staff car as we passed through Regt’l Hdq., -and, with the other two battalion commanders, was taken to reconnoiter -the sectors of the front line which we were to take over. Each -battalion was to be brigaded with an English regiment, and to hold the -front lines for a regular tour of duty as the last step in the training -schedule. - -The 1st Bn. was to go in with the 1st London regiment. The officers -of this brigade and regiment received me very cordially. Our proposed -battalion sector was just outside Arras. The town itself was within -the English lines, which ran along the eastern outskirts. The position -was well organized, and the trenches were in good shape, as this part -of the line had been practically stationary for a year. The outfit we -were to relieve were in high glee, as they had been in the trenches for -8 months straight. It was a “quiet” sector, but Jerry buzzed a few -shells quite unpleasantly close while I was roaming about. - -I rode back in luxury in the staff car to find the battalion billeted -and asleep. We had arranged for officers and platoon sergeants to go up -in a couple of days to reconnoiter their respective positions. - -Lattre St. Quentin was a village of some sixty houses, about 20 kilos -from Arras. “B” Co. was billeted in the barn behind the house where Bn. -Hdq. was located, and in the house next to it down the road. - -During the next few days we had a platoon competition in the battalion. -“B” Co. was represented by the 4th platoon. The event was won by the -“C” Co. 3d platoon, but all the contestants did well. - -There was a nice “vacant lot” by the billet, and we had some good fun -kicking a football and staging several baseball matches there. The -weather was fine, and we were in great fettle. - -On August 14th orders arrived promoting Lt. Col. Myer to Colonel and -putting him in command of the 129th Infantry. This was a great loss to -the regiment. Myer was the best officer we had, thoroughly efficient, -devoted to his profession, always on the job, an excellent judge of -men, and an adept at picking out the essential things that counted. He -placed the good of the service first, and himself last, and he had the -trust and respect of every officer and man in the outfit. - -The officers and platoon sgts. left on the evening of the 15th for -the front line via a little narrow gauge railway, returning the next -morning. All was now in readiness. - -But at noon on the 16th, orders arrived postponing the relief. On the -17th, rumors began to fly that we were to go to another part of the -front. Then we were ordered to turn in the Lewis guns, with which we -had become quite familiar. Somehow it leaked out that we were to go -South to the American sector. This rumor became a certainty when we -turned in all our British rifles and ammunition, receiving instead -American Enfields. Our overcoats and other supplies that we had left at -St. Michel were brought over in motor trucks. The details guarding them -said that Jerry had bombed the old billet to a fare-you-well the night -after we left it. - -Our joy at moving was heartfelt and unbounded. Those who had been south -to schools or on other duties told us what a “bon secteur” it was. -And the prospect of drawing American rations and being with American -troops and transport again was welcomed with acclaim. To tell the -truth, we were rather fed up with being under the wing of our British -Allies. Their ways were not our ways; we would feel better when with -our own kind. Theoretically, we were brothers in the great cause. -Practically, in the mud and sweat and thousand petty aggravations and -misunderstandings, we had undoubtedly gotten upon each other’s nerves. -The average Tommy looked upon us as a bunch of greenhorn Yankees, who -had all made fortunes during the first three years of the war and were -now over in France three years late spending them and raising the -price of vin rouge and “oofs.” We looked upon the average Tommy as a -degenerate, tea drinking, saluting bellyacher. The Australians and -Canadians were our sworn buddies, however, and we liked the Scotties. -Maybe this was because the only British combat troops we had been in -touch with were these organizations. To me, the few English combat -troops that I encountered seemed a fairly decent bunch. - -[Illustration: 2d Platoon, Flavigny, France, 1919.] - -It was with light hearts, then, that we pulled out of Lattre St. -Quentin on a beautiful summer morning, at 10 o’clock, August 20th. It -was only an 8 mile hike to Tinques, a rail head on the Arras road. We -turned into a big held and I halted the battalion while I went to find -the R. T. O. in charge of entraining. - -All was bustle and hurry. Things were being rushed through in the -American fashion. Nobody knew where the R. T. O. was; everybody was too -busy to know anything. At last I saw Lt. Gibbs on top of a flat car -loading wagons. He shouted that our train was across the platform and -was due to leave in 20 minutes. I dashed back to the battalion, hurried -it across the tracks, entrained them and sure enough the train pulled -out just as I got the outfit aboard. As I was finishing, a dapper U. S. -Major of the Division Inspector’s Dept. toddled up and said it was the -worst entraining he had ever seen, and why weren’t the men marched up -to the cars in column of squads? I saluted the boob wearily and swung -aboard just as the train pulled out. - -Now came our longest rail journey in France. For two days we bowled -along pretty steadily. We swung around by St. Pol, with a farewell -glimpse of our old billet, and then south, through Amiens, up to the -outskirts of Paris. Hearts beat high, and had the train stopped for -five minutes at a likely looking place, I was prepared to see the -battalion make a break for la vie Parisienne. The only stop, however, -was for a few minutes to get routing orders from a business-like -French R. T. O. From these orders I learned that our destination was -Passavant. It might as well have been Timbuctoo for all that meant to -me; but I had learned by this time that these French trains, with all -their misery and sin, did get you to the proper place at last, so I -didn’t worry. - -The houses of Paris fell behind, and we rolled east along the famous -Marne river. At Haute Creuse and St. Pol we had read in the Paris -editions of the “New York Herald” and “Daily Mail” of the desperate -fighting along here in July, in which the mettle of our American -regulars and marines had been put to so stern a test; and the next -morning, a beautiful, bright day it was, too, we began to pass through -towns whose names were yet ringing all over the world. The familiar -signs of nearing the front began to appear--the roofless houses, shell -holes, and so on. Then we began to see debris lying about--discarded -bits of equipment and uniform, empty bandoliers, then here and there a -new grave, marked by a helmet, and sometimes a little cross. Presently -we went right through Chateau Thierry--one of the first trains since -the battle. From our cars we saw the little firing posts that the -Americans had scratched out in the side of the railroad embankment. -Here and there a grave showed where one had died where he fought. Some -German helmets over graves on the south side of the river showed where -perhaps some of the enemy had gotten across before they fell under the -fire of the Springfields. - -But the most impressive and inspiring sight of all to Americans were -the hills that stretched up to the North of the river. A long steep, -smooth, stretch broken only enough to allow of cover for reserves and -machine guns--a position that looked absolutely impregnable if defended -by modern weapons. And up these heights, defended by the flower of the -German army, flushed with recent success, our countrymen had swept -forward, carried the position, and hurled the foe back. It must have -been some scrap. - -The Marne here is about as large as a good-sized American creek. There -were quite a few dead horses and men still bobbing around in it. The -countryside had not been under fire for very long, compared to the -Arras section; some crops were still standing, and a few people at -work reaping them already. I am sorry to say that one of our men was -thoughtless enough to grab a pile of new cut hay from a field during -a stop. I happened to see him and of course he put it back, and got a -summary out of it. I mention this to remind you that in most of our -trouble with the French peasants we were at fault to some extent. Of -course, it isn’t pleasant to sleep for several nights on the floor of a -jolting cattle car. But neither is it enjoyable for poor Jacques to see -his hay miraculously preserved from the H. E.’s, laboriously gathered, -and then have a doughboy coolly annex it and roll away in a train. - -We rolled on through the sunny August day, east to Chalons-sur-Marne, -then southeast, away from the battle front. Night came on, and dragged -along toward dawn. At about 2:00 A. M. we stopped at a little way -station for hot coffee, ready for us in great G. I. boilers. The French -corporal in charge of the station gave me a cup out of his own private -pot, cooking over a smelly little oil stove, thick as mud, black as -night, reeking with cognac, altogether very satisfactory. I wished -every man could have had such a shot. - -Early in the morning we passed the walled heights of Chaumont, A. E. F. -headquarters. On past the picturesque battlements of Langres, centre -of the Army Schools; then east again. The country was more rugged and -less highly cultivated. Here was a place where one might get off the -road without stepping on Jacques’ garden. It looked more like home. -The woods were sure enough ones, not little, severely confined, neatly -trimmed groves such as they had in the north, with every tree numbered -and recorded. - -Best of all, we were in the American sector. The M. P.’s at the -stations were doughboys instead of Tommies or poilus. Here an American -ambulance hustled along the road; there a good old 3-ton Q. M. truck -lumbered along. Overseas caps were sprinkled about the stations. No -more now of “What is the name of this bally station, old top?,” and -“Kesky eessy, Mossure.” We could yell: “Say, buddy, what t’ell burg’s -this?” like civilized persons. - -Off on a branch line, around hills, over a long, white stone bridge, -and the train slid up to the long platform at Passavant station. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -“THE AMERICAN SECTOR” - - -The battalion tumbled off, very greasy as to face and stiff as to legs. -The rolling kitchens were unloaded; the Colonel and Lt. Gibbs appeared -and disappeared. We saw our own supply company hard at work in the -adjacent field. In a few minutes it was “Fall in,” and we hiked across -the railroad and down into the centre of the little town. - -At the town square we halted, and lay around for an hour in the shade -waiting for our French guides to take the companies to their billets. -There was a cool fountain splashing in the center of the square, but -it was marked “Non potable,” so we had to wait until we could get some -chlorinated water from our lister bags. Oh, that chlorinated water! -Will we ever get the taste of the stuff out of our mouths? - -At last a guide came along, but only to take off “C” Co., which was -billeted at the little village of Rochere, about 4 kilos outside -Passavant. Finally our guide appeared, and “A” and “B” companies hiked -off down a narrow street, skirting the great chateau, then up a long -hill, under the railroad bridge, and into our billeting area, a little -“suburb” of the town across the railroad tracks. - -At once we noticed a difference in the people. This town was far behind -the lines. No air raids had visited it; lights could be shown at night. -And the people seemed actually glad to see us. Instead of lowering -brows, grudging admission, furious protests, we met pleasant smiles, -bon jour’s, readiness and willingness to accommodate us. Even when we -swept out the stables and outhouses where we were billeted there was no -objection. Oh, boy, this was something like it! - -The rolling kitchen was put to work in a field on the outskirts, and -Wilson, deBruin, Lusier & Co. got busy. Everyone was pretty tired, but -after chow things looked much brighter. - -That night occurred an incident which shows how thoughtless soldiers -are. A couple of men, who shall be nameless, patronized the estaminets -far too freely. When they had acquired a skinful of vin rouge apiece, -they went forth and nobly robbed a hen roost, and had a chicken dinner. - -Now had this happened a week before, there would have been immediate -and voluble protests to the authorities, and a bill for damages as long -as your arm. And on our side, I fear the matter would have been looked -on as righteous retribution, and the officers would have received very -little assistance in investigating the affair. - -But this was different. Wilson and some others found the little girl -at their billet and her mother in tears over their loss. The offenders -were promptly trailed and spotted, and reported to Lt. Schuyler. And -nobody felt more ashamed than they when they woke up in the guardhouse -the next morning. Meanwhile, that same evening a hasty collection had -been taken up in the company, and the French lady reimbursed a good -many times the value of her loss. I understand she wouldn’t take all -they collected; but next day I met a couple of the boys, Wilson and -Weber, I think, coming back from town with the little girl between -them, proudly bearing the finest bonnet that Passavant “epiceries” -could produce, and enough chocolate to satisfy a dozen youngsters. - -The days at Passavant were about the brightest spot in our stay in -France. The training schedules were on hand again, of course. Chauchats -were issued to replace the Lewis guns of the English sector; much to -the disgust of the auto riflemen, who had worked so hard learning the -Lewis, and found the Chauchat but a crude affair comparatively. But the -weather was beautiful; there was a stream to wash in, and a lovely lake -about a mile away where you could have a swim--the only time we enjoyed -this luxury that summer. The people were pleasant; we were getting -American rations; all went well. - -It was too good to last long. On August 27th we got a march order, and -at 1:00 P. M. the next day we pulled out, down the hill to Passavant, -up hill through the town, and fell in behind the second battalion for -a long, long hike through the summer afternoon and evening. - -Six o’clock came, and seven. Still no sign of camp. It was growing -dark. The men were good and tired; but “B” company held to its record -as the best marching company in the outfit, and plodded along doggedly. -I felt uncomfortable every time I looked back at my four platoons; I -felt that I ought to be hiking with them instead of on the Major’s -horse; knowing, however, that I had a couple of hours hard work ahead -of me after we camped, I turned back to the road ahead, and wished the -Major were back. - -At last, at 8:00 P. M., when it was quite dark, we turned off to the -left, crossed several fields, and came to a number of frame barracks. -These had bunks within them--about half enough to accommodate the men, -but we were glad to lie down anywhere. After the usual turmoil we got -supper under way, and as fast as chow could be obtained and swallowed, -we hit the hay--some in barracks, others in pup tents in the fields -outside. We had done about 20 kilos that day. - -The next morning we pulled out at 9 o’clock, hiked into Fresnes, the -village near by, and then out on a good wide road, heading generally -west. The Colonel, who was making the hike in an automobile, had a -theory that no man needed more than a pint of water on any march, -and the march discipline was to be very strict. The everlasting rain -started again; it was hike, hike, hike. Who that hasn’t done it can -ever understand the awful, soul tearing grind of a long hike with -full pack? After the first hour, the pack gets heavy on the back and -shoulders. You see the feet of the fellow ahead--up and down, up and -down, remorselessly, steadily--doesn’t he ever get tired? If he can -make it, you can. Some buckle or piece of equipment gets loose, and -goes jingle, jingle, jingle, and slap, slap, slap against your leg. It -gets irritating. You are sweating and hot and dirty and uncomfortable. -“Close up!” You mentally damn the officers, who haven’t any rifles; -the ones who ride horses, doubly damned; and as for those birds in -the autos--ahem! How long to the 10 minutes rest? Then it starts to -rain. It beats into your face. You damn the boob who wished upon the -Americans that prize inanity of equipment, the overseas cap. It is -ingeniously designed to give the eyes and face no protection from sun, -wind or rain, and at the same time efficiently to direct water down the -back of your neck. On, on, on, plod, plash, squnchy, sqush. The Major -looks at his watch. You eye the side of the road for a likely looking -place. At last: “Fall out t’ right th’ road.” You stumble over and -plump down on the ground. Oh, blessed moment! you ease the load on your -shoulders; your feet are tingling with happiness at being off duty; -after a few breaths you fish out a cigarette or the old pipe, and light -up for a few puffs. You lean back-- - - “Fall in!” - -Oh, murder! You know it hasn’t been four minutes, let alone ten. - -Toward noon we passed through Bourbonne-les-Bains, quite a sizable -town; and as we went plugging along by the railroad station there was -Major Odom. He was carried off by the Colonel in his car, but took -command of the battalion that night, and I was glad to get back to “B” -Co. - -Up that long, long, steep street we plugged along, rested, then pushed -on well clear of the town, and halted beside a pretty green meadow in -the woods for lunch. After we finished our hard bread, corned willy -and jam, and were lying about in heavenly idleness for a few minutes, -Roy Schuyler’s eye fell upon the bn. adjutant’s horse; a dignified and -rotund, rather elderly mare, indulging in a roll while her saddle and -bridle were off. In a minute Roy was on the astonished beast’s back. -Encouraged by a couple of hearty thwacks from a club, Mary started on -a very creditable imitation of youthful gamboling. It was a gallant -sight for a summer afternoon. Often since, the picture has come back to -me--the prancing horse, the laughing young rider with one hand in her -mane, the other brandished aloft. But our time is up; Mary must resume -her saddle, and we our packs, and off we go. - -The shadows lengthened; the sun dropped down behind the hills, and the -long French twilight set in. Still no sign of our guides to indicate -our billet was near. Village after village came into view, raised our -hopes, and dashed them again as we plodded on. At last, at about 6:00 -P. M., we slogged into Merrey. There the Colonel was waiting, in his -car. He remarked cheerfully that he had had quite a hunt for billets, -but had found a splendid spot. We hiked through the village, and turned -off the road into the splendid spot--a pine grove, very wet and rooty -as to floor, and no water around. We were satisfied to get off our -feet, however. After the usual procedure of getting kicked out of X -company’s area, and kicking Y company out of ours, we rigged up shelter -tents or sleeping bags. Of course the water carts weren’t on hand, and -dinner was held up. There are two recurrent occasions in a soldier’s -life when the seconds drag most fearsomely; the interval between a -shell’s landing and bursting; and the interval between the end of a -hike and chow. - -Some of the boys went off to wash their feet in a pretty little pond a -couple of fields away. That pond concealed some dark secret beneath its -placid bosom. Whew! Didn’t it stink when disturbed? - -At reveille we rolled out of our blankets, pretty stiff and cold, but -rested. Packs were rolled again, and we fell in at 9:00 A. M., Major -Odom again commanding the battalion, and were off on the last lap. This -was to be a short one, only about five miles. We passed a large field -with a number of Boche prisoners at work, and at about 11:00 A. M. -crossed a railroad, turned off the road to the right, and came upon a -cantonment just outside of Breuvannes, where the battalion was billeted. - -While these frame barracks were not so picturesque as other billets we -had had, they were infinitely better adapted to our uses. There were -bunks for all, mess halls, a parade ground large enough to form the -battalion, and a fine level drill field near by, along the railroad -track. A good-sized creek ran close by, and Breuvannes was only 5 -minutes walk away. A pretty enough little village, with five or six -stores and estaminets. Also there was a Y hut, where you could see -movies at night if you got there soon enough. - -The 42d Division had been here until the day before, resting and -replacing their losses from the fighting in July. A bn. of the 5th -Marines had preceded them, and that evening I ran across a Marine -lieutenant who was following up his outfit. My own alma mater, the -Virginia Military Institute, furnished a number of officers to the -Marines, and I was particularly interested in news from them. This -officer told me of the death of several of my old school fellows at -Belleau Woods. When he said that only one in ten had come through out -of his own company, however, I thought he was pulling a long bow. - -The next morning, August 31, we resumed the familiar drill schedules. -Every effort was made to teach the use and mechanism of the new -Chauchats. Special training went on as usual, and we practiced the -formations of the O. C. S. U. (Offensive Combat of Small Units) on all -the bushes and trees in the vicinity. - -Barney O’Rourke and I spent one day on a pilgrimage to Bourmont, where -the courtmartial heretofore referred to took place; Barney quite -prepared to be shot at sunrise, and I suspect a little disappointed at -the affair ending so undramatically. - -The drill field furnished a very fair baseball diamond, and several -inter-company contests were staged. We played one ten-inning thriller -with “A” Co., in which Joe Fahey finally pitched us to victory, -supported by an able cast. We had the makings of a good football team -under way, too, and I remember I had most of the skin off my right arm. -But more serious business was on hand, and our athletic activities had -to be temporarily laid aside. - -On Sept. 4, we prepared to move. The battalion was formed at dusk, and -at 9:00 P. M. we filed off for our first night march in France. It -started raining promptly, of course. Wasn’t it dark! In an hour you -literally could not see your hand an inch before your nose. No lights -or smoking were allowed; and even a chew was risky, as you never knew -who you’d hit when you let fly. Now and then a glimmer of light from -some cottage fire would show the shadowy forms of the last squad of “C” -Co. in front, hastening on into the darkness. I walked into an ungainly -quadruped and requested the rider to get his damned mule out of the -road; and was immediately and discourteously informed that I had better -keep my mouth shut and drive on. I recognized Major Odom’s voice and -drove on. - -Rain, hike, rain, slog, mud, mud, sweat, damn. Halt and fall out and -sit in the mud for ten minutes and feel the rain percolate. Fall in, -and hike again, your cold, wet clothes clinging to you. - -Eight weary hours of this. At last, just before daybreak, we turned -off the road through the gateway of a once palatial estate, and hiked -across a park to a grove where we were billeted. The fifteen miles we -had covered seemed like 30. We were done in enough to fall asleep, -many without unrolling their packs. The rain, however, found us out, -trickled in at every corner, and morning found us miserable enough. - -No word was vouchsafed to us as to when we should move again; and this -playing at secrecy cost “D” and “C” Cos. their meal. It was more luck -than good management that gave me the hunch to rout out our weary cooks -and have chow at 11:00 o’clock. At 12:00 o’clock orders came in a great -hurry that we were to clear the crossroads at 2:30. We did it at 3:00. - -Our new lieutenant-colonel, Arthur Budd, had joined us the night -before. During the first halt Lt. Foulkes came galloping up on old -Mary, and his former platoon--the first--chortled with glee every -time daylight showed between Louis and the saddle. Col. Budd promptly -treated me to a cold and fishy stare, and inquired if it was the custom -for “B” Co. to yell at officers when they passed. I hastily delivered -a brief resume of Louis’ career with the company and the estimation in -which we held him, intimating that he was regarded as one helofa good -fellow, and that no mutiny was breaking out. Meanwhile I had hastily -sized up our new acquisition as a goof. I had reason to revise this -estimate, and that shortly. - -The rain let up this evening, for a wonder, and the march wasn’t half -bad, except for the mud under foot, which we were pretty well used to. -We passed by a sizeable cantonment of Chinese labor troops, and Diskin -wanted to fall out and leave his laundry. We had only the most vague -idea of where we were; in fact, our notions of French geography were -of the crudest anyhow. Bill Reid, from his six-foot eyrie, solemnly -announced that he saw the Alps ahead, and had the 1st platoon craning -its respective necks for an hour. - -Just as darkness fell, we ran into an ammunition train, the tail end of -the 42d Division. We pushed on behind them up a hill into the village -of Viocourt, where our old dependable of the advance party, Sgt. Hill, -met us and pointed out our billets, in lofts and stables on both sides -of the “street.” - -We all knew pretty well by now that we must be in for action soon. -The St. Mihiel salient meant nothing more to us than it did to folks -at home then. The general impression was that it was to be a drive on -Metz; and this wasn’t so far out of the way, at that. - -By this time it didn’t take us long to make ourselves at home in a -strange place. We had bagged a good place for the rolling kitchen, and -the billets weren’t so bad. Between showers we got in some drilling, -and a couple of hours on an extemporized 30-yard range that Lt. -Schuyler put up one morning before breakfast. Everyone tried his hand -at the Chauchat for a magazine full. This was the only chance we had to -fire this gun before we had to meet the enemy with it. The men armed -with pistols punctured a few tin cans after a vast expenditure of lead. - -There was a beautiful meadow below town, and on Sunday, the 8th, we -staged a couple of good ball games. On Monday we had a company problem -through the woods beyond the meadow, and Tuesday we got in the target -practice. - -Wednesday morning the Major assembled the Co. cmdrs. and ordered us to -be ready to march at 1:30. After the usual bustle all was ready for -the road, two days’ rations being carried. Our kitchen and cooks were -attached to the regt’l supply train. - -It had been raining all the morning, but old J. Pluvius had only been -practising for the real show. We started off in a steady downpour, -which speedily became a regular deluge. The wind rose to a gale, which -drove the sheets of water directly at us, penetrating right through -slickers and clothing. In 15 minutes we were all wet to the skin. - -It was only an hour’s march this time. At 3:00 P. M., we came to a -crossroads just outside Chatenois. There stood a long line of motor -trucks, stretching away in either direction as far as the eye could -see. The embussing was well handled, and in 20 minutes we were packed -in, 20 or more to a truck, jammed as tight as they could be, every man -wet through and chilled. Even our incorrigibly optimistic regimental -history says, “We shall never forget this day because of its miserable -and nasty weather.” - -These busses were driven by Chinese in the French service. With their -impassive Oriental faces looking out over their great sheepskin coats, -they looked fitting agents of destiny; grave Charons, bearing us on -the last lap of our progress toward our fate. - -At 4:00 o’clock we were off, with a jerk and a clank of gears and a -steady rumble. On and on, over the long French road, rolling on through -rain and wind, steadily, inevitably; each lorry nearly touching the one -in front. Darkness fell; the long gray train rolled on, not a light, -not a sound save the rumble of the trucks. We got colder and colder; -more and more cramped. Capt. Fleischmann and I spent most of the night -each cherishing the other’s icy feet in his bosom. On and on, through -gray, silent towns, past the ghostly figure of a lonely M. P. at a -crossroads; through fields, woods, villages, all wet and quiet in the -falling rain. - -Just as the daylight began to thin the inky mist, the train halted, and -the word was passed along the line to debus. Wet, shivering, miserable, -“B” Co. struggled hastily into clammy shoes and slung their heavy, -soggy packs. As we formed on the side of the road, the busses started -again, and rolled swiftly off into the shadows ahead, leaving us on the -road, with heavy woods on either side. - -We marched down the road to an open field on the left. Here a railroad -track entered the corner of the wood. We turned off up the track, and -about 300 yards along we came upon the 2nd battalion bivouacking. We -went on just beyond them, and were allotted our own share of squishy -ground and drenched underbrush. - -A limited number of fires were allowed, and we made ourselves as -comfortable as we could under the circumstances. I was detailed on -O. D. and spent a busy day dissuading the regiment from straggling -all over the road and open fields. All knew that a big attack was in -preparation, and that it was important that the concentration be kept -under cover from the enemy’s aircraft. But some men apparently couldn’t -compree that we weren’t roosting in that bally old dysentery generator -of a wood for sheer sport. - -Showers fell intermittently during the day, but nothing like the -previous day’s deluge. At about 4 P. M. there was an officers’ call, -and we were warned to march at 7 P. M. Co. Commanders were issued maps, -and we learned that our present bivouac was in the Bois de la Cote en -Haye, east of Tremblecourt. - -About 5 P. M., six French tanks came clanking down the road, did a -Squads Left, waddled across the fields and disappeared over the brow -of the hill, toward the rumble of intermittent artillery fire in the -distance that meant the front. - -The 312th Inf. was bivouacked on the other side of the railroad track, -and the rest of the division was hidden in the woods near by. Across -the main road was a great artillery ammunition dump, big enough to blow -up ten divisions if a bomb ever hit it. But I kept this to myself, and -what a soldier doesn’t know doesn’t worry him. He has enough to worry -about anyhow. - -The kitchens came up late in the afternoon, and we got outside of a -ration of hot slum before dark. - -By 6:45 P. M. we had rolled packs, and were ready to hit the road -again. I went to sleep on the ground, with my pack on my back, and was -awakened by Dunn to find it nearly dark, and the battalion ready to -move off. - -It seemed hours before we got out of the wood into the open field. -We would go forward a few steps along the track, and then stand and -wait for ten or fifteen minutes. The road by which we had arrived -was crowded with transport and artillery, and we turned off on a -bypath through the woods. It was now quite dark, and blind work it -was blundering along, touching the man ahead to keep from losing him, -slipping and tripping in the wet underbrush. It is remarkable how -exasperating a pack and rifle become under such circumstances. However, -the excitement of anticipation buoyed us up, and “B” Co. wallowed -through the wood, across a mushy field, and scrambled up a slippery -embankment on to a strange road, much more cheerfully than now seems -possible. - -Once re-formed on said road, we hiked along briskly in column of -squads. Soon we overtook a long column of transport wagons, trucks and -artillery. Road discipline was something apparently unknown; every -vehicle seemed to be trying to pass every other one. The consequence -was of course wondrous confusion, and here and there a total jam, -through which we had to thread our way in single or double file as best -we could. - -When we got clear of the last jam, the company ahead had gained about -15 yards, and was consequently as completely out of sight as if they -had been in Timbuctoo. We passed through a village in hot pursuit of -them. At the crossroads, by sheer good luck I turned off up the right -one. After a long hour’s stern chase we were relieved to see the -bobbing forms of Headquarters Co. show through the gloom ahead. - -At about 10:30 we came upon Sgt. Hill waiting for us by the roadside, -with the welcome news that our temporary destination was only a couple -of kilos off. We toiled up a long hill, and turned off the macadam into -a rough road that was a series of four inch ponds. We plashed along to -the edge of a large wood, and Hill showed us a pile of empty bandoliers -and boxes, where the Marines had been issued ammunition and grenades -about an hour before. They had just pulled out, and were going over the -top at dawn. - -A hundred yards or so, and we turned into the woods, on a road which -was from ankle to knee deep in all varieties of mud, from sticky to -liquid. We moved on, stumbled over a railroad track, and finally Hill -said we were at our bivouac. The trees and underbrush grew so thick -along the road that we blundered about a bit before we found a couple -of places where we could force our way through. As each man reached a -place where he could sit or lie down, down he flopped, and the rest of -the company walked over him. The woods already had some occupants, and -more and more poured in every minute. - -At last “B” Co. had distributed itself on the ground, and was preparing -for a dismal wallow until morning. In spite of wet, mud and chill some -were already asleep. We were just within the artillery zone, and the -jar and grumble of the guns ahead was occasionally punctuated by the -roar and scream of one of the heavies nearer by. This, however, was -only normal artillery fire, such as we had been accustomed to at St. -Pol and Lattre St. Quentin, and we settled down to wait for the big -show. Some of the more energetic started to pitch their pup tents. - -Just as I dozed off, some idiot shouted “Gas!” Our long hours of gas -drill, and many vivid and gruesome lectures on the subject, promptly -bore fruit. In fact, the good seed shot up like Jack’s beanstalk. -The cry was re-echoed by a dozen, then a score of startled voices. -Everyone reached into the familiar canvas satchel that he cherished -on his bosom, donned his mask more or less expeditiously, and sat -expectantly awaiting developments. - -In the midst of the rumpus I heard Lt. Foulkes’ voice from the road -bawling for the company commanders. I thought sadly that the lad had -probably lost his mask, or the gas had caught him suddenly and he was -raving. However, for sake of auld lang syne, I took a long breath, -and shouted, “Whatsmatterwhydontyouputonyourmask?” I replaced my -mouthpiece, and started blundering toward Louis’ voice, hoping I might -be in time at least to view his remains. - -During the next two minutes I walked on every man in “B” Co. at least -once, and probably on most of “A” and “C” Cos. Then Foulkes roared my -name within five yards of me. - -“Where’s the gas?” I demanded. - -There wasn’t any gas. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -ST. MIHIEL AND LIMEY SECTOR - - -The Major was waiting for us up the “road.” He informed us that the -156th Brigade was the alert brigade. We were not to pitch tents nor -unroll packs, but lie on our arms ready to reinforce the front line -division should occasion demand it. The barrage was due to start at 1 -A. M.; at 5 A. M. the infantry was to go over the top. - -I waded back with this gladsome news, and we lay in the mud and wet -leaves and shivered and wished we could smoke, and waited for the show -to start. Word had passed that there was a big French railroad gun -about 30 yards away, and a pleasant time was anticipated by all. - -At 1 A. M. the sullen jar of the usual cannonade was shattered by a -tremendous crash. And that crash lasted solid for four hours. I shall -not try to describe a real A-1 barrage to men who have been there. - -The railroad gun came across according to plan too. Every five minutes -her mighty roar and scream would announce the departure of a G. I. -can towards Metz, and then would come the clanking of the cars as the -recoil drove the train back along the track against the logs piled -behind it. After an hour or so we got accustomed to the barrage and the -glare that lit up the sky ahead; but as often as we drowsed off, the -thunder of this mighty gun would shake the earth beneath us, and jar us -into consciousness. - -The night wore on, and the gray morning light crept into the woods; -and still the thunder rolled unceasing. I watched the glow of my wrist -watch hand creep to five o’clock. There was a slight lull as the -artillery shifted to their rolling barrage schedule. Then she started -up again with renewed fury. We knew the doughboys were off. The A. E. -F. was starting its first show on its own. The overture was over, the -fiery curtain raised, the act begun; and we were awaiting our cue. - -Morning broke, cloudy, but little or no rain, and about 7 o’clock it -quite cleared off. We made ourselves as comfortable as we could, and -prayed for our kitchen. - -I went wading through the mud along the road to look for it. There -were several Marines about, belonging to the skeleton organization, -left behind to act as a nucleus in case a whole outfit was wiped out. -I passed a Marine lieutenant whose face looked familiar, and after a -moment recognized “Happy” Mason. He had been a cadet at V. M. I. with -me, and had helped me wind a red silk sash around my middle for many a -dress parade. It was a far cry from the Blue Ridge to the Bois de la -Rappe, and from dress parade to the St. Mihiel drive. - -We had a glad reunion there in the mud, and he invited the “B” Co. -officers to share his breakfast. Their rolling kitchen, or “galley” -as they called it, was on hand, and they had hot coffee and peach -turnovers! - -Those Marines were regular guys. When they heard our transport wasn’t -up yet, they turned to and fed as many of our men as they could, until -their supply ran out. They had been through the mill before, at Chateau -Thierry and Belleau Wood. As one of them said “Better help the other -fellow now. Tomorrow’s a hell of a way off here.” - -The Marines have had an awful lot of joshing, of course, about their -press agent stuff--“Ace high with the Satevepost,” and so on. But -these were certainly a fine bunch, and gave us a lift when we needed -it. Naturally, those of them who did the fighting did the least of the -blowing about it afterward. - -The sun came out to look at the battle after awhile, and we got warmed -and partially dried. Also the kitchen arrived, and a hot dinner was in -prospect. - -About 11 A. M. bulletins began arriving from the front, and were read -out to us. All objectives were being taken according to schedule, and -the number of prisoners and guns captured mounted by leaps and bounds. -We were not allowed out of the woods, but even from the trees on the -outskirts one couldn’t see much except a great cloud of smoke and dust -slowly rolling up the slope of a range of distant hills. - -The wet exposure and irregular eating of half cooked food had already -started to tell on us. Dysentery was appearing; nearly all the company -suffered with constant diarrhoea from this time on. - -The afternoon dragged on; still no call for the alert brigade. We were -allowed to pitch pup tents, but no fires were allowed; the wood was too -wet and smoky. - -Night fell; we crawled into whatever shelter we had, and -surreptitiously smoked, and talked, and listened to the rumble of the -guns until we got to sleep. - -At about 1:30 A. M. a battalion runner fell over my feet and lit on -Lt. Dunn. After a few hasty remarks we stopped for breath, and were -informed that the battalion was to form on the road right away. Stiff -and sleepy, I stumbled out into the dank night, routed out Chiaradio, -my staunch little runner and striker, and broke the glad news to -Robbins and the company runners. The woods were soon in a bustle as we -rolled packs, donned equipment, and filed out by platoons into the mud -of the road. - -By 2 A. M. the battalion was standing ankle deep in the slushy mud -in column of squads, the Major at our head. Half an hour passed. Not -a sound except an occasional “su-luck-slosh,” as someone shifted his -heavy pack, or tried in vain to find a less liquid footing. The leaden -minutes dragged by. Three o’clock; no move. Half past four--the company -ahead moved off, and we sloshed along behind, but only to the edge of -the wood. Dawn broke--another gray and misty dawn. Oh, that awful wait -in that awful hole! It was quite light before, at 5 o’clock, we finally -moved out, and, splashing and sliding over a muddy field, finally hit -the road and were off toward the scene of action. - -As we were stretching the kinks out of our legs on a fairly good road, -we passed a U. S. Coast Artillery outfit; a 12-inch gun. Some of the -crew came out to the roadside from the emplacement, and Capt. O’Brien -recognized his old outfit, in which he had served as an enlisted man -years before. - -On we go toward the distant booming of the guns. We wind around hills, -hike across a valley, over another long hill. Then the road runs along -the bottom of a long, long valley. During the ten-minute rests we -snatch a hasty breakfast from our reserve rations, with growls from -those who don’t get in on the jam. - -Now we begin to see traces of the battle--an overturned wagon, -abandoned in the ditch; a train of ammunition trucks crossing the road -ahead of us; a motor truck repair shop, hastily set up in a little -cabin along the road, from which came a smell of hot coffee that -tantalized our cold stomachs. Further on we passed a field hospital; -great white tents pitched in a sheltered dell, with red crosses glaring -on the tent flies. - -At the next halt, a Ford ambulance came down the muddy road with a load -of wounded. It stopped by us, and the driver went around behind to see -to one of the occupants. The canvas curtain was pushed aside from the -top, and a head lolled out--a face of ghastly yellow paste, surrounded -by dirty light brown hair. The poor chap was evidently badly gassed. He -retched violently time and again, spat out some blood, stared vacantly -at us with glassy, miserable eyes. The driver put the head inside -with a kindly “All right, buddy; nearly there now;” and the old Henry -started off again with a jerk, and a groan from within. - -As we resumed the march, a youngster from the 5th Division overtook us. -He wore an M. P.’s brassard, and no equipment but a .45 and a canteen. -We with our heavy packs and ammunition envied him. He was sleepy -eyed and jaded, but still enthusiastic. Ever since the drive started -he had been on the job escorting prisoners from front line division -headquarters to the pens in the rear. - -By 9 o’clock we had done twelve miles under our full pack, ammunition, -and two days’ rations, with a breakfast of a little corned willy and -hard bread and chlorinated water; the whole preceded by three hours’ -standing in eight inches of liquid mud. We felt pretty well done in, -for a fact. The auto riflemen were the worst off, having their heavy -Chauchats and several big magazines of ammunition besides. One of them -lightened his load by the ingenious means of “forgetting” his bag of -magazines at a halt. When Lt. Schuyler discovered it, the culprit was -promptly accommodated with a double dose to carry. - -But this was the exception. As I shifted about, hiking first with one -platoon and then another, I always found a set of determined grins, and -a cheerful “Oh, we’re all right. How’s the rabble up ahead?” - -We had been passing through the rear area of the former Allied sector. -Now and again a trench system--trenches, barbed wire, emplacements, -all complete--stretched away on either hand. Here and there were great -stretches of barbed wire filling gullies and ravines. - -At 10 o’clock we crossed a stone bridge and started up a long, long -hill. At the top we found that we were on a ridge that had been the -front line before the attack. Shell holes covered the whole place. To -our left, the ground fell away in a long dip, and we saw the ground -over which the first wave had attacked. The battle was now far away -over the horizon. - -For a couple of kilos we hiked along the road on top of the ridge. -It had already been repaired roughly, and all sorts of traffic -was passing over it. Once it had been bordered with trees, set at -regular intervals, like most self respecting French roads. Now only a -shattered, blasted stump stood here and there. - -A few men began to straggle from the outfits ahead, but “B” Co. stuck -to it gamely. On that day not a man fell out. - -Now we drew near a large barbed wire enclosure filled with men. It was -a P. W. pen, where prisoners were collected on their way to the rear. A -couple of detachments of them were going in as we came by. - -We turned off here to the left, toward the front. About a kilo down -this road we hit a traffic jam--a regular one. This road was badly cut -up, and poor road discipline soon did the rest. Some truck or ambulance -had tried to pass another, and both had stalled. Others, arriving from -both directions, instead of lining up behind on the right of the road, -pressed up as far as they could go, until the road was so completely -jammed that even we on foot could not get through. Belts of barbed wire -that ran up to the road on either side prevented us from going around. -So there we were. - -It was a most cosmopolitan collection. French 75’s, Ford ambulances, -a general’s Cadillac, rubbed shoulders with lumbering lorries, sturdy -steel ammunition Quads, and limbers. A French transport wagon driver -cracked his long whip and argued volubly with the chauffeur of a tank, -who spat and regarded him contemplatively. Field kitchens, huddled in -the jam, held the food that was so desperately needed up front. - -At last a Colonel of Marines blew in from somewhere, and plunged into -the mess. He got it thinned out enough for us to filter through on the -outskirts. And then--Glory be--we turned off the road into an open -space, with no barbed wire and comparatively few shell holes. Here we -found part of the 312th Inf., and the battalion stacked arms and fell -out. - -We slipped off our packs, and fell to on monkey meat and hard bread -with a will. The sun had come out, and we lay around and soon got warm -and dry, and felt nearly human again. - -All too soon we fell in, and set off again. We threaded our way across -the jam--now nearly as bad as ever--and spent the afternoon drifting -down a little valley at right angles to the road we had just left. -Nobody seemed to know just where we were going, or why. We heard later -that a jumbled order somewhere between Division and Brigade Hdqs. had -caused us to spend this day in a wild goose chase. - -The Colonel and Regt’l Hdq. had not been seen since the morning. We -hiked a few hundred yards, waited awhile, then moved on a bit again. We -passed, and were in turn passed by artillery, supply trains, infantry. -We sweated and chafed under our burdens, and wondered what t’ell, but -supposed it was all part of the game. - -At last, about 6 P. M., we came to the head of the valley. There we -spied the Colonel and his car, on a road up on the top of the hill. We -climbed up to the road, pushing a stalled rolling kitchen ahead of us. -We were urged to “Step out,” and showed our military discipline and -Christian forbearance by not saying what we thought of this request. -We got on a good road that led over the hill and up toward the front. -Along this we hiked a little way, then turned off to the left, and up a -lumber road that led straight up the hill into the woods. It was nearly -dark; the road was so steep that I could never understand how six -inches of liquid mud stayed on it. The climb up this road soon put our -feet into their usual muddy and wet condition. We turned off into the -woods, the Bois de Hoquemont, and were told that we would bivouac here -for the night. - -Our kitchens pulled up along the main road shortly, and the cooks, -tired as they were, got to work at once. The rations consisted mostly -of dehydrated vegetables. They say they are good if you can soak them -for twenty-four hours. A stew and coffee were soon under way. - -I toiled back up the hill and found a message to report at once to -the regt’l commander. On a hunch, I had Schuyler get a detail out and -bring up the chow right away. Sure enough, at the officers’ meeting we -were ordered to make combat packs and be ready to move again in twenty -minutes. We got our coffee and slum, though; and the half cooked stuff -tasted pretty good at that. - -Then we again donned our equipment, and plashed down the sloppy road -on weary feet. The night was very dark, and the road, as usual, jammed -with transport, our kitchens among others. As we threaded our way -through, we got mixed up somehow with a company of Marines going in -the same direction. Finally the jam thinned out, and we turned off -on another road, though we had to sort out B company and the Marines -almost man by man. And so we plodded on. - -It is remarkable how much a man can do after he thinks he is all in. We -picked ’em up and put ’em down for three hours. At last we drew near -some woods. Our orders were to proceed to Bois d’Euvezin and bivouac, -and show no lights. Well, we couldn’t see a map, and didn’t know where -we were on one anyhow, so this wood looked pretty good. At any rate, we -turned off the road and headed for it. - -Easy enough for a staff officer to look at a map and say, “Bivouac in -these woods.” Unfortunately, there was a 30 foot belt of wire fringing -this particular one. Orders are orders, though, so we scrambled through -somehow, and pushed in far enough to hide from any further marching -orders that night. Then we flopped down, any place at all, and dropped -off. - -It seemed but a couple of minutes before the sun came prying through -the leaves and under my eyelids. I rolled over, and saw Lt. Col. Budd, -sitting up with his back against a tree, wrapped in his trench coat--no -better off than we were. Right away my morale went up. - -An American outfit is never so weary that it doesn’t furnish a few -inquisitive souls. Already curiosity was driving the doughboys out of -the woods, by two’s and three’s, to see what was around. Just over a -knoll they found a little fragment of history. A German machine gun, -cunningly camouflaged; across it the body of a big “Feldwebel,” or -German top sergeant, with a bayonet wound through his body; a couple -of yards away a dead Marine, riddled with machine gun bullets, still -grasping his rifle with the bloody bayonet fixed. - -At 9 A. M. the outfit was rounded up, and we were off again. As we -plugged along the road in column of squads we thought with some disgust -of the night marches we had made a hundred kilos behind the lines. -Fortunately this hike was short. In an hour we entered another and -larger wood, the Bois d’Euvezin sure enough, this time. Here we found -the rest of the brigade, and bivouacked in the woods just off the road. - -The woods were full of German dugouts, evacuated by the enemy only a -day or so before. Most of these were preempted by various headquarters. -We settled down to make the most of our rest. For a wonder the sun -was out; and despite the mud under foot, we were soon fairly warm and -dry--and oh, how hungry! It was well along in the afternoon before the -water carts pulled in, though, and we got our hot slum and coffee. - -The Y. M. C. A. kicked through with a canteen, and after some trouble -in keeping the men from mobbing the place, crackers, chocolate and -tobacco were sold. - -That night our gas training blossomed forth again. The Boche dropped a -couple of shells around and our over-anxious sentries promptly bawled -“Gas!” The alarm would be taken up and spread through the brigade, and -by the time things quieted down they were off again. We finally got -some sleep by the primitive but effective expedient of promising to -blow the head off the next guy that raised the cry. - -Next day a great bunch of orders were dumped on me to read--all about -the new censorship regulations. After wading through these, the -officers were summoned to go up on a reconnoitering party to look over -the sector which we were to take over that night. - -We set out, and after a couple of hours’ stiff hiking arrived at a -very elaborate system of dugouts, in the edge of a wood, the Bois St. -Claude. Here was the Regt’l Hdq. of the 61st Infantry, 5th Division, -which we were to relieve. About five hundred meters north lay the -little village of Vieville-en-Haye. Descriptions of this charming -hamlet are superfluous, as we all had plenty of opportunity to -contemplate it thereafter. - -It was early afternoon, and the Boche was behaving rather well; only -occasionally slamming an .88 into the village in a perfunctory sort of -way. From the northeast, however, came an intermittent crackle of rifle -and machine gun firing, where the outposts were snarling and chattering -away at each other. - -We sat around for an hour while the regt’l hdq’s made their -arrangements. I found out that the C. O. of the 61st was an old friend -of my father’s--his father had been in my father’s company at V. M. I. -in the Civil War. - -At last the dope filtered down to the Co. Cmdrs., and we were given ten -minutes to reconnoiter our positions. We then had to make haste back to -the regiment, so that we could be ready to start again at dark. Packs -were made, the platoons gathered together, and at 7:30 P. M. we filed -out onto the road and were off on the last lap of our journey to the -battle line. - -Hardly were we clear of the woods when we halted, for some unknown -reason. We sat and lay on the grass by the roadside, among shell holes, -and listened to the drone of airplanes above us. It was an eerie, -ominous sound; and though we were pretty sure the motors were not the -deep voiced monsters of the enemy, still we were relieved when they -drew off without dropping any H. E. into our midst. - -In half an hour we started, this time in earnest. It was rough going, -and blind work at best. We stumbled up a ravine, out onto a road, -skirted a wood lined with artillery, and so drew near our position -south of Vieville-en-Haye. - -The 1st battalion was in support, the 2nd holding the front line, and -the 3rd brigade reserve. I never did know where the battalion was that -we were relieving. A and B Cos., however, were to hold the crest of -a slight swell of the ground about 300 meters south of the village. -Trenches there were none; but there were plenty of shell holes, and the -company was posted so as to command the terrain in front with Chauchat -and rifle fire; two or three men to a shell hole. The 4th platoon found -a little stretch of trench which they improved for themselves. A Co. -was on our left; C and D Cos. were posted about 700 meters to our right -rear, behind Regt’l Hdq. - -We had gotten pretty well settled, when just before dawn a battalion -runner came up, with the cry that haunted me day and night, “Commanding -Officer, B Co.” Hard on his heels came the Major. Two companies of the -2nd battalion had lost their way and were temporarily missing, and B -Co. was to go up and hold the line of resistance at once. - -So B Co. was routed out of its bivvies, and donned packs and -ammunition, and set off in double file. I was to report to the C. O. of -the 61st Inf. front line battalion at Vieville. - -We hiked down to the road, and up to where the houses began; then -through a spacious barn, climbing over a dead horse, and arriving -finally at the northern outskirts of the town. Not finding the Bn. Hdq. -I had the company take what cover they could in the road and barn while -the Major and I strolled up to the top of the hill beyond to have a -look ’round. - -Near the top of this long hill were two German concrete pillboxes, -nicely turfed over. We found one of these occupied as a first aid post; -in the other we found a machine gun company hdq. Nobody knew any dope -about where we were wanted, but they said that Bn. Hdq. was about a -kilo away to the right. - -Just then Heinie started his morning strafe of Vieville-en-Haye. Three -or four whiz bangs came hurtling over our heads, and landed in the east -end of the village, right where B Co. was lying. I saw no necessity of -our doing a Casabianca, and hastily obtained permission from the Major -to take B Co. back to its former position until we knew where to go. As -I shuffled down the hill, hitting the dirt now and then when one landed -close by, I chanced to look back just in time to see a shell hit the -first aid pillbox and pivot it neatly around, so that the door faced -us instead of the enemy. It didn’t take long to start B Co. toward our -bivvies, very much disgusted with the morning’s work, but glad to stop -playing target for a while. Fortunately, no one was hit. - -The 2nd Battalion located its wandering sheep later in the day, so we -were not called on for that errand again. - -The regiment’s task was now to organize and strengthen our sector of -the line. The main line of resistance, as indicated on the map, was -being held and dug in by three Cos. of the 2nd Battalion, H Co. holding -the outpost line about two kilos in advance. - -Our kitchens were established in the woods behind Regt’l Hdq., and -started work on the old standby, slum. The rough roads leading into -these woods were all ankle deep in mud, and the ration detail wasn’t -any bed of roses. - -The day we spent in deepening our bivvies as best we could, though our -intrenching tools made little impression on the hard and stony ground. -Whoever salvaged a man-sized pick or shovel was lucky. While it was -light, we kept down under cover as much as possible, for the German -observation balloons were peeping sinisterly over the horizon, and we -didn’t care about drawing attention to our position. - -On Wednesday, September 18th, at about 1 P. M., A and B Cos. received -orders to report to the Engineer Dump at 368.3-240.3, as a working -party. Several enemy observation balloons were up, and it was a clear -afternoon; but orders were orders, and off we filed. - -At the dump we met an Engineer Lieutenant--very stout, very bullheaded -and very incompetent. I asked where we were to work, and he replied he -didn’t know--over there somewhere--pointing in the general direction of -Germany. Having had enough of that sort of business in the morning, I -told him to toddle right off and find out where he was to take us. He -got quite huffy at this, but finally set out, and returned with some -definite information. We drew picks and shovels, and hiked away after -him; I being forced to hurt his importance again by refusing to march -the company along in single file on the sky line. - -Our task was to dig a communication trench, already taped out, from -the point where the line of resistance entered the Bois Gerard back -over the brow of the hill. The first platoon was in plain view of the -enemy’s observation balloon, the other three were just behind the rise. - -We posted sentinels, and set to work, absolutely out in the open, no -cover save a few shell holes. For ten minutes we dug. Then it came. A -whistle, scream and slam, just over the hill; another; then a fierce, -deadly whir, right in our ears. We hit the dirt, and a second later Lt. -Dunn called to me “Captain, there’s a man killed here and I don’t know -how many wounded.” - -For an instant of horror the company gazed at the spot. I sent Sgt. -Hill to the first aid pillbox for stretchers, put the others to work -again, and hastened up to see the situation. The shell had landed just -between the 1st and 2nd platoons. Lt. Schuyler was already having the -wounded carried into the edge of the woods near by, and had the rest -of the 1st platoon take cover there. Poor O’Hara was lying dead right -by the shell hole. It had burst nearly underneath him, and a fragment -of shell had torn its way through his temple and right out through his -steel helmet. His brains were oozing out through the hole. - -Seeing that nothing could be done for him, I went over to the woods. -Lester Farry, our mechanic, as fine a man as ever walked, was sitting -up between Lt. Schuyler and Sgt. Reid, with a big hole in the side of -his head. He never uttered a word of complaint; just sat still while -they bandaged it; and the stretchers came up and took him off. He died -in hospital six days later. - -Curcio had a great hole in the upper part of his leg. Donohue had an -ugly bit of shell in his back, and Bogucki, Fielding, and Hauber were -wounded, but less seriously. - -This was a nasty introduction to shell fire, because the whole company -saw the thing happen. Their behaviour, however, was excellent. Doggedly -the men continued at the work, and soon we had enough cover to at least -be in while the shells burst near by. - -Our gallant friend, the Engineer Lieutenant, had promptly vanished, and -I never saw him again. I withdrew the first and second platoons behind -the hill, and we kept on the job until 6 P. M., as ordered. At about -5:30, A Co. came along over the hill, and the Heinies sped them on -their way with a few gas shells, which made them scamper. - -As we turned in our shovels at the dump, every man mustered up a grin -as he passed by; and though it had been one hell of a party, the old -morale was still on deck. - -On the top of the knoll where our position was, the Germans had had an -anti-aircraft gun, gaudily camouflaged. Some cooks from an artillery -outfit had found a lot of ammunition belonging to it, and, dragging -it into Vieville, had amused themselves during the day by shooting -Fritz’s own H. E. in his general direction. This apparently annoyed -Fritz; and just as I got back to our bivvies at the tail of B Co., two -ash cans--whoppers--arrived at the gun’s former position, right in the -midst of A Co. Our comrades promptly departed to the woods until the -next morning. - -The cooks sent up a good chow--steaks and coffee--and we got to sleep -in our holes as best we could. - -The next day--Thursday, September 19th--was rainy. We dug our shelters -a little deeper, and wished this war thing were over. I found a German -translation of one of De Maupassant’s novels, which I read through, but -for the life of me I can’t remember a bit of the story. - -In the afternoon the chaplain, Lt. Cressman, came around, and O’Hara’s -platoon was allowed to attend his burial service in the little cemetery -in the edge of the Bois St. Claude, east of Vieville. - -In the meantime I had been called to Btn. Hdq., where Mr. Morse, our -faithful old “Y” man, had brought up some chocolate and cigarettes. He -was supposed by the regulations of the “Y” to sell them, but he refused -to take any money from the Co. Cmdrs. at first, intending to account -for them out of his own small pay. When we understood this, we insisted -on paying for the stuff out of the company funds. The news got out -that the “Y” was charging for chocolate and tobacco, and caused some -bitterness, under the circumstances. But thereafter Mr. Morse made some -arrangement whereby the stuff was issued free. - -As for Mr. Morse himself, I think we should here express something of -our appreciation of his faithful and unselfish devotion to the men -of the battalion. A man well past the prime of life, he shared our -hardships, hiked with us--not sticking like grim death to a Ford as -some of his confreres were prone to do--; slept in mud and rain with -us. Right under shell fire he would come plugging on up with his little -bag of smokes and chocolate. The Red Cross, the Salvation Army, were -only names to us. But the “Y,” which we cussed out so frequently, -surely did us proud when they gave us Mr. Morse. - -That night the 1st, 3rd and 4th platoons went out as separate working -parties. Apparently the deaths of O’Hara and Farry had demonstrated -even to our friends the Engineers that sporting about in sight of Hun -balloons in the daytime was magnificent, but not war. - -The Boche had the range, though, and shelled the area all night. The -1st platoon ran on an average schedule of dig two minutes and duck -five. The 3rd was in no better case, and Barney O’Rourke got an ugly -little piece of shell through his foot. He hobbled off between Hill -and Weber, adjuring me as he left “Don’t let th’ byes get up too soon -afther they bor-r-rst, sor-r-r.” And thereafter we didn’t. - -Rifle bullets were cracking by over our heads now and then, and the -rumor got about that snipers were concealed in the nearby woods. The -whole sector had of course been in German hands five days before, and -all sorts of tales were current about death traps found in dugouts, and -lurking snipers, lying close in the daytime in cunning shelters, well -provisioned, who came out at night to pot a few of us and eventually -escape by underground passages. - -Most of these tales I recognized as old friends originally met with -in the Sat. Eve. Post. But digging was quite unpleasant enough as it -was, and the source of the impression was not so important as the fact -that it existed. So Osterweis, Woolley and I went forth to bag the -franctireurs. We waded through a vast deal of mud, but couldn’t flush -anything except a disgusted runner looking for Brigade Hdq.; so I sent -the corporals back, and set out myself for the 4th platoon, which was -stringing wire over on the left of the sector. - -On the way I stumbled over the body of a 5th Division soldier. He had -a red runner’s brassard on his arm, and was all ticketed for burial. -His face seemed to be in shadow. There was a plug of chewing tobacco -sticking out of his pocket and this seemed to be in the shadow too. -Then I realized that his face had turned black--it was just the color -of that plug of tobacco. The vicious shriek of a shell approached, -and I hit the dirt. A bit of the shell hit the dead man by me, and he -jumped as if alive. I got up and was on my way. - -The majority of the 4th platoon had taken individual leases on shell -holes; Sgt. Rogers and a few others were making valiant efforts to make -some headway with the wire. The shelling quieted down after awhile, -however, and we got down to business. Then I started back to see how -the others were faring. - -On the way I heard Capt. Fleischmann’s voice from the darkness; his -men also were worried about the stray bullets overhead. As I came up, -a couple of his sentinels thought they had spotted the snipers, and -cracked down on some figures moving past a clump of bushes to their -left. A few remarks in choice American made it clear that they were -potting away at my 3rd platoon, which had decided that it was time to -quit for the night. Privately I was heartily in sympathy with this -view; but officially I had to lead the way back to the trench and -set the boys to work again. Meanwhile the C. O. of the 4th platoon, -laboring under a similar delusion, had taken his wiring party back to -their bivvies. Sgt. Rogers, Slim Price and one or two others were still -on deck, very much disgusted. So we had a good long trudge back, routed -the lads out, and all hands returned to the hill. - -At last 3 o’clock came, and we turned in tools and quit for the night. -As Rogers, Hayden and I were crossing the belt of wire north of the -Vieville road, four or five gas shells landed quite near by. We all got -a pretty good snootful before we got our masks on; and Rogers, the Co. -gas N. C. O., was so busy cussing the wire that he didn’t notice the -gas soon enough, and got enough to put him in the hospital. - -My shell hole looked pretty luxurious to me; Chiaradio had swiped a -piece of corrugated iron for a roof, and it wasn’t as wet as it might -have been. I was glad to crawl in between him and Robbins and go to -sleep. - -At about 9 A. M. Heinie set to work to blow us out. His range was fifty -meters short, fortunately, and he shelled away on a line between us and -Vieville with characteristic diligence and thoroughness. The flying -fragments made promenading unhealthy. Lt. Schuyler came over to my -bivvy with a rumor that the Austrians had quit. Two minutes after he -left, a long jagged piece came whistling along and half buried itself -just where he had been sitting, and six inches above my foot. Cheery-O -used it to hang his mess kit on thereafter. - -That night we only furnished two small working parties, and the rest of -us had a cushy sleep. - -On Friday, the 20th, the Co. Cmdrs. were assembled at Bn. Hdq., and -were told that we were to relieve the 2nd Battalion on the night of the -21st. That afternoon we went up to reconnoiter the position we were to -take over. The guides took us up past the Engineer dump, through the -woods to the 2nd Bn. Hdq. Here we found Major Adee and his staff taking -advantage of a quiet hour to have lunch above ground. They were using a -couple of German dugouts as headquarters--very good ones, about 20 feet -under ground and well timbered. - -Major Adee seemed to have aged twenty years. His face was lined and -haggard with care and responsibility. His runner had been killed at the -entrance to the dugout that morning by a shell. - -Fleischmann and I with two runners apiece, our officers and top -sergeants, were furnished with a guide to take us to the outpost line. -B and D Cos. were to relieve H Co.; A and C were to hold the line of -resistance. - -It was a long two kilos up to the outpost line, especially as we had -to keep under cover of the woods all the way. We crossed and recrossed -one of the little narrow gauge railways that the Germans had running -everywhere. My right ankle, which I had broken the previous fall -playing football at Camp Dix, had a touch of rheumatism, and the -nagging pain from it made a background for all the rest of my time in -the line. Even now when I think about the Limey sector, the old ankle -comes through with a reminiscent twinge. I suppose each of you had -some corresponding petty aggravation which worried you absurdly out of -proportion to its intrinsic importance. - -We toiled up the little wooded hill at the edge of the Bois Hanido, and -passed a gun pit, the ground around strewn with German arms, equipment, -and clothing, and several dead Germans lying about. Just on the other -side of the hill was a German rest camp, with several bunk houses, a -movie theatre, and a little open air Catholic chapel, with a wooden -cross. - -At the bottom of the hill we came to the narrow gauge railway again, -followed it up a little way, and then turned down one of the straight -paths that the Boche cut through the woods, barring all other -approaches with barbed wire, and commanding these with machine guns. It -was a good stunt, too, as we found out later. After you’ve struggled in -barbed wire for a while you’ll take a chance on machine gun bullets to -get on a path. - -It was not far to H Co.’s headquarters. There we found Capt. Ressiguie, -commanding the company--a most cool-headed, courageous and efficient -officer. Lt. Col. Budd was also there, inspecting the outpost. The -company headquarters was a shelter half stretched over a two foot -ditch. Earlier in the afternoon, the left flank platoon had had a -skirmish with an enemy machine gun patrol, losing two men killed and -a couple wounded, including Lt. Stern. We made our reconnaissance and -started back, arriving at our own Bn. Hdq. by nightfall. There we were -issued battle maps of the sector and the relief order, which makes the -arrangements down to the last detail on paper. - -Two platoons went out as working parties that night, and got off with -comparatively little shelling. The next morning Capt. Fleischmann and I -were issued an assortment of pyrotechnic signals--rockets, Very lights, -etc.,--with lengthy directions as to their use. - -In the afternoon a division order postponed the relief for twenty-four -hours. Working parties had been called off on account of the relief, -and we all got a night off. - -As soon as dusk fell on Sunday, September 22nd, the platoons were -assembled under full equipment, and we started. The guides didn’t -appear, and it was fortunate we had been up before. Several times I -thought I had lost my way, and was leading the two companies into -the German lines. Trying to keep in touch with the man ahead while -blundering through those woods, laden down with rifle and equipment, -tripping over logs, roots and barbed wire, slipping in the mud; -occasional shells bursting to remind us that any noise would be -disastrous, and, of course, a nice rain falling--I’ve been on lots of -pleasanter walks. - -At last we came to the old German rest camp, and I knew where we were. -Soon we met Capt. Ressiguie, and the sgt. commanding his left platoon -took us in tow. - -The first and third platoons furnished the line of outguards, along -the line 368.8-242.4: 368.3-242.8; the first platoon on the right. The -second and fourth platoons were the support, and were to organize a -strong point at the north of the little strip of woods at 368.1-242.5. -Co. Hdq. was established at 368.6-242.4, just off the path through the -woods. - -Only a small part of our sector had been held by H Co., and we had to -dig our own bivvies. Our intrenching tools made little headway in the -rocky ground, laced with tree roots; and even those who found German -picks and shovels made little better progress. The support was somewhat -better off, as they had one or two good dugouts and gun pits. - -By the time all the dispositions were made and inspected it was -beginning to get light. There was plenty of German clothing and -equipment lying around, and in ten minutes you could have collected -enough souvenirs to satisfy even a Paris Q. M. sergeant. The heavy -fleeceskin German coats came in especially handy, and the other stuff -was good to line our bivvies, though it was soaking wet and smelt most -damnably. Hun machine gun ammunition in long canvas belts was scattered -around in abundance; and down in the corner of the field on our left -was an abandoned field kitchen. - -Raymond Harris and a couple of battalion runners were running a field -telephone up from B. H. Q. to the Co. Hdq. We had crawled into our -holes for some sleep, when about 1 P. M. a nasty, shrill little whir -like a giant mosquito heralded the arrival of a small one-pounder shell -about a hundred meters down the line. It was repeated rapidly, dropping -shells right along that path which ran parallel to the outpost line at -about twenty-five yard intervals. And to our dismay, we realized that -the shells were coming from behind us. - -Cheery-O had carefully cleaned and oiled his rifle and leaned it up -against a sapling at the edge of our hole. The vicious whir came again -directly at us, and, as our muscles grew taut against the shock of the -explosion, the butt of the rifle suddenly vanished. A moment later -Cheery-O scrambled out and returned with a rueful face, bearing his -precious rifle, bent neatly at the breech into a right angle. - -Just then one of the battalion runners came up, with a bleeding hand, -saying that his mate had just been killed down the path. I took the -two first aid men attached to the company and we went down and found -Harris, my own runner, lying by the coil of telephone wire he had been -laying, with a great hole in the side of his head--a horrible thing to -look at. - -I stopped only long enough to see a dressing applied and a stretcher -brought, and then hastened down the path to D Cos. headquarters, where -a phone had been installed. I found Fleischmann shooting off all the -fireworks that would go off--about one in ten--and his first sergeant -grinding the bell handle of the field phone like mad. To make things -pleasanter, our artillery dropped a couple of shells neatly among our -outguards. We sent back runners to B. H. Q., and the shells stopped. - -We never found out who was responsible for that one-pounder. Our own -was far in the rear, and the outfits on either side--the 90th Division -on the right, the 312th Inf. on the left--disclaimed any knowledge of -it. So headquarters solved the problem, as usual, by telling us we were -green at this game and didn’t know what we were talking about. - -It seemed so pitifully unnecessary about Harris. He was such a -handsome, bright, intelligent and cheery little chap, a favorite with -all the company; and we carried him off with half his face torn away, -moaning and unconscious. I never dreamed he could live. But somehow -they pulled him through and I have just had a card from him today, from -Walter Reed Hospital, where he is yet. - -The nearest first aid post was at Bn. Hdq., and we had to carry all our -wounded back those two long kilometers through the woods, with only -the rough dressings that we could apply on the spot. For our rations -we had to go back another two kilos, to Rgt’l Hdq., making four kilos -each way, nearly all the way through woods and under shell fire. The -continual wetness, exposure and loss of sleep made us easy prey to -dysentery, and this weakened us a great deal. Under these conditions, -to have to carry a stretcher or a can of stew several kilos in the dark -was--well, it was just hell. I think the ration parties had the worst -job, though their loads were not so heavy as the stretcher bearers’ -were. The latter were held up by sympathy for the poor devil on the -stretcher. There isn’t much inspiration in a can of slum or a bag of -bread. - -Joe Levy had charge of the ration parties, and a thankless job it was. -The Major arranged to have the chow brought as far as the line of -resistance in a limber; but when shells were banging about--which was -pretty generally the case--either the limber didn’t get up that far, -or the chow was dumped down and abandoned. Worst of all, we only had -enough thermos cans to carry one ration for the company; so the ration -detail had to go back, get the chow, bring it up and distribute it, -collect the cans, lug them back to the kitchens, and then return to -the outpost line. It did seem absolutely inexcusable that this had to -be done, all for lack of a few cans. It cost us several unnecessary -losses in killed and wounded, and after all had done their turn at this -detail, weakened from diarrhoea and exposure as we were, it made us -very low physically. - -The night of the 23rd passed comparatively quietly for the outpost -line, though the line of resistance was well bucketed, and the ration -party had a hard time. Shells landing near the kitchen transformed -several thermos cans into sieves, and made the shortage worse than -ever. Besides, Regt’l Hdq. decided that the kitchens were attracting -enemy shell fire in their direction, and ordered them moved another -kilo back, to the brigade reserve. - -Our orders were to do no patrolling in front of the line of outguards, -as this was to be done by the battalion scouts under Lt. Drake. I -believe this was a mistake, and if I had it to do over again I should -send out patrols every night. It makes all the difference in one’s -confidence and peace of mind, and no information can equal that gained -at first hand. - -At about 3 P. M. on the 24th, as I was dozing in our bivvy, Lt. -Col. Budd’s face peeped in. He and a Major from Division Hdq. were -inspecting the outpost line. I was glad to see someone higher up than -myself dodging shells. It might have been wrong in theory for him to be -up there, but I surely appreciated it. I did the honors for our sector, -asked for more thermos cans, and got a couple of cigars from the Lt. -Colonel. He brought the news that the 90th Division on our right was -pulling off a battalion raid that night, covered by a barrage, and to -lie close. - -About three times a day I would go down to chew the rag and swap dope -with Capt. Fleischmann. It was funny that I nearly always met him on -the way, coming over to do the same with me. The idea always struck us -at the same moment. Somehow it seemed to help share the responsibility, -and cheered us up a lot. - -The barrage started about 11 P. M. The Boche replied with a counter -barrage, and he had a very fair range on our outpost line. In five -minutes the shells were ripping the tops off the trees all around, and -the air grew acrid from the bursting lyddite. He was just about 50 -meters too high, and it was his shorts that did the damage to us. - -In about fifteen minutes, when the din was at its height, Cole, a -runner from the 3rd platoon, came up, out of breath and shaken. A shell -had hit directly on platoon hdq.; Lt. Merrill and Sgt. Hill were both -wounded, and several men killed. - -I left Sgt. Robbins in charge at Co. Hdq., and with Cole, Winemiller, -Chiaradio and our two medical detachment men went out to see the -situation. - -We pushed through the thick underbrush to the shallow hole that Merrill -was occupying. It was raining a little; the only light came from the -flashes of the bursting shells and the guns on the horizon. Merrill -and Hill had been lying in their bivvy, with the other platoon runner, -Laurencell, sitting on their feet. A shell had hit Laurencell right at -the shoulders, carrying all his head, neck and shoulders and arms away. -His bleeding trunk and legs, an awful corpse, was lying across Hill and -Merrill, who were both badly wounded in the feet and legs, and could -not remove the body. - -We took up poor Laurencell’s remains and laid them to one side, and -then got Merrill on a stretcher, and Cheery-O and Cole carried him off. -Sgt. Hill’s feet, however, were so mangled and mixed up with the bottom -of the hole that our attempts to raise him out of it caused him intense -agony. He said, “Captain, there’s a German razor in my coat pocket. -Please cut my foot off, and then I can stand it.” - -I couldn’t see, but I could feel with my hands that this was about the -only way to extricate him. So I took the razor, and cut away his shoe -and the mangled part of his foot, which was all mixed up with a German -overcoat they had been lying on. Then we were able to lift him on to -the stretcher; but he wouldn’t be carried away until we took all his -cigarettes out of his pocket and gave them to him. - -Then I went down toward the line of outguards. When I got out on the -road by the German kitchen, I was challenged by Cpl. McGarrity. It did -my heart good to hear his stern, cool voice coming out of that night -of blackness and horror. He reported that several men in the outguards -were killed and wounded, and that he and Corp. Welsh were arranging -for the wounded. Sgt. Schelter had gone to Co. Hdq. for stretchers, -and hadn’t been heard of since. We never saw him again. His body was -found in the woods several hundred meters away several days later; he -evidently lost his way, and while wandering about in search of Co. Hdq. -was killed by shell fire. - -Welsh and McGarrity took hold of the situation like veterans. -I designated them first and second in command of the platoon, -respectively, and told them they would be relieved before morning. - -On returning to Co. Hdq. I found the wounded beginning to stream in. -Nearly all were from the 3rd platoon; the 1st platoon, strangely, -suffered very little. All the Co. runners and buglers were soon -carrying stretchers, and I again left Sgt. Robbins in charge while I -went over to the support to see to bringing up more stretcher bearers -and relief for the 3rd platoon. - -That walk across the fields to the support’s position was certainly a -thriller. As I came out of the woods and started across the open, the -shells were going just overhead and bursting in the field to my left, -along a line about 50 meters away. After I doped this out it was easy -enough to plan my route so as to avoid them. - -I found the platoon commanders and their sergeants in their -dugout--quite luxurious it looked, lighted with a candle and -comparatively dry. They thought I was wounded, as my hands, arms, -trousers and gas mask were all spotted and spattered with blood. I -ordered a detail from the 2nd platoon to report to me at once for -ration and stretcher carrying parties, and the 4th platoon to report as -soon as the barrage lifted to relieve the 3rd on the line of outguards. -As soon as the carrying parties were ready, I started back with them. - -Sgt. Levy was placed in charge of the carrying parties, and they -were soon on their way. The men knew nothing of the country; it -was pitchy black, the shelling was still heavy, and they were wet, -weak and miserable. It was very hard to make orders understood, and -everything was wrong at once. Besides, there was the possibility of a -counter-attack or raid by the Boche. - -In about half an hour the shelling died down and the 4th platoon came -up. When they were posted, while inspecting the outguards, I stumbled -over a body. As I could not see the face, I cut off the front of his -gas mask pouch where the name of the owner was printed. Next morning I -saw it was Kindt, of the 3rd platoon. He had been killed instantly by a -small piece of shell through the heart. - -As I got back to Co. Hdq. it was getting light. I crawled into our -hole, which had a shelter half over it, and lit my pipe--the old black -briar I have in my face now as I write. Before I had taken three puffs -I fell off to sleep. A few minutes later Sgt. Robbins woke me with the -news that the ration detail had returned. I had been breathing through -my pipe which made me very sick and dizzy for awhile. - -It was too light then to get the rations out to the outguards. The -ration detail was lying about on the ground, dead beat, among the pots -and cans. Sgt. Wilson and his cooks had worked all the day before to -make up a good chow, and Wilson had come up with it himself, though -that was no part of his duty. It almost broke his heart to be too late. -I tried to eat some, but everything tasted like blood. - -Someone in the rear--not Sgt. Wilson--had the idea that we needed -coffee worse than water and so while we had plenty of strong, thick, -cold black coffee, we only had water that was left in our canteens. Our -upset stomachs refused the coffee; I used mine to wash the blood off my -hands and wrists. Robbins shaved in his. - -Just then Capt. Fleischmann came striding along the path. He greeted -me with “Hello Daddy. Isn’t this awful?” D Co. had suffered even worse -than we, and they had not enough men to carry in the wounded, though -they had stripped the outguards as much as they dared. He asked me for -men to carry in four wounded that were still at his Co. Hdq. - -I looked at the men lying on the ground asleep--the only ones -available. They had been carrying all that awful night under the heavy -shell fire, and I had not the heart to order them to make the trip -again. But I woke them up and told them that D Co. had some men lying -wounded, and asked for volunteers to take them in. - -They stared dully for a moment, too tired to understand. Then Joe Levy, -who had been on the go all night, dragged himself to his feet, and said -“Hell, I’ll go. Come on, fellows.” Nobody wanted to go, and nobody -pretended to. But they went. It was one of the finest things I ever -saw, and every man that went should have had a D. S. C. No excitement -to it though; nothing to thrill the penny-a-liners, so they didn’t get -it. - -When night fell, a detail went out to bring in the bodies of Weidman, -Kindt and Laurencell. Cpl. Weidman had been hit right in the waist by -a shell; his legs were lying several yards away from his body. It was -a gruesome task bringing him and Laurencell in. We laid the bodies, -covered with a blanket, near the graves of two H Co. men who had -been killed, just off the path at the place when it crossed the good -road--about point 368.8-242.3. - -The night passed comparatively quietly; we got the rations issued, and -some water came up too late. Holly, one of the company runners, had -twisted his knee badly, and could not walk; so Cole was made runner in -his place; and a faithful, fearless lad he was, too. - -Wednesday, September 25th, dawned a bright fall day. About 10 A. M. -Lt. Cressman, the regimental chaplain, came up. Winemiller, Cole, -Cheery-O, and Slover went with us to bury our three comrades. We turned -over their personal belongings to the chaplain, wrapped each poor -mangled body in a blanket, and laid them side by side in the shallow -graves--the best we had been able to dig. The chaplain read the burial -service, while an occasional shell tore through the air far overhead. -Then we filled in the graves. It was hard on our over-strained nerves, -and when we got through most of us were crying more or less. We hadn’t -as yet seen so much as one of the enemy to shoot at; it was all such a -hopeless, dreadful, ghastly business. Winemiller and Cole made three -little crosses and set them up at the head of the graves. - -At 2:30 P. M. a message came up for Capt. Fleischmann and myself to -report at once to Btn. Hdq. We set out together wondering what was up; -leaving Lts. Hultzen and Schuyler in command. - -We reported to Major Odom, who was studying his battle map by the -light of a couple of candles. Louis Foulkes greeted us on the side and -slipped me a couple of cigars. - -After a few minutes, the Major took out his Bull Durham and started -rolling a cigarette, saying: - -“I have a little problem for your companies to do tomorrow morning,” -quite as he had been saying any afternoon for the past year. Then he -went on to explain. - -The great Argonne drive was to begin the next morning. It was to be -a surprise attack, preceded by only a couple of hours’ artillery -preparation. We were to make a demonstration, a sham attack, with the -object of keeping the enemy guessing for a few hours as to where the -real blow was to fall, and so to delay his concentration of troops to -meet the main drive. - -The 312th Inf. on our left, and the 90th Div. on our right, were -to advance several kilos. We were to advance about half a kilo, to -approximately the line 368.3-243.4; 369.5-242.3. This line we were -to hold, and the units on our flanks were gradually to fall back and -re-establish the outpost line on us as a guide. We would have no -barrage, but there would be an hour of concentration fire--that is, -our artillery would shell points in the sector of the advance like -crossroads, probable strong points, battery positions, etc. - -Zero hour was 5:30 A. M. At that moment we were to cut loose with all -our small arms fire. The battalion scouts had reported that there were -no Germans for 500 meters to the front, but this Fourth of July stuff -was to get the enemy’s wind up. - -The arrangements for supplies and liaison were soon made. We had had no -chance to use any ammunition, and about all we asked for was water and -food. - -Foulkes said that orders had arrived at Regtl. Hdq. detailing me to -report to the Army School of the Line at Langres on Oct. 1st. I thought -of the men we had buried that morning, and reflected grimly that I -should probably not matriculate. - -When the Major finished his instructions, we sat quiet for a moment. -Then Fleischmann said “Well, come on, Daddy; we’ve got a lot to do -before dark,” and we set out. - -As we climbed Dead Man’s Hill, the Boche balloon saw us, and they -amused themselves by sniping at us with a couple of 88’s. We kept -about 20 yards apart, so that if one was potted the other could see to -the attack. It was rather like playing “Going to Jerusalem.” We would -linger by a good shell hole and then hustle for the next one; and of -course the shells would always catch us between two holes, and we would -have to flop into some six inch puddle. - -On arriving at Co. Hdq. I sent for the platoon commanders and -sergeants. Welch and McGarrity were left in command of the 3rd platoon; -I had perfect confidence in their ability to handle it after their -showing two nights before. - -I knew that the moment we opened fire the German barrage would drop. -If he hadn’t shortened his range since Monday night we would have it -behind us. If he had, we would have to go through it anyhow, and the -sooner the better. - -B Co. was attacking over a full kilometer front, which in a regular -supported attack would be the sector for at least a battalion. If we -met any serious opposition, we could not hope to push through to our -objective on this frontage. I therefore made my main objective the edge -of the open field along the line 369.0-243.0 to 368.6-243.2. This line -was along the top of a rather steep reverse slope, which would give us -protection from frontal fire, and from this as a base we could throw -out combat patrols to the flanks, and eventually get in touch with the -units on either side. - -The company was to advance with the 1st, 4th and 2nd platoons in the -first wave, in above order from right to left; all in line of combat -groups. The 3rd platoon was to follow at 50 meters, and would act -as support and mopping up party. All would jump off from the line -of outguards, so that all would get clear of the enemy’s barrage as -quickly as possible. The 1st Plt. already had a common post with D Co., -which was to move down the road on our right flank as a combat patrol. -Our left flank post was to arrange with the visiting patrol of the -312th Inf. to advance similarly along the left flank of our sector. - -By the time these orders were issued and the ground reconnoitered, -it was nearly dark. Our rations were to be brought up that night by -details from the rear; but they lost their way--or their ambition--and -the chow never got beyond the foot of Dead Man’s Hill. - -About midnight Capt. Fleischmann came over for a last consultation, and -we explained our plans to each other. Then we shook hands hard, wished -each other “Cheery-O” after the manner of the Scotties; and the night -closed behind his tall figure as he strode off down the path. - -Various details of the arrangements kept me busy until the 2nd and 3rd -platoons came up at 5 A. M. to take their posts for the attack. Things -were comparatively quiet; only the usual shells going overhead. There -was just time to see the platoons properly disposed and to get my -headquarters platoon into position between the 1st and 4th platoons. -Then I watched my wrist watch tick off the last five minutes, as the -first tinge of dawn crept into the sky on our right. I ran everything -over in my mind hastily, to be sure nothing was forgotten. And then the -minute hand pointed the half hour. - -Nothing happened. - -The seconds ticked away. I listened and listened for ages--twenty -seconds by the watch--and nothing happened. - -Finally I heard Schuyler’s voice over to the right, calling cautiously -“Hey, Cap, isn’t it time yet?” - -“Sure it is,” I replied irritably. “Turn ’em loose. It’s after the time -now.” - -The words were not out of my mouth before his rifle cracked and his -voice rang out “First platoon, Fire.” - -The shots began to ring out, singly, then a rattle as the other -platoons took it up, each man firing a clip; then the rackety-split of -the Chauchats. An instant’s lull as we reloaded, and then the command -was “Forward!” - -Then Hell broke loose. - -The Germans had shortened their range. Their barrage dropped right on -us. The company runners were behind me in single file, Slover at the -rear. A shell burst behind us, killing him in his tracks before he -took a step. We knew nothing of it at the time. We pushed across the -field to our front, a field studded with stumps and full of underbrush. -Shells were bursting all around; the air filled as if by magic with the -stifling acrid smoke of high explosive. Several times the concussion of -a close one nearly knocked me off my feet, and the fumes blew against -my face like the blast from a furnace door. I wondered vaguely when -I’d get it, and shouted “Come on, B Company,” until I was hoarse. -Occasionally I heard Schuyler cheering on his men. You couldn’t see ten -feet for the smoke. - -At the far edge of the field we ran into a broad belt of barbed wire. -We spread out, looking for a passage. Joe Levy called “Here’s a place, -Captain,” and we struggled through; I was dragging a long French VB -rifle after me. The wire was about 20 feet across. - -We found ourselves at the bottom of a wooded slope, on a rough wagon -track. Lt. Schuyler, with Sgt. Reid and a couple of men, had gotten -through further along, and we started up the hill, sheltered somewhat -from the shells, though they were bursting in the treetops overhead. - -I dumped my pack and V. B. rifle by a tree and christened the place -company headquarters. Then we went on up the hill. I got out my map and -pencil to be sure this was our objective. - -It was quite light now; a beautiful September morning. Schuyler and I -gained the top of the ridge together. The woods ended there, giving -way to a little open plateau, about 250 meters across, with woods on -the other side again. I verified the position on my map, and ordered -Schuyler to post his men along the ridge under cover of the trees and -underbrush, while I did the same further to the left, where men from -the 4th platoon were coming up the slope in groups of two and three as -they got through the wire. - -I had not gone twenty paces when Sgt. Reid came running after me and -said “Lieut. Schuyler’s been hit, Captain.” I answered mechanically -“All right; bring him behind the ridge, take charge of the platoon and -post the men as they come up.” - -Rifle bullets were beginning to snap overhead, coming apparently from -the woods across the field, which was held in some force by the enemy, -as we soon realized. Our only chance of meeting a counter-attack was to -build up a firing line to sweep the plateau in front, and as fast as -men from the 4th platoon came up I posted them to command our front and -left flank. - -Slim Price, in a German’s black fur coat that came about to his hips, -came stalking up the hill with his Chauchat, and disappeared over the -crest, subsiding in a little clump of bushes out on the left of the -plateau. He was telling the world that he was a “fighting ---- of a -----.” A moment later I heard the rattle of his gun as he spotted a -Heinie machine gun squad advancing down the gully on our left. I guess -Slim was right, at that. - -The C. O., 4th Plt., came up by this time. He was badly shaken, but -I put him in charge of the left flank until the 2nd platoon should -arrive, and went back to the right. - -They had brought Lt. Schuyler a little way down the slope, and laid -him down until a stretcher came up. A shell had burst right beside -him, between him and Reid. He was still breathing, but very heavily, -and was quite unconscious; his eyes were nearly closed. I bound up his -head as best I could with his first aid packet, but my heart sank--the -concussion had been near the base of the skull. Oddly enough, he was -not at all disfigured; but it had been a terrible blow, and only his -magnificent vitality was keeping him breathing. That was a bitter -moment, with my best officer and best friend in the outfit dying, the -company shattered; and not a German had I seen. - -Sgt. Levy came up with a couple of stretchers and the news that both -the Medical Detachment men attached to the company were killed. Hoping -against hope I had him put Roy on the first stretcher, and they bore -him away to the rear, though the shells were still bursting behind us. -It was no use; that gallant spirit breathed its last before they had -gone a kilometer. The bearers wanted to take him on to the surgeon -anyhow, but there were many others desperately wounded, and stretchers -were pitifully few. - -In the meantime I had sent out patrols to the flanks to try and get in -touch with D Co. and the 312th Inf. A patrol of 6 men from D Co. came -in on our right, but they were separated from their outfit and didn’t -know what had happened. Brisk machine gun firing to our right rear made -us fear things were not going well there. - -On our left, a party of the Boche under an officer had advanced down -the ravine toward the end of our ridge, and had driven in our advanced -riflemen; but had been checked, largely by the doughty Price from his -clump of bushes. Three runners sent to the left to find the 2nd platoon -did not return, and I feared the latter had lost its direction and was -in trouble. - -During a temporary lull, I strolled out to the left, map in hand, and -crossing the ravine started up the next ridge to find them. About a -hundred yards ahead I caught a glimpse of a man walking through the -trees, and thought I recognized one of our runners. I shouted “Hey.” -He turned around. I asked “What platoon are you in?” Then I noticed -how nicely his helmet came down around his neck. He unlimbered a rifle -that looked about eight feet long, and cracked a bullet past my ear. I -reached for my .45, remembered my last target score with that weapon, -and promptly betook myself off to our own ridge. - -There I took a dead man’s rifle and ammunition, and called for -volunteers to go on a combat patrol to find the 2nd platoon. We needed -them badly, for if the enemy got in on our left flank they could -enfilade our ridge and shoot us down at pleasure. - -I took Martocci and four other men--their names I can’t recall, though -their faces stand out sharply in my memory. We advanced up the ridge -on our left in skirmishing order. My Boche friend was waiting for us, -and before we had gone fifty yards he cracked down on us from the woods -above. We answered, firing by ear at the sound of his rifle. It was -blind work; we couldn’t see fifty yards through the woods. - -We worked up to the top of the ridge, and then along it toward the -west. Two of the patrol were missing; lost or killed, I never knew -which. We pushed on cautiously, a few yards at a time, stopping to look -and listen. Now and again the enemy would spot us, and his bullets -would snap past us viciously. The German rifle has a high, whip-like -crack, easily distinguishable from that of our Enfield or Springfield; -but the noise of the bullet passing by is much the same. - -Suddenly I felt a sharp blow on my shoulder; one of the gentlemen had -pinked me neatly. Down the ridge the bushes rustled; all four of us let -drive at the sound. There was a shrill scream, and then silence. One of -us had found a mark. - -This was all very interesting, but my business was to find that 2nd -platoon. My mind was working away industriously at that problem, with -a peculiar detachment. I only remember feeling vaguely annoyed at our -patrol’s unpleasant situation, and did my share of the shooting almost -mechanically. - -Of course, as we found out later, the 312th Inf. outpost made no -advance at all that morning, and our patrol had pushed in behind the -German line of outguards; to our mutual bewilderment and disgust. The -Boche began to fall back through the woods, not stealthily as we were -moving, but clumping and crashing along, and shouting to one another to -know what in donner und blitzen was up. - -We were now well beyond the left of our own regimental sector, and a -long half kilo from the company. The withdrawing outguards of the enemy -were passing all around us. For twenty minutes we played a desperate -game of blind man’s buff with them. Occasionally we would catch a -glimpse of a gray form or a green helmet through the trees, and our -little messengers of death would speed him on his way. Then bullets -would sing over our heads from all directions, and we would hug the -ground until we could push on again, to repeat the performance from -another position. - -Finally I gave up hope of finding the 2nd platoon, and got out my -compass to steer our course back to B Co. Cautiously we stole through -the woods to the southeast. We could still hear the Boche trampling the -bushes all around us. - -Suddenly from the bushes ahead came a challenge, in the mechanical, -drill-book German that means bullets are coming. We hit the dirt, just -as a brisk rapid fire opened on us, cutting the twigs overhead. We -let drive into the bushes in front, firing low. As I slipped a fresh -clip into my magazine, I glanced at Martocci, his olive cheek white -with excitement, but firing quite steadily and coolly from a kneeling -position. - -I signalled “Cease firing.” All was still, except for a trampling -receding off to the right. Warily we circled round the bushes, and came -upon a road--one of those straight German roads, with a 2-inch pipe -line running along the side. - -One of the men crossed, while the rest stood ready to cover him. I -crossed next, with Martocci. As I glanced down the road, I saw two -Germans lying at the side of it, about ten yards away. Nice looking, -fair-haired lads they were. One of them just then stretched out his -hand towards his rifle, which lay beside him. It may have been only a -convulsive movement, but we weren’t taking chances. I put a bullet into -him, squeezing the trigger carefully. He jumped and rolled out into the -middle of the road, where he lay still enough. Then I did the same for -the other, mechanically, with a cold disgust at the whole business. My -mind seemed to stand aloof and watch the proceeding for a moment; then -it went on thinking, planning, weighing carefully our next move. - -After this, the enemy seemed to steer rather clear of us, though we -passed near several other groups. One fellow was shouting for “Emil;” -and I reflected grimly that Emil’s military career was probably -blighted, anyhow. So we came at last to the foot of the ridge again, -and about 200 meters along the road at its foot we found our left -flank post. And there at last we found the 2nd platoon--Lt. Dunn, Sgt. -Sweeney and four men. The rest were lying back in the field where the -barrage had struck them, or were on that long, long trip back to the -first aid post. - -At this time--about 8 A. M.--a German plane appeared, coming at us with -a rush, low over the treetops, almost head on. We could see the aviator -looking over the side of the car. He spotted someone moving, and flew -low along our line, firing his machine gun, but more as a signal than -at us particularly, I think. We cracked away at him, but had no luck. -With superb nerve he flew slowly the length of our line, returned, -and then banked lazily and disappeared toward his own lines. Ten -minutes later shells were bursting about us with devilish precision, -and machine gun squads pushed up on either flank, until stopped by -our Chauchats. They were still somewhat leery of us, though, possibly -suspecting a trap, and the attack was not pressed home. The German -snipers in the woods across the little plateau in front were reinforced -by machine guns, and both sides greeted every shaking bush or exposed -head with a vicious crackle of bullets. - -Corporal Apicelli’s squad, lying out in the advanced posts where they -had been stationed by Schuyler and Reid, were especially exposed, -Apicelli and two other men being killed during the morning. At least -one of the enemy was using dumdum bullets, as I saw one of our men -shot in the hip, and where the bullet came out you could have put your -fist in the hole. - -Levy and Winemiller were set to cutting two lanes in the wire behind -us, so that we would not be hopelessly in a cul-de-sac. - -At about 9 A. M. Lt. Wolcott of D Co. appeared with his platoon, -reduced to some 20 men. He was out of touch with the rest of his -company, and did not know how it had fared. He was posted on our right -flank, and sent out a patrol to get in contact with D Co. - -The firing died down to incessant sniping, and I set about completing -my situation report for the Major, having given up hope for the present -of establishing contact on the flanks. As I was finishing, Lt. Drake -came up with a squad of the battalion scouts, among them the honest -face of our own Sgt. DeGrote. I explained the situation, and gave him -the report to take back. I shall never forget “Ducky’s” eyes, sick with -seeing horrors, as he turned to go. - -As he disappeared, a tall figure came striding along from the -right--Capt. Fleischmann, with dark circles under his eyes, blackened -and stained from head to foot with blood and powder. We greeted each -other as risen from the dead, and compared notes. He had run into the -enemy in force strongly established in concrete pillboxes and machine -gun posts; and while scattered groups of his company had won through to -the company objective, they were unable to hold it without machine guns -against the enemy’s enfilading fire. The remnant had retired to their -old line of outguards, after suffering heavy losses. - -Since I still thought the 312th Inf. might be far out to our left -front, and depending on us to cover their ultimate withdrawal, we -decided that B Co. should hold on where we were, while D Co. would -string scattered Cossack posts along their old line until relief or -further orders came up. - -The morning wore on; still no news from our left flank. I kept on the -move up and down the line, assuming a confidence that I did not feel; -for of course if the enemy advanced in any force we were done for. -Still we had our orders, and there was nothing for it but to put up the -best scrap we could. - -Some things were funny, even then. I remember the company barber, that -sterling son of Italy, after a Boche sniper put a bullet past each -ear. He wriggled back from his unpleasant position on the crest of the -ridge, and retaliated by holding up his rifle at arm’s length over his -head, pointed northeast, and executing rapid fire, pulling the trigger -with his thumb, while he regarded my approach with the complacence -of conscious ingenuity. I think the Boche must have laughed too; for -the branches of a tree across the field began to shake, and a bullet -brought a gray body tumbling down from branch to branch. - -We had some food--hard bread, corned willy and goldfish--but very -little water. It was pitiful to see the wounded, who wouldn’t take -any from the others, because they were going back when the stretcher -bearers got around to them. Levy and his detail worked like Trojans, -but it was a long trip, and every time they returned there was a fresh -batch of wounded to be carried. - -There was one man--I wish I could remember his name, but though every -event stands out clearly in my mind, I cannot remember the names -connected with them. He was sitting with his back against a tree, -wounded by a shell in the legs and stomach. When I asked him if I -could do anything for him, he said “If I could have a little water.” -I gave him my canteen, which had a couple of swallows left in it. He -shook it, and grinned and shook his head. “Not your last, Cap’n.” I -told him that Levy had just brought up a can, and hurried off to the -left, where the firing was getting heavy. When I passed that way again, -the man was dead. And the water was still in my canteen, and he had -screwed the stopper back on; so he must have thought I was lying about -Levy. - -Three o’clock came, and shortly after a platoon from A Co. under Lt. -Bigler came up to reinforce us. They were posted on our left flank to -hold the ravine up which the enemy had been trying to advance and flank -our position. I couldn’t understand why the Germans in front of D Co. -had not come in on our right flank yet. - -At 3:30 a patrol of two officers and six men came up the road on the -left, and as they drew near I recognized Capt. Gray, of the 312th Inf., -who I knew commanded their outpost line. His news was not encouraging. -His company had received no orders to advance; they were still on their -old line to our left rear. We arranged that he should run a line of -Cossack posts along the road up to join us, so that we would have at -least a continuous line of outguards on the brigade front. On the way -over the ridge from his right flank post, his patrol had had several -skirmishes with German outposts or patrols; so the enemy was apparently -venturing back to the positions where our patrol had flushed them -earlier in the day. - -Just after he left--about 5.30--Lt. Col. Budd came up with several men. -I was certainly glad to see him, and even more glad to see Levy with -a can of water, which he doled out, a swallow to each man. Col. Budd -looked over the situation, and decided that we should hold the ridge -until nightfall, when we would be relieved. While he was there, three -German snipers managed to get into a rifle pit on the plateau about a -hundred yards in front of us, and made things very hot on the right -flank. Sgt. Lehy took our last two rifle grenades, and dropped the -second one plumb into the pit, which discouraged those three for the -day. - -Col. Budd departed to arrange for sending up water, ammunition and the -relief. - -At 5:30 the enemy’s artillery started in on us again, sweeping the top -of the ridge with shell and shrapnel, and dropping time shells into -the ravine behind it. For twenty minutes he poured in a heavy barrage, -while we hugged the ground and gripped our rifles. If this meant a -counter-attack in force we were up against it, because our ammunition -was running low; but if we could beat them off once more we might hold -out until night brought the relief. - -But this time the enemy was starting the real thing. He knew the ground -like a book, of course; and I must say that his attack was ably planned -and bravely executed. While his artillery shelled us, machine guns -worked around behind both our flanks. At 5:50 men from D Co’s outguards -came running in and reported that the enemy had advanced in force, -broken their skeleton line, and was coming in on our right flank with -machine guns. Even while they spoke, the “Tap-tap-tap” of the machine -gun broke out on the right to confirm them, and our Chauchats spat back -in answer. - -In those woods, it was merely a question of who could throw enough lead -to keep the other fellow’s head down; and at this game our Chauchats -had the chance of the proverbial snowball. With Sgts. Reid, Lehy, Fahey -and Levy, the right flank, which had been disorganized and driven in -with the D Co. outposts, was re-formed, and a firing line built up at -right angles to our front to face our new foes. The enemy in front was -pouring in a hot fire; we could not encircle the enemy machine guns to -the right because of that belt of wire behind us. Meanwhile those same -machine guns were enfilading our main line along the ridge. - -Our only chance was a frontal attack on them. First we tried a -series of rushes. I realized then exactly what was meant by “fire -superiority,” and the enemy certainly had it. One Chauchat ran out of -ammunition. The other was in Cocker’s hands, and he used it well until -it jammed. He worked at it desperately for several minutes, as he -advanced with the line; then he threw it up against a tree in disgust, -crying bitterly “That’s a hell of a thing to give a man to fight with.” -From then on we had only our rifle fire against their leaden hailstorm. -Neither side could aim their shots, but they were shooting twenty -bullets to our one, and our hastily formed line was driven back. - -As they retired, Sgt. Fahey and I, with two other men, tried to sneak -up along the top of the ridge and get close enough to bomb one of -the machine guns. We were lucky at first, the enemy being busy with -his bullets further down the slope. We saw four Germans, carrying -ammunition ahead of us, but held our fire, hoping they would lead on -to their gun. Fahey slipped me a bomb, and I pulled the pin, ready -to throw. Just then a new devil’s tattoo broke out about fifty yards -away to our left, and the bullets came showering about our ears. They -must have caught sight of us through some opening in the trees, and -were probably waiting for just such an attempt. One of our patrol was -riddled through the stomach and back, and started crawling back on one -hand and his knees, with strange, shrill moans like a wounded animal. -The other was killed instantly. Fahey and I looked in each other’s eyes -for a startled moment; each, I think, wondering why the other was not -killed. A bullet went through the tube of my gas mask, as I noticed -later. Fahey lifted his eyebrows and pointed at the new gun. I nodded, -and we started for it. But the first gun’s crew heard the cries of -the wounded man, and traversed back and forth by us. Fahey staggered, -shot through the chest. We could not see to throw a bomb, and it would -probably hit a branch and light on us anyhow. Our slender chance -vanished, and we slipped back through the trees. - -As we returned, I saw our left flank retiring in some disorder, further -confusing our hard pressed right. The enemy had driven back the -post holding the head of the ravine on our left, and we were in the -desperate position of being enfiladed from both flanks. Our losses were -heavy, and ammunition was very low. - -I glanced at my watch--only 6:20. No chance for the Lt. Col. to have -gotten a counter-attack under way. The position had become untenable, -and at any moment might develop into a complete cul-de-sac. It was time -to pull out. - -I gave the order to withdraw by squads and fall back to the old outpost -line; 4th platoon to go first, covered by the 1st and 3rd; then the 4th -platoon to cover our withdrawal from the other side of the wire. - -As the first squad from the 4th platoon started through the wire, a -machine gun opened on the wire and the road before it, killing two -and driving the rest back. The platoon leader reported that it was -impossible to get across. - -To remain, however, meant almost certain death for all, with very -little chance of inflicting compensating losses on the enemy. So as a -last resort I took the 1st platoon, and during a momentary lull in the -firing we made a rush for it in two or three groups at different places. - -The wire clawed and tore at us as though it were alive. My group -scrambled through, somehow, anyhow, marvelling that the bullets did not -come. When half way through I noticed that I was still mechanically -holding Fahey’s bomb, with the pin out. I went a bit carefully after -that, so was the last one through. As I ripped my puttee free from the -last strand of wire, the machine guns started up again, and I hugged -the dirt while bullets cracked viciously overhead. The grass and green -leaves felt cool and smelled fresh and green, and a little green bug -went scrambling along a creeper, two inches from my nose. - -Presently another lull came, and I proceeded to worm my way through the -underbrush, looking for my half platoon. Not a sign of them. They had -gotten clear of the last burst of fire, and then made a break for it. - -The machine guns were still firing intermittently, but I heard no reply -from our rifles, and hoped that the others had followed us through the -wire. Most of them had, as I found out later. - -Then came the hardest moment of the war for me. A group of about 20 men -had remained on the hill, apparently despairing of crossing the wire -alive. An officer was with them, and upon him lies the responsibility -of what happened. The men themselves had done brave service before that -time. But, as I understand by permission if not under orders, they -raised the cry of “Kamerad.” - -When I realized that this had really happened, I tried desperately to -cross the wire to them again. But I was in too big a hurry, and made -too much noise. The machine guns spotted me promptly, and streams of -bullets made the sparks fly from the wire six feet ahead of me. Before -I could work around to another place, I heard the sound of their -withdrawal toward the German lines, and knew I was too late. - -My next job was to get back to the old outpost line and take charge -there. The enemy machine gunners had penetrated well to our rear, and -I had to go very cautiously, hearing their voices all around. They -were withdrawing, however, and in ten minutes I found out why. Their -artillery completed the day’s work by shelling the ravine and vicinity -in their usual methodical manner. Not to be outdone, our own artillery -did the same. This was the last straw; I was too dead tired to dodge -American shells as well as German. So I crawled under a bush and waited -for whatever was on the cards. In two minutes I dozed off, with the -shells banging all around. - -I must have slept for about twenty minutes. Waking with a start, I -found dusk setting in. I took off my tattered slicker and wound it -around my tin hat, to keep the twigs from playing an anvil chorus on -it. The shelling had stopped. My short rest had revived some interest -in life, and I slowly retraced our advance of that morning. I didn’t -think the enemy had left any outposts behind, but in any case was too -tired to care, and went clumping along like any Heine. I arrived at our -old outpost line, which we had held long, long ago, it seemed. It was -absolutely deserted. I went along the path, past D Co.’s headquarters, -and noticed that a shell had landed there and set off those pyrotechnic -signals which had been quite fireproof two days before. - -Apparently the war had been called off around here. I pottered about -for quite a bit, but could find no one. Somehow my principal feeling -was an immense relief that for the present I had no responsibility, no -one to look out for but myself. Presently, however, it was evident that -as I had not even a runner, I had to go back to Bn. Hdq. myself and -report on the situation. - -Wearily I plodded off, back over Dead Man’s Hill. It was quite dark, -about 11 P. M., and I was making very slow time. As I drew near the -main line of resistance, I came upon two D Co. men, lying where they -had been hit by a shell. One was dead; the other had a leg shot off. -He said he had been lying there for about three hours. His comrade had -helped him tie up his leg before he died. I left my blouse over him, -as it was chilly, and went on to the firing trench, which had wire in -front of it by this time. I had some trouble convincing the occupants -of my identity. In truth, with no blouse, my ragged slicker draped -about my helmet, the shoulder of my shirt all torn and bloody, and my -breeches and puttees in tatters, I didn’t look much like an officer, -and not at all like a gentleman. - -I stumbled down the ramp into Bn. Hdqrs., where I found Maj. Odom, -Foulkes, Strawbridge and Lt. Col. Budd, to whom I reported. Capts. -Markewick and Laing, of “I” and “L” Cos., were also there. Thinking the -position in front was strongly held by the enemy, the idea was to send -these companies up at dawn behind a rolling barrage to re-establish -the outpost line. I was glad to tell them that this was unnecessary, -and they later strolled on up in single file and occupied our old line -without a single casualty. - -Major Odom in turn told me that Lt. Dunn with most of the 1st and 2nd -platoons had already come in, and had been sent to the kitchen for -chow. Louis Foulkes gave me some water and a couple of doughnuts, which -I was nearly too sleepy to eat. - -I had to report to Regimental Hdq. then, and rehash the day’s -operations; but all I remember is that Capt. Brennan gave me some grape -jam and bread and water, and the regimental surgeon swabbed my shoulder -with iodine. I have some hazy recollection of the Colonel himself -pulling a blanket over me, though this may not be correct. - -Late next morning I woke up to be greeted by Strawbridge with the -news that our travel orders had come, and we--he, Capt. Brennan, and -myself--were directed to be at Langres--wherever that was--by October -1st. - -As soon as possible I rejoined the company, which had been stationed at -Brigade Reserve with the remnants of D Co. We had about 50 men left, -not counting 20 who were on various special details. Sgt. Wilson and -the cooks fed us like lords, and we made up for the past week. Big -shells landed around occasionally, but it was a Philadelphia Sunday -compared to what we had just left. - -The company was reorganized as a platoon, with Lt. Dunn in command and -Reid as top sergeant. We slept in pillboxes or gun emplacements, or -anywhere else where there was a bit of shelter. - -The next day I said goodby to the company for six weeks, as I thought. -There were rumors that the Bulgarians were nearly done, and the -Austrians weakening; but I don’t think that anyone dreamed that the -armistice was only six weeks off. I stopped off one night with Sgt. -Stiles to write up the company records, and finally boarded a motor -truck for Toul. - -From this point the history is taken up by Lt. Gardenier, Sgt. Stiles, -Sgt. Peter and Sgt. Tracy White. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -MEUSE-ARGONNE - - -Sept. 28th: Today the company commander left the company, leaving -same in charge of Lt. Dunn, the only officer left. He reorganized -the company--two platoons of about 40 men each was our strength. We -remained in reserve in the Bois des Grandes positions until the night -of October 4th. It was during this period that rumors of the enemy -countries, Bulgaria, Turkey and Austria having quit reached us, causing -a great deal of discussion and doing much to keep the morale at its -highest. Sergeant Reid left for Officers’ Training School. - -Oct. 4th: “We are going out for a rest”--These words were heard all -through the company. Shortly before dark we left our position and -marched to the road that led through Limey and remained there until -midnight. We then started on what was one of the most tiresome hikes -we ever experienced, and finally, at 5:30 A. M., reached the forest -de la Reine. A fact that is worthy of mention and probably refreshes -the reader’s mind of incidents of the night was what seemed to be a -direct hit on an ammunition dump to the right. The sky was brilliantly -illuminated and was the cause of numerous rumors and suggestions as -to the reason of the glare. We remained here until about 4:00 P. M. -October 6th, and then started off for what we fondly believed was a -rest. Subsequent events proved that our hopes were not to be fulfilled. -It was here that Lt. Luhn joined the company. After hiking until -midnight, most of the time through rain, we reached Mecrin and were so -tired that regardless of the weather we threw ourselves on the ground -and without further aid went to sleep until the following morning. Sgt. -Perry rejoined the company at this place. At 11:30 A. M., we started -again on a hike to Pierrefitte, arriving at 10 P. M., having covered -about 24 kilos. It was again our fate to have mother earth for a bed -this night. - -From here we hiked a short distance to Nicey, where we took busses for -a 40 kilo trip to Beauchamp Ferme in the Forest de Argonne, arriving -about 10 P. M. in what seemed to be the darkest spot on earth. As usual -it was raining, and this added greatly to our discomfort. There were -only sufficient barracks for one company, the rest of the outfit had -to sleep in their shelter tents, pitched in spots that were not very -appealing when revealed at dawn. Lt. Dunn having been ill for some time -left us here and Lt. Lahey took command of the company, having been -transferred from Company “I.” Sgt. Perry having been made 1st Sergeant -upon his return to the company aided materially in reorganizing the -company. We had a few days of much needed rest here and also consumed -quantities of wood in making bonfires that dried us out and made life a -little more cheerful. - -At 2:00 A. M. October 10th we aroused from our slumbers with orders to -roll packs and be ready to leave at once. This was another example of -how things are done in the army. Having spent several hours in rolling -packs and getting breakfast, it was 7:30 A. M. before we started out. -Our hikes of several days previous to arrival at this camp had taken -us through many ruined villages and parts of the country recently -evacuated by the enemy. Today’s hike covered 22 kilos and brought us -into the heart of the Argonne, the same ground having been bitterly -contested by opposing armies only a week previous. It was here that -we were able to form a definite idea of how the Germans lived behind -the lines. Every hillside was covered with dugouts made of concrete -and heavily timbered and furnished in a style that had been unknown -to us during the past four months. In the Limey Sector we found some -German camps that were fitted up in grand style, but these could not -be compared with the ones mentioned above. The officers’ quarters were -equipped with shower baths and in one place a large swimming pool. -Everything seemed to denote that the Germans intended to stay there for -all time. The signs on the trees and every crossroad led one to believe -that the Germans were a nation of sign painters. Arriving at our -destination after hiking about 23 kilos we appreciated an opportunity -to rest and lost no time in pitching tents and getting a much needed -sleep. - -The following day we marched about 4 kilos and took up a position in -the Bois de Chatel. It was here, on the eve of October 12th, that our -much battered company of approximately 80 men, all veterans of the -St. Mihiel, received 104 replacements from the 86th Division. Some of -these men had never fired a rifle and were not familiar with the use -of the gas mask. The company was again reorganized. The four platoons -were placed in charge of Sergeants Newell, Lehy, White and Weber, -respectively; to these men and our two officers, Lts. Lahey and Luhn, -is due the credit of training these new and inexperienced men so that -when they were called upon they made a creditable showing. Too much -cannot be said about the way these men took care of what seemed to be -almost a hopeless task. - -October 15th again brought us under shell fire. About 8:00 P. M. we -left our positions and marched through heavy rains to relieve a unit -of the 308th Infantry, west of La Folie Ferme. We took up our position -about 3:00 A. M. and despite the fact that we were wet through, made -ourselves as comfortable as circumstances would permit, only to be -awakened at 5:30 A. M. to prepare to advance at once. While preparing, -Jerry saluted us with a barrage that, while it lasted, was very -annoying and upset the new men exceedingly, this being the first time -they had ever been under shell fire. This lasted only for a few minutes -and after their baptism they all acted like seasoned veterans. This -relief having been made during the darkness of the night, the units -encountered great difficulty in keeping the men together. There was -considerable mixup on the road that led to Chevieres; three columns of -troops and a transport train trying to pass at one time. This caused -a great deal of confusion and the result was that many of the new -men became separated from the company and did not rejoin us until the -following morning. On October 17th Sergeants Levy and Wilson left for -Officers’ Training School. This morning we lost Sergeant Lehy; he was -killed just one hour before he was ordered to leave for Officers’ -Training School. - -Oct. 18th: At 10:00 P. M. we took up a position in the front line to -the west of Chevieres, relieving our 2nd Battalion. At 3:00 A. M. we -stepped off in a line of combat groups in support of “C” company, and -advanced through heavy artillery and machine gun fire. We reached our -objective at daybreak and held same through the day under continual -fire from the enemy snipers and machine guns. Enemy planes endeavored -to locate our position and flew so low that the aviators were easily -seen. Their object no doubt was to signal their artillery the location -of our position, but judging from the heavy barrage that fell directly -in back of us, their efforts were not crowned with success. We suffered -quite a few casualties during this attack, among whom was Sgt. Welch, -who had been recommended for a D. S. C. for bravery at St. Mihiel. -He was wounded in seven different places by machine gun bullets, but -refused to be evacuated until the other wounded men had been taken -care of. Owing to our advanced position, and both the units on our -flanks having failed to obtain their objectives, we were subject to -such a heavy fire that it was impossible to evacuate our wounded until -dark. Toward evening the enemy closed in on both flanks, and on our -front, making our position untenable, and under cover of darkness -drew close enough to drop hand grenades among our fox holes. This -caused our officers to call for volunteers to carry a message to the -Battalion Commander. After several runners had failed to get through, -Sgt. White had volunteered to carry the message and reached Battalion -Headquarters P. C. in safety and returned with instructions to have the -company withdraw. He was awarded a D. S. C. for this brave act. His -entire route was continually subject to heavy artillery and machine -gun fire. By performing this deed he undoubtedly saved many lives and -enabled the company to make an orderly retreat to the position they -left that morning. He also assisted in directing the evacuation of the -wounded; every man was removed without further casualties. During the -activities the enemy continually sent up rockets and flares so that our -movements could only be made during short minute periods of darkness. -Too much credit cannot be given to both Lt. Lahey and Lt. Luhn. Their -bravery and unselfish action in face of the enemy did much to keep up -the morale of the men. We fell back to the position we had left that -morning, and remained until 6:00 A. M. Then we fell back to railroad -track running from Chevieres to Grand Pre, where we remained about -four hours and then advanced again and took up our position along the -River Aire. Here we remained for nine days and nights under continuous -shell fire. While we suffered no casualties at this place from the -enemy fire, several of our men were evacuated with influenza. One great -difficulty that we experienced here was that of obtaining rations, as -it was impossible to bring them up during the day, and at night Jerry -threw over such a heavy shell fire that made the work of the ration -parties extremely hazardous. - -On Saturday evening, October 26th, we were relieved by the 310th -Infantry and took up a position in Brigade Reserve in the Bois de -Negremont. This day Lt. Luhn was transferred to “D” Company, and we -were again left with only one officer. Having lost a great many men, -it was necessary to reorganize the company again. There were only -sufficient men left to form two platoons. This position was subject to -intermittent shell fire which caused occasional casualties. - -The night of October 29th-30th will be one that will be long remembered -by those men who were present with us. The enemy had been shelling us -the entire evening without causing any casualties. It was about 1:30 A. -M. a shell, the last one he fired that night, struck a tree directly -over our camp and exploded. It killed or wounded 14 men, and Lt. Lahey -was also severely wounded. Lt. Lahey’s bravery at this critical period -was such that his men never cease praising him. While wounded so -seriously that he died two days later, he directed the evacuation of -all the other wounded men and gave instructions to the non-commissioned -officers left with the company, before he permitted himself to be -evacuated. Sgt. Newell, then acting 1st Sergeant, was killed instantly -by this same shell. Sgt. White was now in command of the company and -did excellent work keeping the company organized until the arrival of -Lt. Gardenier. The following day, October 30th, the enemy resumed their -heavy shelling and we suffered several more casualties in killed and -wounded. During our stay in the Bois de Negremont we were fortunate -enough to get a bath by walking five miles for it, and a change of -underwear, but seldom it was indeed that we received more than one meal -a day, so continuous was the enemy shell fire. - -Oct. 29th: The position of the company was still in the Bois de -Negremont, in Brigade Reserve. Pvt. Koehler was killed by shell fire -during the day. Toward evening the shelling let up and was fitful and -erratic from that time on. Lt. Gardenier arrived in the evening and -took command of the company which was at the time in charge of Sgt. -White. - -Oct. 30th: The morning was spent in reorganizing the company and -issuing equipment preparatory to the drive which was to start the -following day. The company was divided into two platoons, the first -under Corporal Ahearn, and the second under Corporal Thomas White; with -Sgt. White second in command of the company. Pvt. Koehler was buried -at La Noua le Coq, near the chateau. There was considerable shelling -during the afternoon, but there were no casualties, and the appearance -of a big consignment of rations in the evening did much to hearten the -men. Enemy shell fire had interfered with the rations considerably up -to this time, as there was but one route the ration parties could take -and it seemed to be quite familiar to the Boche artillerymen. - -Combat packs were made at night and the company was ready to move early -in the morning as the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were to attack at dawn. In -the afternoon a pirate 75 was moved up behind our position and engaged -in an artillery duel with a Boche battery until late at night. The only -result being a fairly continuous shelling of our area. - -Nov. 1st: At 2:30 A. M. the barrage preparatory to the launching of -the second phase of the Meuse-Argonne opened. The sky behind us was -a flickering, gleaming red. The roar was as of myriad drums rolling -almost in unison, and the air overhead seemed almost alive with -whistling visiting cards to the departing Jerry. The effect of this on -the men who had heard little but shells coming in their direction was -tremendous. The men walked about the hills whistling and singing and -the erstwhile quiet forest was alive with conjectures as to what was -happening when the winged death that was flying overhead arrived at its -destination. After the firing had ceased there was extreme quietness -and there was no activity during the night. - -Nov. 2nd: The company was held in readiness throughout the day, and -after mess in the evening packs were slung and the Battalion moved -out. It began to rain just at the start, and the path we followed in -the pitch black forest was steep and slippery. We progressed slowly -over the plain between la Noua le Coq and the Aire River and entered -the shell-torn town of Grand Pre. Passing through the ruins along the -Kron Printz Strasse, we went north to the road fork between Grand Pre -and Ferme des Loges. Here the company was detached from the Battalion, -Lt. Conroy was placed in command and we waited for trucks to enable us -to overtake the now flying enemy. Trucks were boarded about 11:00 P. -M. and we bumped over the shell-torn road in the general direction of -Germany, until our way was blocked by a mine hole not yet repaired. We -debussed and hiked to Briquenay, where we found the 312th Infantry had -the situation in hand and with the exception of about twenty men who -formed an ammunition detail for the 309th Machine Gun Battalion, we -turned into some German billets about 2:30 A. M. The infantry advance -up to this time had been so swift that the artillery had been unable to -catch up to us, having set up their guns three times without firing a -shot. - -Nov. 3rd: During the day the 2nd Battalion passed through Briquenay -and we were held there. Most of the time was spent in improvising -meals and exploring the debris left by the enemy in his hasty flight. -Toward evening about 200 American airplanes in combat formation flew -over going north. Lt. Conroy returned to Battalion Headquarters. -About 5:00 P. M. the rest of the Battalion moved out and through a -misunderstanding the company was left behind. When our plight was -discovered we set out for Germond, and after passing a Battalion of -the 308th Infantry on the road arrived just in time to get the last -available billets. Germond at that time held the four Regimental P. -C.’s of our division, one of the 77th and somewhere in the neighborhood -of 2,000 troops. - -Nov. 4th: At 5:00 A. M. we started for Authe, after the heartrending -procedure of passing a battalion of the 308th Infantry lined up for a -hot meal. We went through Authe to Brieulles under fairly heavy shell -fire where the road had been blown up, six mines having been placed -at a bridge and we were forced to make a long detour through a swamp. -From there we proceeded to Les Petites Armoises as the advanced guard -of the Brigade. It was a gruelling hike and considering the condition -of the men, the spirit shown was remarkable, and we halted south of the -town only four men less than we had left Germond with in the morning. -Artillery was quite active there and we witnessed some wonderful work -by German batteries and an airplane in destroying a group of buildings -to the west of us. - -On entering the town we were greeted by delighted civilians who had -been under German rule for four years and who gave us some atrocious -black bread covered with lard which almost tasted good. They also -warned us that the enemy had a machine gun nest to the north of the -village. - -After deploying we started up the hill, and soon as scouts appeared -above the crest machine guns opened up on them. In the subsequent -reconnaissance Privates Sullivan and Burchell were killed by machine -gun fire. One gun was located about 300 meters in front of us and in -an effort to flank its position the right of the company was deployed -along the crest of the hill, and was in position to rush it, but it was -cut off by fire from the flank. After three attempts Sgt. White brought -the left flank to a similar position only to have the advance halted -by another machine gun. As it seemed impossible to advance without -auxiliary weapons the company was withdrawn and dug in half way down -the hill. “D” company established contact on our left but there was -nothing on our right but German machine guns. Corporal Miller led a -patrol in an effort to put the guns out of action, but was unsuccessful -because of the covering fire from other guns and the openness of the -country. About 3:00 P. M. two airplanes arrived and one by his near -presence causing a Boche plane to retire, dropped a message which -said “There are Boche machine guns in a shell hole 200 meters to your -front.” This information was somewhat superfluous, but the affair was -interesting. The other plane, endeavoring to locate Company “D” flew -too low and landed on a hill about 500 yards in front of our line. -The aviator unhurt got out of the machine and in spite of the hails -of our outpost he headed for Germany and was seen no more. The plane -was dragged by the enemy to a point north of Tannay and demolished. -About 5:00 P. M. Boche artillery opened up and played a steady stream -of fire on the town, and by no means neglected our position. A strong -point made up of men from Company “C” was scarcely located in their -new position when a shell severely wounded two of their men. The loss -of our First Aid Man who was killed by a shell early in the evening -greatly handicapped the evacuation of the wounded. - -From 5:00 P. M. to 1:00 A. M. there was a perfect hail of shells and -machine gun bullets while enemy airplanes dropped bombs on the town -itself. Corporal Peter did excellent work during this time keeping the -outposts organized. Casualties--killed 5, wounded 9. - -Nov. 5th: About 3:30 A. M. the enemy machine guns pulled out and at -5:00 A. M. the company retired to les Petites Armoises for breakfast -and then went on to Tannay. After reconnaissance by the Battalion a -patrol of 30 men was called for to establish a strong point in a patch -of woods northwest of the town. An effort was also to be made to obtain -liaison with units on our right. The first platoon was called upon and -though practically exhausted they responded promptly and went up to -take their position. Lt. Gardenier with three runners went on until -contact was established with the 165th Infantry just north of Sy. -Sgt. Ahearn meanwhile, finding no opposition in the woods designated, -pushed his jaded men to the edge of the Bois de Mont Diens, about two -kilometers further on and began to exchange courtesies with a lonely -machine gunner. To this detachment belongs the distinction of being the -unit of the 78th Division nearest Germany when the relief came. - -When the 166th Infantry had leapfrogged us at 3:30 P. M., the company -pulled back into Tannay at 4:15 P. M. just in time to begin hiking -back. It was raining again, and it was a dismal hike to Les Petites -Armoises where no billets were available, and the only alternative -was Brieulles, 7 kilometers further on. Over a road pitted with shell -holes, filled with troops, transport and artillery headed in the -opposite direction, the company plodded on, arriving at Brieulles about -midnight. A conservative estimate of the distance covered by the first -platoon that day is thirty kilometers and all under the most trying -conditions. On reaching Brieulles we shared a church with “C” company -and while some sat up and others stood crowded into corners, everybody -slept. We left Brieulles at 5:00 A. M. and hiked to Authe where, Nov. -6th, a hot breakfast put new life in the company, which was fortunate, -because though we did not know it at the start, there were twenty-two -gruelling kilometers in front of us. After hiking continuously until -5:30 P. M. we reached La Folie Ferme and stayed the night in these -familiar haunts. - -Nov. 7th: Packs were slung and we were on the move early in the morning -and after hiking until 4:00 P. M. we were presented with a soaked, -battered section of the Argonne not far from Appremont, and told to -make ourselves comfortable. We were doing the best we could when there -was an unholy din and a fireworks display, owing to a signal corps -outfit hearing “Officially” that the war was over. We mistook it for a -German air raid, however, so we did not derive much comfort therefrom. -But it is worthy of notice because it was the beginning of the greatest -conglomeration of rumors in the history of civilized warfare. - -Nov. 8th: It took most of the day trying to follow out the order to -make ourselves comfortable and we were just beginning to accomplish -this when on the morning of November 9th we pulled out and hiked to -Florent, remaining there the following day. Lt. Gartley, who had joined -on November 8th, assisted the company commander in re-acquainting the -jaded doughboys with the intricacies of the manual of arms and that -evening the pearly notes of “Retreat” and The Star Spangled Banner made -us feel nearly civilized again. The rumors were still running high. - -Nov. 11th: On this historic day the 1st Battalion celebrated by taking -its longest hike of the Meuse-Argonne Campaign. We moved from Florent -to Varimont, a distance of twenty-nine good long kilometers. While we -were passing through Ste Menehould, the French papers with gigantic -headlines “C’EST SIGNE” were shown us and we passed innumerable -grinning French men and women repeating over and over again the words -which were like music to our ears--“la Guerre Finie.” - -We arrived at Varimont about 5:00 P. M. nearly exhausted and resumed -back area existence at once. - -Nov. 12th-14th: Our stay in Varimont was punctuated by determined -efforts to get separated from Argonne Mud and getting policed up and -generally put in shape for a Fifth Avenue parade, which was to come off -very soon. Lt. Gartley left for the 1st Division. - -Nov. 15th: The company moved to Givry-en-Argonne to act as a loading -detail for the Brigade which was to entrain, and the following day was -spent in that occupation. - -Nov. 17th: The company entrained about 11:00 P. M. and started on a -two-day journey to Les Laumes, where they arrived about 3:00 P. M. on -the 19th. With much grunting and puffing the initial ascent of the now -well known hill was made, and about 5:00 P. M. we arrived at Flavigny, -which was to be our home until we began our journey homeward. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -FLAVIGNY-SUR-OZERAIN - - -It might be interesting to insert here a brief description of Flavigny, -taken from a letter written home by one of the men: - -“To say the least, Flavigny is a town that is somewhat interesting. -There is a bit of history attached to the place in that we are told -that Caesar fought a battle against the Germanic people in this -neighborhood about 55 B. C., using the plateau across the valley as his -base for operations against a town a few miles from here. - -“Flavigny was then standing on its present site, although, perhaps, -much smaller than it is today, and there are no evidences that any of -the buildings then existing are now standing. It would hardly seem -possible that they could be. Today, the village stands on the top of a -high plateau, which is reached by a road winding around the mountain. -Although it was a cold dismal day when we came here, we were dripping -with perspiration by the time we reached the top. - -“It is a walled village--part of the wall being formed by some of the -buildings--having three entrances large enough for vehicles and a -fourth one large enough for only persons or animals in single file. -The main entrance, ‘La Porte du Bourg,’ opening to the road up which -we came and which seems to have its ending in the centre of the town. -About a quarter of a mile before reaching the town this road branches -off to the left, winding around some farm buildings, and running along -the outside of the wall overlooking the valley, and as it passes the -rear of the village making a steep descent into the valley again. - -“Opening into this road at about the centre of the village is the -second entrance, ‘La Porte du Val.’ While this entrance seems to be of -less importance than the others, as it is reached from the inside by a -narrow alley, yet it is well protected, or was considered so as regards -weapons of mediaeval warfare. There are two towers built of heavy -stone, one on either side of the gate, each with peep-holes at the -height of a man’s head. Between the towers and over the gate the wall -is about twelve feet high, so built that soldiers standing on a ledge -running behind the wall and over the gate from tower to tower could -fire down on anyone along the road, or who might be trying to approach -the town up the side of the mountain. - -“Everything here is built of stone, of course, but with the exception -of the more modern buildings there is decay everywhere. In many places -the wall is crumbling and the houses are patched and crumbling and the -thatched roofs are covered with moss, mould and dirt collected for -ages. At ‘La Porte du Val,’ one of the gates which is still hanging -being made of wood, worm-eaten and decayed, looks as if a slight puff -of wind would blow it to dust. - -“There are a very few new buildings. Some of these are stucco and seem -to be quite modern. - -“A large church stands near the centre of the town in whose tower is a -clock which rings out the time every fifteen minutes. - -“There is only one or possibly two streets in the town large enough to -be called streets, but there is a great maze of little narrow alleys -running everywhere and crossing, turning sharply around corners, -sometimes leading into a barnyard, and again plumb into the side of a -building and others seem to lead nowhere. Sometimes you will start for -a store just a block down the alley, when suddenly you find you have -chased yourself right back to where you started from, having reached -nowhere, not even the end of the alley. It is one of these that begins -in the centre of the town where the street through ‘La Porte du Bourg’ -stops, and after winding and twisting around a bit leads you to the -little entrance at the rear of the village from which a steep, narrow -path leads to the Valley of the Ozerain. - -“The village is electrically lighted, gets its current from a little -power-house down by the Ozerain River. - -“A convent building and grounds occupies a large portion of the village -extending from near ‘La Porte du Val’ to the extreme lower corner of -the town. - -“About half way between ‘La Porte du Bourg’ and ‘La Porte du Val’ -is another entrance, just inside of which is a large and very old -abbaye. Both this and the convent are now used for the accommodation of -tourists and travelers. - -“Just outside this entrance the Y. M. C. A. building stands. The road -going from this entrance leads to the inevitable wash-house where on -wash-days congregate a large number of women with large bundles of -clothes and plenty of gossip. - -“There is a Post and Telegraph Office combined, as is usual in France, -a butcher shop, several grocery stores, a bake shop, drug store, -barber, tailor, milliner, wooden shoe maker, barrel maker, rope maker, -numberless cafes and little shops. - -“Inside the majority of homes are neat and well-kept even where one -room has to serve as kitchen, dining room, living room and bed room, -often serving all purposes at one time. There are, of course, more -prosperous homes that are as pleasant and comfortable as those we have -in America.” - -This was our home for over five months. That time will be merely -sketched, as it was a monotonous existence punctuated by flurries of -excitement caused by rumors of westward bound ships with which we never -connected. Imaginary Bolsheviki were driven from every hillside; the -Campe de Cesare was the slaughter house for thousands of imaginary -machine gunners; and drills and manuevres of every sort made up the -schedule. Mr. McNab tried (and failed) to get us excited about the -gentle art of rifle shooting. French weather was at its abominable -worst. But through it all, if the writer may insert a personal tribute -into an impersonal history, through it all there was in Company “B” -a bunch of boys whom it was both a pleasure and an inspiration to be -with. Joking at discomforts, chafing, but bearing with as much courage -as it took to face the Hun, the seemingly interminable wait and showing -a spirit, a snap, and a dash which overcame everything, you formed a -body of men which was a privilege to command and a pleasure to serve. - -The month of March arrived, bringing with it the news that the 78th -Division would return to the United States in May. The weather was -still unchanged, but notwithstanding that they were slopping around in -the mud and wet from the continual rains, and every “good rumor” that -came floating around was eventually salvaged, the men were still in -fine spirits. - -Towards the end of the month it was officially announced that the -Division would begin to move towards a port April 16th, and on April -6th it passed into the command of the S. O. S., but also came the -rather disheartening news that our movement had been postponed for -ten days, and by the time the 26th rolled around it had been further -postponed until May 2nd, causing a downcast of spirits that had not -obtained since our arrival in France. However it was quite evident that -our time of departure was drawing near by the various preparations that -were taking place, and when it finally became definitely known that -we were to go direct to Bordeaux instead of having to pass through -Le Mans, the spirit of the men took a remarkable jump and then, when -it was announced that the movement from Flavigny would begin with -Headquarters company’s departure on Sunday, May 4th, their joy was -unbounded, and this was not noticeably marred by the last days of April -being the bearer of the heaviest and longest snow storm that we had -experienced. Saturday night, May 4th, Taps was blown by a quartette of -cornets from the Regimental Band, and farewell parties were held in -nearly every home in Flavigny. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -HOMEWARD BOUND - - -At 7:00 A. M. Monday, May 5th, “B” Company “fell in” in front of the -Abbaye with full equipment, and at eight o’clock, with the command: -SQUADS RIGHT, MARCH, moved out with the remaining troops, from the town -that had been our home for nearly half a year, and our long journey -homeward had at last really begun. By easy marches we reached Les -Laumes-Alesia Station at 10:00 A. M., where we were given a big dinner -by the American Red Cross, consisting of a good beef stew, bread, jam, -coffee (with both milk and sugar in it), apple sauce, cigarettes and -candy, which was followed by hot chocolate and cakes given to us by -pretty Y. M. C. A. girls. At 12:30 P. M. we entrained in American “60 -Hommes-20 Chevaux,” which we had lined with bed sacks filled with straw -and about thirty-five men to a car, which proved the most comfortable -ride we had had since our arrival in Europe nearly a year previous. We -made several stops to get coffee or warmed corned beef. The trip lasted -about 42 hours, arriving at St. Jean Station, Bordeaux, at 4:00 A. M. -May 7th, from which we marched to the “Entrance Camp,” reaching there -at 9:00 A. M. and immediately having breakfast served. The men were -kept pretty busy during the day on various details, and the following -morning, May 8th, we left this camp and marched about a mile to the -“Permanent Camp.” The memory of this camp will probably remain with -most of us by reason of the “MILL,” which was the first thing to which -we were introduced and which consumed most of the conversation during -our stay here. - -The MILL was well named in every respect. First we were marched into -a “hangar” very similar to those used to house air planes. This had a -dirt floor and after unslinging packs the men filed along one side of -the hangar leaving their rifles in a heap, then filed back to their -packs. Next they took their blankets which had been rolled together -before leaving the Entrance Camp, and threw them in a pile. Next, -everything the soldier carried was placed in his shelter half and -carried thru a wicket gate, by which stood a long desk behind which -were several men. The first asked your name and army serial number, -which he wrote on two slips of paper which you had to sign. This seemed -quite natural because no one knew what they were signing, and if anyone -should stop to ask he would be informed that he would learn that in due -time, a statement which no one doubted because no one thought any more -about that phase of it, probably for the reason that about one-tenth of -a doughboy’s time is spent in signing papers he does not know anything -about, the same being part of his military training. - -The next man took the “dog tags” and asked your name and number and -compared your answer with the tags; if they agreed all well and good, -if they disagreed something was checked on the slip of paper you had -signed and you began to wonder how many checks you would get and if -each check meant an additional month in France, or an extra tour of K. -P. The next man gave you a Red Cross bag which often brought a smile -because of the name--“American Red Cross” was stamped in ink on a white -patch on the bag, otherwise you would have looked for a deduction on -the next pay roll. At this time someone in the farthest corner of the -building called out a number which sounded like a cell number, but -which proved to be nothing more than their manner of ushering you to -a certain litter into which you dumped everything you had, from your -steel helmet which had just been painted to your last handkerchief -which you had failed to wash. The object of this being for the man to -see if you had more than he did. If you did not have as much, he handed -you a barrack bag and helped you to put all your things into it except -such personal things as your pocket book, tooth brush, shaving brush, -etc. These you put in the Red Cross bag, then handed your slip of paper -to the man who then asked what you had in the barrack bag or on your -back. If you guessed right, all right; if you guessed wrong he checked -an item on the slip of paper. - -If you did not like your blouse he would give you a chance to draw -again. If your underclothes were too large for you he would give you -a chance to draw a larger pair, and so on. After you were all out of -breath talking to this man, you hung your Red Cross Bag around your -neck, threw your Barrack Bag on your shoulder and marched out of the -door across a wood pile to another building in which was another long -row of desks, and for a moment you thought you were going to get your -discharge papers toote de suite, but these hopes were soon dashed to -the ground. An officer handed you your Service Record, which seemed -rather a strange thing because the company clerk said that he had it -when you asked him the day before you left Flavigny. Struggling along -with this in one hand and dragging your barrack bag with the other you -passed down the line until you came to a blank file with a typewriter -and a man behind it. - -Here you stopped and handed him your Service Record, after which he -asked you your name, number, name and address of your wife or mother. -He evidently wanted to know this in the event you did not come through -the mill alive he could advise your nearest relative that you had been -killed in action, or words to that effect. When you afterwards inquired -what this slip was you were informed that it was a certificate to show -that you had been through the mill. But why should they issue such a -certificate before you had been through? Probably the government took a -chance like the doughboy does when he signs the pay roll a month before -he gets paid. If he did not sign re would not get paid and often when -he does sign he don’t get paid, so “sanferriens.” Any way this man kept -the Service Record, “mill slip,” and all, and you were ushered into the -engine room. - -There was a great racket going on and your heart was beating like a -trip hammer. You remembered you had not cut your toe nails for several -weeks and you wondered if they would scratch your neck. You also -wondered what part of your body went in first. Someone ordered you to -move along, and along you moved until you came to a bin which reminded -you of where your grandfather kept his potatoes. You looked around for -the man who was administering the “Dope,” because you heard nobody -scream or groan--or were some of those noises groans? Through the -middle of this bin ran a railroad and in the middle of the track stood -a man issuing orders, none of which you understood. Besides, the man in -the bin behind you was talking louder than the man in your bin, so that -you heard more of what he said than of what your man said; but after -listening for a while you gleaned the fact that you were supposed to -take off all your clothes, which you did. - -By that time two large doors in the side of the building opened and -out came a car that looked like the ones they have in circuses to -carry animals in, which was divided into compartments with numbers -corresponding with the number of your bin, which were full of shelves -and hooks. Into your compartment on this car you put everything you -had except the articles in the Red Cross bag. This you still had hung -around your neck. Everything had to be taken out of the Barrack bag; -your puttees could not be wound; your underclothes and socks which -you took off were not put in the car however. They said this was to -kill the cooties, and suddenly you had a feeling of pity for the poor -cootie. As suddenly as the car came out of these big doors it went back -again and the doors were closed; then you were ordered to pick up your -soiled underclothes and “move along.” A little further along you threw -your soiled underclothes out of a window marked “Salvaged Clothes.” You -were wearing your shoes but nothing else. As you passed out of this -room you were handed a towel and as you entered the next room you were -met by a couple of doctors who asked you if you had been to Paris and -then refused to take your word that you had not. From here you entered -the bath room where you had the grand and glorious feeling of a real -shower bath, although the so-called soap was beyond description. From -here you passed another long line of doctors that reminded you of your -first day at camp, and then you passed into a room which reminded you -of Gimbel Brothers at home. Your famous slip of paper which had been -kept in your Red Cross Bag, now came into use and you began to learn -the reason for it. Everything that your Supply Sergeant at Flavigny -had refused to give you was handed to you here. First you were given a -suit of underclothes and a pair of socks to take the place of the ones -you had salvaged. Then down the line you went, getting new blankets for -the ones you had left in the hangar, and new trousers for the ones you -had said were no good, and even a new tape for your dog tags. From here -you passed into another bin similar to the first one, and while you -were putting on your underclothes out came the car with all your things -on it, but everything so hot you could hardly touch them. Poor cooties, -not a one remained alive to tell of what happened inside. - -After dressing, which you had to do in four seconds less than a minute, -you stuffed everything into the barrack bag except your overcoat which -you put on, and, with barrack bag over your shoulder and your slip of -paper in your hand, you passed into another room. Here you handed said -slip of paper to a man whom you could just see over the top of a heap -of them, then passed by a man who examined the condition of your hair -and then passed outside with the perspiration streaming down your face -and marched about two blocks down the street to another building. There -you completed your toilet and were guided to your company barracks -which was either 212, 214 or 216, and there you set yourself down more -exhausted than you were the day you marched from Florent to Varimont. -But you were still in the army though not in the mill, and there was -work to be done. The first detail was to carry all the rifles from the -mill to the barracks. You were given dinner and then given more detail, -and more detail the next day. - -Friday, May 9th, the commanding officer was notified that Company “B” -would embark the next day, and accordingly, at 5:00 P. M. Saturday, -May 11th, the company was lined up and marched to the American Docks, -reaching them about 7:00 P. M. A peculiar coincidence it was, that -during the greater part of this march it rained. It had been bright -and clear all day but when we started on our last march in France the -sky became darkened, with a heavy cloud, and shortly after we had -started for the docks it began to rain and did not clear until after -we had embarked. After reaching the dock, we were served sandwiches, -chocolate, cigarettes, candy, and a handkerchief by the Red Cross. -Miss Colby, the Y. M. C. A. worker who had been with us all winter at -Flavigny, followed us to the dock and there bade us good-bye. She was -not to return to America for several months. The rest of the Y. M. C. -A. outfit had departed with Regimental Headquarters. Mr. Allen, the -K. of C. worker who had been with us at Flavigny, returned to America -with us. We embarked at 8:00 P. M. May 10th, on the good ship “OTSEGO,” -formerly the Prince Eitel Fredrich III, one of the German liners that -had been turned over to the American Government for the transportation -of troops to America. It was her second trip in this service. - -The trip was long, somewhat tedious, and uneventful. The food was -excellent, the best we had had since we had left home. The Azores -lay along our route and we passed close enough to see some of the -buildings. A couple of schools of small whales were sighted, and -porpoises were continually playing about the ship. The third or fourth -day out we began to have trouble with the boilers, which continued -nearly all the way across, which accounted for the length of the -voyage. On the morning of the 25th we passed the “Ambrose” Lightship -and soon after sighted land. We expected to dock in the afternoon, -but it was five o’clock when we entered the Upper Bay at New York and -dropped anchor off St. Georges, S. I. Many small boats loaded with -sight-seers came by. The Mayor’s Committee of New York City brought -a band to play for us. The next morning, May 26th, 1919, about eight -o’clock we weighed anchor and sailed up the river to Hoboken, where -we docked a half hour later. We were given a light lunch by the Red -Cross and were then put on a river boat and went to the West Shore -docks, where we got on a train and went to Camp Merritt. It was a grand -and glorious feeling to be riding in an American train once more. -We arrived at Camp Merritt about 11:00 A. M. and had lunch shortly -after. In the afternoon we again went through the mill or “Sanitary -Process” and the next morning went to a different part of the camp, -where the company was broken up into Casual Detachments. The men from -most of the Southern and Western camps being assigned to Hoboken -Casual Detachments, and the others into Camp Dix, Camp Upton, or Camp -Grant Casual Detachments. We did not move out, however, until Sunday -afternoon, June 1st. Passes were issued daily, however, and a majority -of the men took advantage of this privilege and went home to visit -their folks. At 2:00 P. M. June 1st, the Camp Dix C. D. entrained for -Camp Dix, where we arrived at 7:00 P. M. and immediately turned in all -our equipment and then marched to the barracks formerly occupied by the -Third Battalion. - -June 2nd: All company records were turned in and Company “B” was only -a memory. The days dragged slowly by until Thursday, June 5th, when we -had our final examination. One incident happened at this time which to -us seemed almost tragical. A Welcoming Committee from Elizabeth came -down Wednesday, June 4th, three days after we entered Camp Dix, to see -the Elizabeth boys, and upon inquiring at Camp Headquarters for our -location, were told that we were not in the Camp, as they had no record -of us. This probably was the reason why several outfits that arrived -in camp as late as Wednesday were discharged ahead of us. Saturday -morning, June 7th, is a day in the lives of the remaining men of -Company “B” 311th Infantry never to be forgotten, as it was then that -we received our final pay and discharge from the Army and once more -became civilians. - - - - - COMPLETE ALPHABETICAL ROSTER - OF - COMPANY “B,” 311TH INFANTRY - - -Including all officers and men assigned to and present with the company -upon arrival in France, and all replacements of men received overseas. - -The information shown in the following roster is compiled from data -from the Company Records. The information regarding men who were -wounded is taken from reports sent in to Personnel Headquarters of the -Regiment by the Medical Detachment and Battalion Headquarters. All the -information is shown regarding men killed in action that was obtainable -from the records of the Regiment and from eye witnesses. - -All men shown as having joined prior to May 19th were with the company -when it arrived in France; those who joined October 12, 1918, were -replacements from the 86th Division. - -Men who were wounded or evacuated for other causes did not return to -the company unless so stated. All other men returned to the United -States with the company except a few who were kept at the port of -embarkation on account of missing records, which was due to no fault of -theirs. - - - ROSTER OF OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO AND SERVING WITH THE COMPANY AT - VARIOUS TIMES FROM DATE OF LEAVING THE UNITED STATES, MAY 19, 1918, - UNTIL DATE OF RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES, MAY 26, 1919. - -Bell, John P., Capt. U. S. Inf. - -109 Dauphin Street, Mobile, Alabama. Joined company April 20, 1919, and -was in command from that date until the company was mustered out. - -Colonna, B. Allison, Capt. U. S. Inf. - -c/o C. D. Jackson & Co., 140th St. and Locust Ave., New York, N. Y. -Assigned to company late in the year 1917; was in command at time of -departure for overseas and until September 28, 1918, when he left -for detached service at Army School of the Line. Returned to company -January 4, 1919, and was in command until March 1st. Left March 3rd -for detached service with A. E. F. University at Beaune, France. -Transferred to 5th Division April 11th and returned to the United -States in May, 1919. - -Devereux, John C., 1st Lt. U. S. Inf. - -413 Genesee Street, Utica, N. Y. Joined company April 6, 1919, and was -in command from April 15th until April 20th. Returned to United States -with company. - -Dunn, Raymond B., 1st Lt. U. S. Inf. - -c/o R. B. Dunn & Co., Knoxville, Tenn. With company as a 2nd Lieutenant -at time of departure overseas; appointed 1st Lieutenant in October, -1918. In command from September 28th until October 9th, on which date -he was taken sick and evacuated. Mentioned in 78th Division General -Orders No. 6 for bravery on September 26th. - -Foulkes, Louis S., Jr., Capt. U. S. Inf. - -c/o Rochester Stamping Co., Rochester, N. Y. With company as a 1st -Lieutenant at time of departure overseas and was 2nd in command. -Transferred and made 1st Battalion Adjutant July 11th; made Regimental -Adjutant September 28th. - -Gardenier, David, 1st Lt. U. S. Inf. - -Chatham, N. Y. Joined company October 29, 1918, and was in command from -that date until January 4, 1919. Transferred and made 1st Battalion -Adjutant April 6, 1919. - -Lahey, William S., 1st Lt. U. S. Inf. - -520 Summit Avenue, Jersey City, N. J. Joined company October 9, 1918, -and was in command from that date until October 29th, when he was -severely wounded in left side of face and neck by shrapnel while in -support lines behind Grand Pre. Died of wounds October 31st, and on -same date orders arrived appointing him captain. - -Merrill, Henry M., 2nd Lt. U. S. Inf. - -72 Center Street, Brookline, Mass. Sailed for overseas with advanced -party May 9, 1918. Rejoined company in Brunembert Area July 8th. -Severely wounded in left foot by shrapnel September 24th while on -outpost duty and returned to United States in October, 1918. - -Norton, Robert H., 1st Lt. U. S. Inf. - -482 Clinton Avenue, Albany, N. Y. Joined company January 8, 1919. In -command from March 1st to April 15th, on which date he was transferred -to M. P. Corps Replacement Camp, Parigne, L’Evaque, Le Mans Area. - -Proctor, William S., 2nd Lt. U. S. Inf. - -67 North Central Avenue, Columbus, Ohio. Joined company in April, 1919, -and returned to United States with company. - -Schuyler, Roy A., 1st Lt. U. S. Inf. - -(Andrew J. Schuyler, father), Pattersonville, Schenectady County, N. Y. -Sailed for overseas with advanced party May 9, 1918. Rejoined company -in Brunembert Area July 5th. Killed in action September 26, 1918, by -shrapnel through head while leading his platoon in an attack upon enemy -positions. Mentioned in 78th Division General Orders No. 6 for bravery -on this date. - -Shanks, Thomas H., 2nd Lt. U. S. Inf. - -654 Kempton Street, New Bedford, Mass. Joined company December 4, 1918, -and returned to United States with company. - -Vanderbilt, Herbert R., 1st Lt. U. S. Inf. - -17 Sherwood Avenue, Ossining, N. Y. With company at time of departure -for overseas. Reported missing in action September 26th. Was prisoner -in Camp Karlsruhe, Germany. Returned to Regiment in January, 1919, and -assigned to Company “D.” - - - - - COMPLETE ALPHABETICAL ROSTER OF MEN ASSIGNED TO COMPANY FROM DATE OF - LEAVING THE UNITED STATES FOR OVERSEAS SERVICE, MAY 19, 1918, UNTIL - DATE OF RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES, MAY 26, 1919. - - - Accetturo, Anthony, No. 2040459, Private, (Address unknown). Enlisted - March 29, 1918; joined company Sept. 9th. Taken sick Oct. 25, 1918, - and evacuated. - - Ackerman, William, No. 1737299, Pvt. 1st Class, Miss Minnie Ackerman, - sister, 941 Washington Street, c/o The Lutheran Home, Buffalo, N. Y. - Reported Missing in Action September 26, 1918. Was last seen by Cpl. - Sutton leaning against a tree with a large hole in his neck. Advice - received from Central Records Office that he died from wounds Sept. - 26th. He enlisted April 2, 1918, and joined company same date. - - Ackerman, William, No. 2451126, Corporal, 860 Fox Street, Bronx, N. - Y. Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company April 16th. - - Ahearn, Walter J., No. 2411094, Sergeant, Keansburg, N. J. Enlisted - February 25, 1918; joined company same date. - - Albitz, Oscar, No. 3746398, Pvt. 1st Class, 928 South Third Street, - LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Enlisted July 22, 1918; joined company October - 12th. - - Aldridge, Joseph S. Jr., No. 2414730, Pvt. 1st Class, 319 Union - Avenue, Elizabeth, N. J. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same - date. Decorated for deed of bravery performed September 26th. - - Allen, Frank C., No. 2568100, Corporal, 309 Pleasant Street, - Petaluma, California. Enlisted March 10, 1918; joined company - December 9th. Taken sick December 22d and evacuated. - - Amann, Walter G., No. 1749246, Pvt. 1st Class, 292 Terrace Avenue, - Jersey City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - Wounded by mustard gas burns October 22d; rejoined company December - 16th. - - Anderson, George J., No. 1763315, Private, 24 Eddywood Avenue, - Springfield, Mass. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Anderson, John A., No. 3752380, Corporal, Box 40, Route 2, Turtle - Lake, Wis. Enlisted July 25, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Andrzejewski, Stanislaw, No. 1752094, Private, 176 Barnard Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Angevine, William A., No. 1748872, Private, 919 Park Avenue, Hoboken, - N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. Served with - Railhead Detachment during campaign. - - Anness, Peyton R., No. 1746065, Sergeant, “The Belnord,” Broadway - & 86th Street, New York City. Enlisted September 21, 1917; joined - company October 11th. Transferred to Depot Division, 1st Army Corps, - A. E. F., July 27, 1918. - - Annibalini, Aldo, No. 652015, Private, 251 South Division Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - Wounded in action (degree undetermined) September 26th. Rejoined - company December 16th. - - Apicelli, Joseph, No. 2410760, Corporal, (Salvatore Apicelli, - father), 1505 Somerfield Street, Asbury Park, N. J. Killed in action - September 26th in Bois St. Claude, by sniper’s bullet through head - while leading his squad to attack machine gun. Enlisted February 25, - 1918; joined company same date. - - Arcuri, Carmine, No. 2450304, Private, (Reitano Arcuri, brother), - 132 South Main Street, Port Chester, N. Y. Enlisted April 1, 1918; - joined company same date. Killed in action September 26th in Bois - St. Claude, by sniper’s bullet through head while advancing with his - automatic rifle in an attack on enemy positions. - - Ashlock, Newton C., No. 1757769, Corporal, Carrolton, Ill. Enlisted - April 29, 1918; joined company April 26, 1919. - - Awe, John A., No. 3754195, Pvt. 1st Class, Route 4, Box 67, - Greenwood, Wis. Enlisted July 25, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Baiano, Carmelo, No. 2451001, Private, Broadway, Dobbs Ferry, N. Y. - Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company April 16th. Slightly wounded - by shrapnel in right foot September 26th. - - Ball, Walter V., No. 2451462, Private, 356 Upland Avenue, Yonkers, N. - Y. Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company April 16th. Transferred to - Headquarters Company, 311th Infantry, June 26th. - - Barnes, Earl, No. 1765247, Pvt. 1st Class, 444 South Park Avenue, - Buffalo, N. Y. Accidentally wounded September 20th. Returned to - United States in December, 1918. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined - company same date. - - Barsamian, Hazar, No. 3329308, Private, 67 Minomona Avenue, South - Milwaukee, Wis. Enlisted May 28, 1918; joined company October 12th. - Slightly wounded by shrapnel in head November 4th. Returned to - America in December. - - Baumann, William, No. 1749247, Pvt. 1st Class, 147 Congress Street, - Jersey City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - - Bement, Mervin, No. 1752197, Private, Odessa, N. Y. Enlisted April - 1, 1918; joined company same date. Went with 303rd Sanitary Train - on Detached service in July, 1918; taken sick and admitted to Base - Hospital No. 42 in September, and after recovering took up his duties - with that unit. - - Benzing, John M., No. 1737291, Pvt. 1st Class, 1058 Smith Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Reported missing in action September 26, 1918. Was - prisoner at Camp Rastatt, Germany. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined - company same date. - - Benzschawel, Joseph, No. 3754197, Mechanic, Route 3, Box 81, Thorp, - Wis. Enlisted July 25, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Bernhard, John, No. 1749249, Private, 381 New York Avenue, Jersey - City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - Reported missing in action September 26th; was prisoner in Camp - Rastatt, Germany. Returned to company January 16, 1919. - - Bernstein, Barnett, No. 2409686, Private, Sixteenth Avenue, Belmar, - N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. - - Best, Harry C., No. 1737292, Pvt. 1st Class, 140 Zenner Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. - - Birk, William, No. 1737293, Private, 610 Broadway, Buffalo, N. Y. - Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. Reported missing in - action September 26th; was prisoner at Camp Rastatt, Germany. - - Bishop, Joseph, No. 2411096, Pvt. 1st Class, Everett, N. J. Enlisted - February 25, 1918; joined company same date. Reported missing in - action September 26th; was prisoner at Camp Rastatt, Germany. - Rejoined company January 7, 1919. - - Blair, James, No. 1765248, Private, 51 Mineral Spring Road, Buffalo, - N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Bloome, Peter, No. 3336326, Pvt. 1st Class, Box 147, Annawan, Ill. - Enlisted June 26, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Bloomquist, Gust W., No. 3332154, Pvt. 1st Class, 1712 Eighth Street, - Rockford, Ill. Enlisted June 22, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Blount, George L., No. 2451251, Private, 738 East 137th Street, - New York City. Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company April 16th. - Reported missing in action September 26th; was prisoner at Camp - Rastatt, Germany. - - Boettcher, Walter, No. 2828102, Private, 868 22d Street, Milwaukee, - Wis. Enlisted May 27, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Bogart, William D., No. 1747126, Pvt. 1st Class, 219 Catherine - Street, Elizabeth, N. J. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same - date. Transferred to 1st Replacement Depot, February 16, 1919, for - return to United States. - - Bogucki, Stanley F., No. 1737294, Private, 95 Detroit Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - Slightly wounded by shrapnel in left arm September 19th. - - Borg, Edward, No. 3750612, Private, Route 1, Brantwood, Wis. Enlisted - July 24, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Boucher, Joseph A., No. 1748003, Private, 3644½ Boulevard, Jersey - City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - Slightly wounded in left face September 26th; rejoined company - January 11, 1919. - - Boyle, Edward H., No. 1765249, Private, 1 Paul Place, Buffalo, N. Y. - Transferred to 14th General Hospital, Boulogne, France, July 8th. - Rejoined company April 27, 1919. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined - company same date. - - Brand. Arthur F., No. 3329616, Pvt. 1st Class, 345 17th Street, - Milwaukee, Wis. Enlisted May 27, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Brenner, Carl M., No. 3746407, Private, (address unknown); joined - company October 12, 1918. Severely wounded by bullets in left arm, - right side, and compound fracture of right leg. - - Brooks, Bertrand G., No. 1749251, Private, 579 Central Avenue, Jersey - City, N. J. Enlisted April 2 6, 1918; joined company same date. - Slightly wounded in right arm September 26th. - - Broomhall, Harry R., No. 2932965, Pvt. 1st Class, 849 East Avenue, - Akron, Ohio. Enlisted June 27, 1918; joined company December 10th. - - Brown, Elijah E., No. 2083783, Pvt. 1st Class, Route 6, Aledo, Ohio. - Enlisted June 24, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Buechler, Louis, No. 1749250, Private, 598 Tonnell Avenue, Jersey - City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. Taken - sick and evacuated October 18th. - - Burchell, Harold E., No. 1748085, Private, (Mrs. Kitty Burchell, - mother), 621 Main Street, Paterson, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; - joined company same date. Killed in action November 4th by machine - gun bullet below heart during an attack on enemy machine gun nests, - near Les Petites Armoises (Meuse-Argonne). - - Burke, John F., No. 1752093, Pvt. 1st Class, (Peter Burke, brother), - 2000 Seneca Street, Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined - company same date. Severely wounded September 26th by shrapnel in - arm, back and hips during general attack on enemy positions. Died in - Evacuation Hospital No. 12, September 28th. - - Butler, William G., No. 2414732, Pvt. 1st Class, (Mrs. Hannah Mills, - foster mother), 821 Jackson Street, Morristown, Penna. Enlisted April - 2, 1918; joined company same date. Killed in action November 4th, - near Les Petites Armoises (Meuse-Argonne), by shrapnel, while runner - for Battalion Headquarters and while on road carrying messages. - - Byreiter, John F., No. 1737296, Pvt. 1st Class, 59 Thomas Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - Transferred to 311th Infantry Supply Company October 17th. - - Cahill, James E., No. 1749048, Private, (Miss Catherine Cahill, - sister), 114 Monroe Street, Hoboken, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; - joined company same date. Killed in action September 26th, at Bois - St. Claude, by shrapnel, during general advance of the company. - - Calabrese, Dominick, No. 2451322, Sergeant, East Hampton, N. Y. - Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company April 16th. - - Campanini, Frederick S., No. 1748532, Pvt. 1st Class, Washington - Street, Northvale, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same - date. Accidentally shot in foot and evacuated September 16th. - - Campbell, William J., No. 1765250, Pvt. 1st Class, 42 Edson Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Cantu, Peter E., No. 3340909, Private, (Mrs. Adabell Cantu, wife), - 910 West Front Street, Davenport, Ill. Joined company October 12th. - Killed in action November 4th, at Les Petites Armoises, by machine - gun bullets through body, while acting as company runner, during an - attack on enemy machine gun nests. - - Cardell, Anthony, No. 1765251, Pvt. 1st Class, 14 Pembino Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Carr, Charlie, No. 3746410, Pvt. 1st Class, 608 North Ninth Street, - LaCrosse, Wis. Enlisted July 22, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Cassely, Joseph R., No. 1749067, Private, 710 Jersey Avenue, Jersey - City, N. J. Enlisted April 25, 1918; joined company same date. Taken - sick and evacuated November 5th; returned to company March 21, 1919, - from Company “K,” 320th Infantry. - - Centofante, Natale A., No. 1748533, Pvt. 1st Class, P. O. Box 41, - Northvale, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - Wounded by gas and evacuated November 4th. - - Chiaradio, Samuel E., No. 1748534, Pvt. 1st Class, South Palisade - Avenue, Bloomfield, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same - date. Slightly wounded by shrapnel in right shoulder September 26th; - rejoined company November 2d; wounded by gas November 4th. - -[Illustration: 3d Platoon, Flavigny, France, 1919.] - - Clark, Earl B., No. 3527729, Private, 322 East Mulberry Street, - Lancaster, Ohio. Enlisted July 22, 1918; joined company December - 10th. Transferred to Graves Registration Service January 28, 1919. - - Clark, Frank W., No. 1746104, Sergeant, 11 High Street, Elizabeth, N. - J. Enlisted September 6, 1917; joined company April 21, 1919. Went - overseas with company “C,” 311th Infantry. - - Closeman, Harry, No. 2076987, Private, 312 Seventh Street, Red Wing, - Minn. Enlisted June 24, 1918; joined company October 12th. Slightly - wounded in right arm October 20th. Rejoined company November 16th. - - Cobble, Clarence R., No. 3874973, Private, Route 2, Midway, Tenn. - Enlisted August 5, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Cocker, Herbert M. P., No. 1750235, Pvt. 1st Class, (Mrs. Marjorie - Cocker, mother), 17 McKinley Avenue, West Orange, N. J. Enlisted - April 1, 1918; joined company same date. Reported missing in action - September 26th. Fate not known. - - Colaguori, Pietro, No. 2411608, Pvt. 1st Class, 136 Westwood Avenue, - Long Branch, N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same - date. - - Cole, Harry Lee, No. 1345828, Private, (address unknown). Joined - company September 9, 1918. Killed in action October 20th, northwest - of Grand Pre, during an attack on Ferme des Loges. - - Collura, Rosario, No. 2450663, Pvt. 1st Class, 34 Riverdale Avenue, - Yonkers, N. Y. Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company April 16th. - - Congelosi, Joseph, No. 2085786, Corporal, (address unknown). Enlisted - February 27, 1918; joined company October 12th. Slightly wounded in - right leg by shrapnel November 4th. - - Connolly, Frank J., No. 2450135, Pvt. 1st Class, 87 West Carroll - Street, City Island, N. Y. Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company - same date. Taken sick and evacuated September 19th. Was later - assigned to Co. G, 110th Infantry. - - Cook, Elmer J., No. 1748573, Private, Highwood Avenue, Tenafly, N. J. - Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. Slightly wounded - September 26th in both hands and head. - - Corbine, Charles, No. 3746635, Private, Odnah, Wis. Enlisted July 22, - 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Cordes, Henry A., No. 1748874, Pvt. 1st Class, 119 Park Avenue, - Hoboken, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - Wounded by gas November 4, 1918. - - Cottrell, Alonzo, No. 2409690, Private, Institute Street, Freehold, - N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. Taken - sick and evacuated December 24th. - - Cowser, Levi C., No. 1415491, Corporal, Goree, Texas. Enlisted May - 27, 1918; joined company December 10th. - - Croft, Lawrence M., No. 1765253, Pvt. 1st Class, 20 Archer Avenue, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Culkowski, John E., No. 1737297, Pvt. 1st Class, 79 Townsend Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - Transferred to 1st Replacement Depot, St. Aignan, France, for return - to United States in March, 1919. - - Curcio, Joseph M., No. 1748875, Private, 719 Clinton Street, Hoboken, - N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. Severely - wounded by shell fire in right leg September 19th; returned to - company December 19th; transferred to 1st Replacement Depot, St. - Aignan, for return to United States March 10, 1919. - - Curtin, Matthew V., No. 1765254, Private, 2 Paul Place, Buffalo, N. - Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Slightly wounded - in left leg September 26th. Returned to United States in December, - 1918. - - Czajka, Frank, No. 1765255, Private, 139 Weiss Street, Buffalo, N. Y. - Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Severely wounded - in left hand and head September 26th. Returned to company January 6, - 1919. - - Daeschler, Michael, No. 1765256, Private, 48 Lester Street, Buffalo, - N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Damato, Guisseppe, No. 1738115, Private, 35 Sidney Street, Buffalo, - N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Accidentally - wounded September 26th, received 1st Aid and returned to duty. Again - accidentally wounded October 30th. Returned to company December 18th. - - Danielson, John, No. 2084548, Private, (address unknown). Enlisted - June 24, 1918; joined company October 12th. Slightly wounded in hip - October 22. - - Dash, Harvey R., No. 1765257, Corporal, 93 Macamley Street, Buffalo, - N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - deBruin, Walter, No. 1746077, Cook, Elberon, N. J. Enlisted September - 21, 1917; joined company same date. Burned by mustard gas October - 30th, but was not evacuated. - - DeGrote, Walter, No. 2411100, Sergeant, Port Monmouth, N. J. Enlisted - February 25, 1918; joined company same date. Transferred to 1st - Replacement Depot, St. Aignan, for return to United States, April 28, - 1919. - - Deile, Albert, Jr., No. 1749050, Pvt. 1st Class, 83 Jackson Street, - Hoboken, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - - Deleskie, Stanley, No. 2824994, Pvt. 1st Class, (Mrs. Mary Kuczeuski, - mother), 2114 Front Street, East, Ashland, Wis. Joined company - October 12, 1918. Killed in action October 20th, northwest of Grand - Pre, by machine gun bullets while trying to cross road swept by - machine gun fire, during an attack on Ferme des Loges. - - Denier, Louis F., No. 1738113, Pvt. 1st Class, 519 Glenwood Avenue, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - Transferred to Headquarters Company, 311th Infantry, February 20, - 1919. - - Devine, Thomas E., No. 2450369, Pvt. 1st Class, 130 Old Pond Road, - Beacon, N. Y. Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company April 16th. - Taken sick and evacuated September 2d. - - Diskin, James J., No. 2414736, Private, 418 South Broad Street, - Elizabeth, N. J. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. - Slightly wounded in left leg September 26th. - - Dollard, Joseph P., No. 3204125, Private, (Edmund A. Dollard, - brother), 124 Baker Avenue, Syracuse, N. Y. Joined company October - 12, 1918. Killed in action October 28th, northwest of Grand Pre, by - bullet wounds through chest, during an attack on Ferme des Loges. - - Donohue, John E., No. 1749068, Private, 179 Third Street, Jersey - City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - Severely wounded in back September 19th. Returned to company March - 29, 1919, from Company “E,” 53rd Engineers. - - Dreher, Walter A., No. 2821474, Corporal, 1135 Lincoln Street, - Klamath Falls, Oregon. Enlisted May 24, 1918; joined company October - 12th. - - Eastman, Wilbert A., No. 1976313, Sergeant, Route 2, Anna, Ill. - Enlisted September 4, 1917; joined company December 10th, 1918. - - Edgerly, Robert E., No. 2816271, Private, Sauk Center, Minn. Enlisted - June 24, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Effingham, Harry, No. 2409695, Pvt. 1st Class, (Mrs. Howard Hartman, - friend), Smithburg, R. F. D. 4, Freehold, N. J. Enlisted February 25, - 1918; joined company same date. Killed in action September 26th, by - bullets through body during general advance of company. - - Ellison, William J., No. 1750236, Private, (Mrs. Mary Wallenbeck, - mother), 108 West Fourth Street, Watkins, N. J. Enlisted April 26, - 1918; joined company same date. Died from wounds received in action - November 4th. - - Ely, Eugene, No. 1749069, Pvt. 1st Class, North Drake Street, - Titusville, Pa. Enlisted April 25, 1918; joined company same date. - Was slightly wounded in left shoulder September 26th. - - Emerson, William G., No. 2413210, Pvt. 1st Class, R. F. D. 4, Canton, - N. Y. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. Taken - sick September 9th and evacuated. Was afterwards a member of the 4th - company, 4th Army Corps Replacement Battalion. - - Ennocenti, Alfredo, No. 3751617, Pvt. 1st Class, Box 59, Beloit, Wis. - Enlisted July 25, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Erickson, Albert C., No. 3752633, Private (address unknown). Joined - company October 12, 1918. Died from wounds November 1st received same - date, caused by shrapnel in left hip and arm while in support lines - behind Grand Pre. - - Erlandson, Gustave F., No. 3338575, Pvt. 1st Class (Oscar Erlandson, - brother), Route 1, North Branch, Minn. Joined company October 12th. - Killed in action November 4th, at Les Petites Armoises, by bullet - wounds while in advance patrol of company during an attack upon enemy - machine gun nests. - - Ertwine, Maxwell B., No. 1746060, 1st Sergeant, Ringtown, Penna. - Enlisted June 26, 1917; joined company September 5th; appointed 1st - Sergeant February 23, 1918; transferred to Depot Division, 1st Army - Corps, A. E. F., July 27, 1918. - - Fahey, John F., No. 1765260, Corporal, 34 Weyand Street, Buffalo, N. - Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Fahey, Joseph H., No. 2414738, Sergeant, 42 Fulton Street, Medford, - Mass. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. Slightly - wounded in action September 26th in right foot and chest. Returned - to company November 22d. Decorated for deed of bravery performed - September 26th with both Distinguished Service Cross and Croix de - Guerre. - - Farry, Lester E., No. 1746072, Mechanic, (George E. Farry, father), - Farmingdale, N. J. Enlisted September 21, 1917; joined company same - date. Severely wounded September 19th by shrapnel in head and face - while digging trenches, which caused his death in Evacuation Hospital - No. 1 a few days later. - - Fay, Norman W., No. 2060023, Pvt. 1st Class, 52 North Long Avenue, - Chicago, Ill. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company October - 12th. Taken sick November 22d and evacuated. - - Feeney, Patrick J., No. 1748877, Pvt. 1st Class, 821 Park Avenue, - Hoboken, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - Slightly wounded in right arm September 26th; returned to company - November 23. - - Fellows, Elmer, No. 2941531, Private, West Frankfort, Ill. Enlisted - April 27, 1918; joined company same date. - - Fergus, Morris F., No. 3533664, Pvt. 1st Class, R. F. D. 3, - Brookville, Ohio. Enlisted July 23, 1918; joined company December - 10th. - - Ferrians, Frank, No. 2062094, Private, Sauk Center, Minn. Enlisted - June 24, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Fielding, William H., No. 1749252, Private, 138 Manhattan Avenue, - Jersey City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same - date. Slightly wounded by shell fire in arm September 19th; rejoined - company December 15th. - - Fischer, Jacob J., No. 1765262, Pvt. 1st Class, 369 South Park - Avenue, Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same - date. - - Fleischmann, Gustave E., No. 2410771, Pvt. 1st Class, 1608 Park - Avenue, Asbury Park, N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company - same date. Accidentally received a broken leg during bayonet practice - on drill ground in Brunembert Area June 28, 1918. Returned to America - in August, 1918. - - Formes, Joseph H., No. 1749186, Private, 170 New York Avenue, Jersey - City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. Was - slightly wounded underneath left eye September 26th. Returned to - United States in January, 1919. - - Freedman, Sam, No. 1752476, Pvt. 1st Class, 305 Adams Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Was - slightly wounded by shell fire on September 24th. - - Frey, Albert P., No. 1737302, Corporal, 566 Goodyear Avenue, Buffalo, - N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Furlong, William E., No. 2420056, Private, 454 First Street, Troy, - N. Y. Enlisted April 5, 1918; joined company same date. Was slightly - wounded in scalp September 26th; rejoined company January 22, 1919. - - Gaier, Julius, No. 2410772, Private, 33 Montgomery Street, New York - City. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. Severely - wounded in both feet October 29th. - - Gantert, Othmar, S. B., No. 2084273, Corporal, 811 Fourteenth Avenue, - North, Minneapolis, Minn. Enlisted June 22, 1918; joined company - October 12th. - - Geoghegan, John A., No. 2414741, Sergeant, 177 Reid Street, - Elizabeth, N. J. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. - - Glenn, Edward F., No. 1749253, Pvt. 1st Class, 165 North Street, - Jersey City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - Transferred to Headquarters Company, 311th Infantry, July 15, 1918. - - Goldberg, Israel, No. 2452893, Private, 269 South Second Street, - Brooklyn, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company April 16th. - Slightly wounded by shell fire in left forearm, September 24th. - - Golling, Paul E., No. 3341860, Private, Trochee, Alberta, Canada. - Enlisted June 24, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Goodman, Max, No. 4245461, Private, 3751 North Irving Street, - Chicago, Ill. Enlisted August 28, 1918; joined company December 9th. - Taken sick December 21st and evacuated. - - Goodwin, Joseph F., No. 2450527, Cook, South Hampton, Long Island, N. - Y. Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company April 16th. Transferred to - 1st Depot Division January 20, 1919, for return to United States. - - Greenberg, Joseph G., No. 2414743, Private, 408 Jefferson Avenue, - Elizabeth, N. J. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. - - Gress, Edward G., No. 1737305, Private, 184 Weaver Avenue, Buffalo, - N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Taken sick - and evacuated October 14th. - - Griffin, Carl E., No. 2414744, Private, 720 Grand Street, Elizabeth, - N. J. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. Transferred - to Graves Registration Service January 28, 1919. - - Haegerl, John, No. 3750635, Private, Route 1, Box 77, Butternut, Wis. - Enlisted July 24, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Hagedorn, Otto C., No. 3752811, Private, Route 3, Box 60, Fall Creek, - Wis. Enlisted July 26, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Hallock, Charles F., No. 2451048, Private, Sag Harbor, N. Y. Enlisted - April 2, 1918; joined company April 16th. Slightly wounded in left - ankle October 20th. - - Halpern, Max, No. 1748878, Private, 924 Bloomfield Street, Hoboken, - N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - - Hansen, Emil L., No. 3329369, Corporal, R. F. D. 4, West Allis, Wis. - Enlisted May 28, 1918; joined company October 12th. Taken sick and - evacuated December 21st. - - Hansenberger, John G., No. 1750237, Pvt. 1st Class, (George - Hansenberger, father), R. F. D. Odessa, N. Y. Enlisted April 1, 1918; - joined company same date. Killed in action September 26th by shell - which blew off both legs, during preparation for attack on enemy - positions in Bois St. Claude. - - Hardies, William A., No. 2833530, Private, (Fred A. Hardies, father), - 2231 Cortez Street, Chicago, Ill. Joined company October 12, 1918. - Killed in action October 30th, in Bois d’Negremont, by shrapnel in - head and body while in support lines behind Grand Pre. - - Harriss, Raymond L., No. 2450329, Pvt. 1st Class, Rhinebeck, N. Y. - Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company same date. Severely wounded in - left side of face by one pound shell, September 23d. - - Hauber, George, No. 1737306, Corporal, 916 Clinton Street, Buffalo, - N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Slightly - wounded in hand and leg by shell fire September 19th; rejoined - company November 3d. - - Hayden, Alexander M., No. 1746070, Sergeant, 1129 First Avenue, - Asbury Park, N. J. Enlisted September 4, 1917; joined company same - date. Reported missing in action September 26th; was prisoner at Camp - Rastatt, Germany; rejoined company January 27, 1919. Qualified for - and attended the Inter-Allied Meet at Le Mans in April, 1919. - - Haynes, Wilfred E., No. 2411615, Sergeant, Eatontown, N. J. Enlisted - February 25, 1918; joined company same date. Evacuated September 2d - with injuries incurred on athletic field in July. - - Healey, James J., No. 2942194, Pvt. 1st Class, 116 Clinton Street, - Hoboken, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - - Heck, George W., No. 2414746, Corporal, 306 Court Street, Elizabeth, - N. J. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. Slightly - wounded in left hand September 26th. - - Heichberger, George A., No. 1737306, Pvt. 1st Class, 109 Clare - Street, Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same - date. Taken sick and evacuated January 3, 1919. - - Heiple, Loran L., No. 2941539, Private, DeSota, Ill. Enlisted April - 27, 1918; joined company same date. Slightly wounded in left thigh - September 26th; returned to United States in November. - - Heisler, Karl K., No. 1746305, Sergeant, 703 Broad Street, Beverly, - N. J. Enlisted September 18, 1917; joined company January 5, 1919. - Sailed for overseas service with Company “I,” 311th Infantry. - - Henne, Fred, No. 1747743, Pvt. 1st Class, 963 Lafayette Street, - Elizabeth, N. J. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. - Slightly wounded in left shoulder September 26th; rejoined company - December 9th. - - Hennessey, Edward F., No. 2405759, Sergeant, Highlands, N. J. - Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. - - Hess, John, No. 2060477, Corporal, 2860 West 22d Street, Chicago, - Ill. Enlisted December 3, 1917; joined company October 12, 1918. - - Heymer, Louis R., No. 1749254, Private, 118 Palisade Avenue, West - Hoboken, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - Received compound fracture left femur by shrapnel October 29th. - - Hill, Joseph L., No. 2420051, Sergeant, 218 West St. Louis Street, - West Frankfort, Ill. Enlisted April 27, 1918; joined company same - date. Severely wounded in both feet and right leg by shell fire - September 24th. Returned to United States in December, 1918. - - Hillinski, Joseph, No. 2084238, Private, 300 Second Street, N. E., - Minneapolis, Minn. Enlisted June 24, 1918; joined company October - 12th. - - Hoeck, Roy L., No. 1346490, Corporal, 1635 North Crawford Avenue, - Chicago, Ill. Enlisted May 29, 1918; joined company December 10th. - - Hogan, George A., No. 1748879, Pvt. 1st Class, 1106 Grand Street, - Hoboken, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - - Holly, Harold E., No. 1748541, Pvt. 1st Class, Demarest, N. J. - Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. Was taken sick and - evacuated October 8th; afterwards a member of M. P. company 202, at - Paris. - - Hughes, Eugene P., No. 1765263, Private, 1767 Seneca Street, Buffalo, - N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Wounded by - gas November 4th. - - Hunterbrink, Charles A., No. 1749055, Corporal, 40 Thorne Street, - Jersey City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - - Huntley, Harry H., No. 2832015, Private, 1003 Wyman Street, New - London, Wis. Enlisted May 25, 1918; joined company October 12th. Was - slightly wounded in right arm October 20th; rejoined company December - 9th. - - Huston, Henry L., No. 1750238, Pvt. 1st Class, R. F. D. 1, Hector, N. - Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Slightly wounded - September 26th. - - Jacobi, William, No. 1749056, Private, 260 First Street, Hoboken, - N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. Severely - wounded in left leg and right thigh September 26th. - - Janczjewski, Louis, No. 2833675, Private, 1115 Sixth Avenue, - Milwaukee, Wis. Enlisted May 29, 1918; joined company October 12th. - Slightly wounded in upper arm October 20th. Returned to United States - in January, 1919. - - Janicki, Alexander, No. 1737309, Private, Box 90, Grotten Street, - Forks, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - Slightly wounded in left hand September 26th; rejoined company - November 21st. - - Jern, Erick P., No. 3332962, Private, 373 Marion Avenue, Aurora, - Ill., C. B. & Q. R. R. office. Enlisted June 23, 1918; joined company - October 12th. - - Johnson, Carl E., No. 3753096, Pvt. 1st Class, Route 2, Box 109, - Grand Rapids, Wis. Enlisted July 23, 1918; joined company October - 12th. Slightly wounded by shrapnel in upper arm October 22d; returned - to United States in December, 1918. - - Johnson, Charles W., No. 2941548, Private, Six Mile Run, Penna. - Enlisted April 22, 1918; joined company same date. Slightly wounded - in left arm September 26th. - - Johnson, Edward J., No. 1746078, Corporal, 258 West 128th Street, New - York City. Enlisted September 22, 1917; joined company same date. - Transferred to 14th General Hospital, Boulogne, France, July 8th. - - Johnson, Lloyd F., No. 3335191, Private, Route 2, Box 68, Balabon, - Minn. Enlisted June 25, 1918; joined company October 12th. - Transferred to Headquarters Company, 311th Infantry, February 23, - 1919. - - Johnson, Oscar E., No. 3754218, Private (address unknown). Enlisted - July 25, 1918; joined company October 12th. Slightly wounded by - shrapnel in shoulder November 4th. - - Jones, James E., No. 1746069, Corporal, 613 Fourth Avenue, Bradley - Beach, N. J. Enlisted November 21, 1917; joined company same date. - Company Clerk until July 21st. Fell from lorry July 21st, fracturing - leg and ankle, and was transferred to Upper Southard Hospital, - Dartford, England. Returned to United States in December, 1918. - - Josephson, Emil B., No. 3746707, Private, P. O. Box 115, Hayward, - Wis. Enlisted July 22, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Kahn, Leon L., No. 3337375, Private (address unknown). Enlisted June - 26, 1918; joined company October 12th. Severely wounded in face - October 29th and died from wounds November 4th. Buried at Villes - Daucourt. - - Kane, Albert J., No. 1748880, Pvt. 1st Class, 1029 Park Avenue, - Hoboken, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - - Kapacius, Ignatius S., No. 2821449, Private, 12120 Halsted Street, - West Pullman, Ill. Enlisted May 24, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Kapala, John J., No. 2084048, Mechanic, 1321 Third Street, N. E., - Minneapolis, Minn. Enlisted June 24, 1918; joined company October - 12th. - - Karns, Jay B., No. 1765264, Corporal, 1899 Seneca Street, Buffalo, N. - Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Kaufman, Isidore, No. 2414750, Private, 356 Linden Avenue, Elizabeth, - N. J. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. Slightly - wounded by shrapnel in left leg September 26th. Returned to United - States in November. - - Kazmierczak, John S., No. 2824702, Pvt. 1st Class, 400 Madison - Street, Beaver Dam, Wis. Enlisted July 27, 1918; joined company - October 12th. - - Kelley, Leandrew T., No. 3270643, Pvt. 1st Class, Bradleyton, - Alabama. Enlisted June 25, 1918; joined company October 12th. - Transferred to 78th Division, M. P. Company, April 8, 1919. - - Keyes, Paul, No. 17490 57, Private, 208 Harrison Street, Harrison, N. - J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - - Kilbourn, Henry, No. 1745902, Private, Jamesburg, N. J. Enlisted - November 19, 1917; joined company same date. Transferred to - Headquarters Company, 311th Infantry, September 10, 1918. - - Kilburn, Vallie J., No. 1752091, Pvt. 1st Class, Chestnut Street, - Cardiff, Md. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Kindt, Edward W., No. 1737311, Private, (Mrs. Mary Kindt, mother), - 257 Howard Street, Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined - company same date. Killed in action September 24, 1918, in Bois St. - Claude, by direct hit of shell, while on outpost duty. - - Kitson, John G., No. 1749073, Private, 275 Thirteenth Street, Jersey - City, N. J. Enlisted April 25, 1918; joined company same date. - Transferred to Supply Company, 311th Infantry, November 13th. - - Klosiak, Stanley F., No. 1737312, Private, 1074 Smith Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. - Slightly wounded in left knee and body by shrapnel September 24th. - Was later assigned to Service Battalion Army Schools, A. E. F. - - Koegel, William, No. 1749256, Private, (Miss Caroline Koegel, - sister), 102 Leonard Street, Jersey City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, - 1918; joined company same date. Killed in action in Bois St. Claude, - September 26, 1918. - - Koehler, Herman G., No. 3337632, Private (Mrs. Mary C. Koehler, - mother), 2418 Ninth Street, Rock Island, Ill. Joined company October - 12, 1918. Killed in action October 30th by shrapnel in back, while in - support lines behind Grand Pre. - - Kopec, Antoni, No. 1763333, Pvt. 1st Class, 96 Lenora Street, Depew, - N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Koster, Theodore A., No. 3744398, Pvt. 1st Class, Route 5, Sterling, - Ill. Enlisted June 25, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Kreiner, George J., No. 1749191, Private, 179 Hopkins Avenue, Jersey - City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company December 9, 1918. - - Kronhelm, Joseph E., No. 2829687, Corporal, 760 First Avenue, - Milwaukee, Wis. Enlisted May 28, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Kropidlowski, Peter W., No. 3752668, Private (John Kropidlowski, - brother), Route 1, Box 14, Amherst Junction, Wis. Joined company - October 12, 1918. Killed in action October 20th, northwest of Grand - Pre during an attack upon Ferme des Loges. - - Krygier, Walter, No. 1737313, Private, 188 Coit Street, Buffalo, N. - Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Slightly wounded - over right eye by shrapnel September 19th. Afterwards assigned to - Company “A,” 110th Infantry. - - Kuczkowski, Alexandre, No. 1737314, Private, (Mrs. Marion Kuczkowski, - mother), 70 Woltz Avenue, Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 2, 1918; - joined company same date. Severely wounded in right side and chest - by shrapnel September 26th. Died in Evacuation Hospital No. 12, - September 28th. - - Kuecker, Carl A., No. 2082342, Pvt. 1st Class, Brownsville, Minn. - Enlisted June 24, 1918; joined company October 12th. Slightly wounded - by shrapnel in left arm October 30th; rejoined company December 9th. - - Kunferman, George, No. 3752853, Pvt. 1st Class, 611 Babcock Street, - Eau Claire, Wis. Enlisted July 26, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Lambert, John C, No. 1748887, Pvt. 1st Class, 70 Gautier Avenue, - Jersey City, N. J. Enlisted April 25, 1918; joined company December - 9th; sailed for overseas service with Company “E,” 311th Infantry. - - Lammert, Will J., No. 3752450, Private, Verdi, Minn. Enlisted July - 23, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Lander, Irving W., No. 2451020, Private, Stone Avenue, Elmsford, N. - Y. Enlisted March 30, 1918; joined company April 16th. Taken sick and - evacuated October 14th. - - Lang, Joseph J., No. 2409708, Private, 27 Ward Street, Maspeth, Long - Island, N. Y. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. - Missing in action September 26th; was prisoner at Camp Rastatt, - Germany. Rejoined company December 16th. - - Lange, Fred C. H., No. 1748881, Private, 744 Park Avenue, Hoboken, - N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. Slightly - wounded in right leg October 29th. - - Larkin, Philip J., No. 2825537, Corporal, (address unknown). Enlisted - May 28, 1918; joined company October 12th. Slightly wounded in right - arm November 4th. Afterwards assigned to Company “I,” 320th Infantry. - - Larson, Olaf A., No. 2074383, Private, 1401 Washington Avenue, - Minneapolis, Minn. Enlisted June 22, 1918; joined company October - 12th. Slightly wounded in right thigh by shrapnel, October 30th; - rejoined company January 24, 1919. - - Larson, Oscar L., No. 3333579, Private, 2728 Longfellow Avenue, - Minneapolis, Minn. Enlisted June 22, 1918; joined company October - 12th. - - Laurencell, Harry J., No. 1765267, Pvt. 1st Class, (Joseph - Laurencell, father), 342 South Park Avenue, Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted - April 2, 1918; joined company same date. Killed in action September - 24th in Bois St. Claude, by direct hit of shell while on outpost duty. - - LaVigne, Harry, No. 2452392, Private, 300 West 17th Street, New York - City. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company April 16th. Slightly - wounded in left leg September 26th; returned to United States in - December. - - Lawton, John G., No. 1328335, Corporal, Garnett, Hampton County, - S. C. Enlisted April 5, 1917; joined company December 9, 1918. - Transferred to 30th Division (with which he went to France) March 11, - 1919. - - Ledwin, Joseph, No. 1752090, Private, 64 Zittle Street, Buffalo, N. - Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Slightly wounded - in right arm October 20th; rejoined company December 17th. - - Lehy, Howard C., No. 1746071, Sergeant, (Mrs. John Lehy, mother), - Oakhurst, N. J. Enlisted September 4, 1917; joined company same date. - Killed in action by shrapnel October 17, 1918, at La Folie Ferme. - - Leitzke, Edward A., No. 3750112, Private, (William F. Leitzke, - father), Route 1, Box 37, Burnett Junction, Wis. Enlisted July 24, - 1918; joined company October 12th; wounded in stomach and left arm by - shrapnel October 31st, while in support lines behind Grand Pre; died - in Mobile Hospital No. 2, same date. - - Lent, Arnold W., No. 3338546, Private, Stacy, Minn. Enlisted June 24, - 1918; joined company October 12th; severely wounded by shrapnel in - left wrist October 31st. - - Leonard, Cyril T., No. 2414752, Private, 34 Sayre Street, Elizabeth, - N. J. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. Taken sick - due to exposure in Limey Sector and evacuated October 13th; returned - to United States in December. - - Letmolee, Kittel N., No. 2081589, Pvt. 1st Class, Perley, Minn. - Enlisted June 24, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Levy, Joseph, No. 1746080, Supply Sergeant, Freehold, N. J. Enlisted - November 12, 1917; joined company same date. Appointed Supply - Sergeant April 12, 1918; transferred to Army Candidate School October - 10th; rejoined company December 10th; transferred to 1st Replacement - Depot, St. Aignan, for immediate discharge April 8, 1919. Mentioned - in 78th Division General Orders No 6 for bravery on September 26th. - - Limbert, William D., No. 1755647, Private, (address unknown). - Enlisted September 7, 1917; joined company August 16, 1918; wounded - by gas burns October 22d. - - Lineski, John A., No. 2084164, Private, 1601 California Street, N. - E., Minneapolis, Minn. Enlisted June 24, 1918; joined company October - 12th. - - Lipowsky, Julius, No. 4566070, Private, 43 Rutgels Street, New York - City. Enlisted August 27, 1918; joined company December 10th. - - Long, William G., No. 1737317, Corporal, 668 North Division Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. - - Lotesto, Rocco, No. 2822865, Private, 523 West 80th Street, Chicago, - Ill. Enlisted May 24, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Lueders, Emil A., No. 2829483, Pvt. 1st Class, (address unknown). - Joined company October 12th. Taken sick and evacuated October 20th. - - Lush, Adam J., No. 1749075, Private, 145 Eighth Street, Jersey - City, N. J. Enlisted April 25, 1918; joined company same date. - Reported missing in action September 26th; was prisoner at Camp - Rastatt, Germany; rejoined company January 7, 1919; transferred to - Headquarters Company, 311th Infantry, March 8th. - - Lusier, Albert J., No. 2409712, Cook, 228 West Hazard Street, - Philadelphia, Penna. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same - date. - - Lykes, James H., No. 2409711, Pvt. 1st Class (Mrs. Catherine Lykes, - mother), 30 Bowne Avenue, Freehold, N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; - joined company same date. Killed in action September 26th, by bullet - through body during general advance of company. - - McAslan, Walter W., No. 2450787, Pvt. 1st Class, 407 Second Street, - Greenport, Long Island, N. Y. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company - April 16th; severely wounded in right shoulder and left hip September - 26th; rejoined company November 21st. - - McCarthy, Frederick H., No. 2411625, Pvt. 1st Class, 180 Brighton - Avenue, Long Branch, N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company - same date; transferred to Headquarters Company, 311th Infantry June - 28th. - - McCumber, Norman, No. 1751361, Private, 482 William Street, Buffalo, - N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Slightly - wounded in right arm September 26th. - - McDonald, William, No. 2061019, Private, Curtis, Nebraska. Enlisted - December 7, 1917; joined company October 12, 1918. - - McGarrity, Joseph R., No. 2411623, Corporal, 142 Bridge Avenue, Red - Bank, N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. - Severely wounded in left elbow September 26, 1918. Mentioned in 78th - Division General Orders No. 6, for bravery in action on September - 24th. - - McGuire, James P., No. 2407801, Private, (address unknown). Enlisted - February 25, 1918; joined company August 16th. Slightly wounded by - shrapnel November 4th. - - McMahon, James C., No. 1749077, Private, 178 Eighteenth Street, - Jersey City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - Slightly wounded in left foot September 25th. - - McMahon, William C., No. 1765269, Pvt. 1st Class, 48 Walter Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Mackley, James E., No. 2452441, Private, 117 West South Street, - Frederick City, Md. Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company same date. - Severely wounded in right lower leg September 26th. - - Madsen, Christ, No. 3335322, Pvt. 1st Class, 718 West Hickory Street, - Stillwater, Minn. Enlisted June 25, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Magaski, William P., No. 3340770, Private, 2511 West Walton Street, - Chicago, Ill. Enlisted June 24, 1918; joined company October 12th. - Accidentally wounded in shoulder October 22d; rejoined company - November 17th. - - Makowiecki, Boleslaw, No. 1747860, Private, (Mrs. Jadwiga Makowiecki, - wife), 205 Weimar Street, Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; - joined company same date. Killed in action September 26th by shrapnel - in body and head during general advance of company in Limey Sector. - - Malone, Edward M., No. 2414753, Pvt. 1st Class, 1019 Olive Street, - Elizabeth, N. J. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. - Severely wounded in back September 26th; rejoined company December - 9th; again evacuated on account of old wound December 16th. - - Mandinach, Oscar, No. 4566060, Pvt. 1st Class, 556 East 105th Street, - Brooklyn, N. Y. Enlisted August 28, 1918; joined company December - 9th. - - Marcinkiewicz, Frank J., No. 2833843, Corporal, 1326 Fourth Avenue, - Milwaukee, Wis. Enlisted May 29, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Martin, Charles H., No. 2085824, Corporal, 3258 North California - Avenue, Chicago, Ill. Enlisted February 27, 1918; joined company - October 12th. - - Martocci, Salvatore, No. 2670129, Corporal, 160 West 100th Street, - New York City. Enlisted April 4, 1918; joined company April 16th. - - Maske, Louis A., No. 1760024, Private, (Louis Maske, father), 82 - Baumann Street, Rochester, N. Y. Joined company August 16, 1918; - severely wounded by shrapnel in right thigh September 26th; died - while on way to hospital. - - Meister, John C., No. 1748543, Pvt. 1st Class, Washington Street, - Dumont, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - - Meltzer, Sam M., No. 4566099, Private, 241 Madison Street, New York - City. Enlisted August 28, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Mergan, Lewis W., No. 3746816, Private, 1610 Ohio Avenue, Superior, - Wis. Enlisted July 22, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Mero, John, No. 2414755, Private, 44 James Place, Staten Island, N. - Y. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date; slightly wounded - in right leg September 26th. - - Miller, Michael J., No. 1737318, Corporal, 441 Emslie Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Morath, Paul, No. 1760050, Private, (address unknown). Joined company - August 16th. Severely wounded in left leg September 26th; died of - wounds (date unknown). - - Morelli, Angelo, No. 2411627, Pvt. 1st Class, 215 Jane Street, Long - Branch, N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. - - Moroshick, Max, No. 4566061, Private, 488 Hinsdale Street, Brooklyn, - N. Y. Enlisted August 28, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Morris, L. P. Morton, No. 2410780, Corporal, 128 Heck Avenue, Ocean - Grove, N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. - Slightly wounded in left foot September 26th. Returned to United - States in February, 1919. - - Morrison, John W., No. 3747447, Private, Route 20, Winneconne, Wis. - Enlisted July 22, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Mouser, Charles J., No. 2411111, Pvt. 1st Class, Lincroft, N. J. - Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. Reported - missing in action September 26th; was prisoner at Camp Rastatt, - Germany; rejoined company January 25, 1919. - - Murphy, Thomas J., No. 1764987, Private, 295 Bailey Avenue, Buffalo, - N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Evacuated to - hospital in September, 1918. - - Murphy, Robert A., No. 2827853, Private, (address unknown). Enlisted - May 27, 1918; joined company October 12th. Taken sick and evacuated - November 1st. - - Nelson, Carl E., No. 2084434, Pvt. 1st Class, 1422 James Avenue, - North, Minneapolis, Minn. Enlisted June 22, 1918; joined company - October 12th; wounded (degree undetermined) in right elbow and - forearm October 20th; rejoined company December 3d. - - Nelson, Otto, No. 3339872, Private, Route 1, Box 65, Stanchfield, - Minn. Enlisted June 28, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Ness, Sander O., No. 3340000, Private, (address unknown). Enlisted - June 27, 1918; joined company October 12th. Evacuated to hospital - sick November 1st. - - Neuffer, Rinehart J., No. 1737319, Private, 50 Wagner Place, Buffalo, - N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Severely - wounded in left leg and thigh September 26th. - - Newell, Clendenon S., No. 1748544, Sergeant, (Mrs. Leona D. Newell, - mother), 165 Leonia Street, Leonia, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; - joined company same date. Killed in action October 20th by shrapnel - through head from shell which struck a nearby tree and exploded, - killing him while lying in his tent, while in support lines behind - Grand Pre. - - Newell, James McC., No. 1773758, Sergeant (Officer Candidate), (James - W. McConnell, Uncle), 800 Russell Street, Nashville, Tenn. Enlisted - May 5, 1917; joined company October 27th; appointed 2nd Lieutenant - effective June 1, 1918, and attached to Company “G,” 311th Infantry, - July 15th; killed in action October 16, 1918. - - North, Harry E., No. 3534857, Private, 1325 West 117th Street, - Cleveland, Ohio. Enlisted July 25, 1918; joined company December 9th. - Evacuated to hospital December 21st. - - Norton, William H., No. 2414757, Sergeant, 1089 Magnolia Avenue, - Elizabeth, N. J. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. - Transferred to 1st Replacement Depot, St. Aignan, for immediate - discharge February 13, 1919. - - O’Connell, James M., No. 2450203, Pvt. 1st Class, 2070 Eastern - Parkway, Brooklyn, N. Y. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company April - 16th; reported missing in action September 26th; was prisoner at Camp - Rastatt, Germany; rejoined company December 15th. - - O’Gara, John J., No. 1749059, Pvt. 1st Class, 72 Garden Street, - Hoboken, N. J. Enlisted April 25, 1918; joined company same date. - Reported wounded September 26th; was prisoner at Camp Rastatt, - Germany; rejoined company December 15th. - - O’Hara, William F., No. 2414066, Private, 267 Pearl Street, - Burlington, N. J. Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company July 15th. - Killed in action September 19th by shrapnel through head, while - digging trenches--the first death casualty in company. - - O’Neill, William E., No. 1749060, Private, 222 Willow Avenue, - Hoboken, N. J. Enlisted April 25, 1918; joined company same date. - - O’Reilly, John J., No. 2942195, Pvt. 1st Class, 1036 Willow Avenue, - Hoboken, N. J. Enlisted April 25, 1918; joined company same date. - Wounded by gas burns October 30th; returned to United States in - January, 1919. - - O’Rourke, Bernard J., No. 1764989, Private, 78 Eleventh Avenue, New - York City. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Slightly - wounded in heel September 19th. - - Ohin, Carl L., No. 3341710, Private, Box 6, Osco, Ill. Enlisted July - 10, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Osterweis, Dayton, No. 2411112, Sergeant, Hotel Endicott, New York - City. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. - - Ovrid, Imbert A., No. 3758119, Private, Caperon, Ill. Enlisted August - 3, 1918; joined company October 12th; reported missing in action - October 20th; was wounded by piece of rock being thrown against his - knee by an exploding shell same date; rejoined company December 21st. - - Pankow, Arthur F. W., No. 3747293, Bugler, R. F. D. 6, Box 36, - Merrill, Wis. Enlisted July 23, 1918; joined company October 12th. - Evacuated to hospital April 24th. - - Perry, George H., No. 1746063, 1st Sergeant, 75 Heck Avenue, Ocean - Grove, N. J. Enlisted September 21, 1917; joined company same date; - transferred to Depot Division 1st Army Corps, A. E. F., July 27th; - rejoined company October 9th; appointed 1st Sergeant October 10th; - evacuated to hospital October 26th; rejoined company December 27th; - transferred to 1st Depot Division January 20, 1919. - - Peter, Charles, No. 1749195, Supply Sergeant, 208 Sherman Avenue, - Jersey City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date; - appointed Supply Sergeant November, 1918. - - Peterson, Elmer J., No. 3334575, Private, Route 1, Box 9, LeRoy, - Minn. Enlisted June 25, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Peterson, Lawrence R., No. 1737320, Private, 54 Alma Street, Buffalo, - N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Admitted to - 14th General Hospital July 11th; rejoined company November 1st. - - Peterson, Theodore A., No. 1746062, Sergeant, Manasquan, N. J. - Enlisted September 21, 1917; joined company same date; went on - detached service with Division Headquarters June 26; dropped from - rolls in January, 1919. - - Pettys, Levi M., No. 1752088, Pvt. 1st Class, Route 5, Cuba, N. Y. - Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date; transferred to - 153rd Field Artillery Brigade July 15th. - - Picciano, Michael, No. 1748545, Private, Maple Avenue, Dumont, N. J. - Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date; reported missing - in action September 26th; was prisoner at Camp Rastatt, Germany; - returned to United States in January 1919. - - Pilarski, Walter E., No. 1737322, Pvt. 1st Class, 77 Townsend Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date; - severely wounded in left apex lung September 26th. - - Pitarro, Frank, No. 2411636, Pvt. 1st Class, 216 West Front Street, - Red Bank, N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date; - reported missing in action September 26th; was prisoner at Camp - Rastatt, Germany; rejoined company January 7, 1919. - - Pitzrick, William G., No. 3752487, Pvt. 1st Class, Barron, Wis. - Enlisted July 23, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Price, Lory L., No. 2941581, Pvt. 1st Class, R. F. D. 6, Marion, Ill. - Enlisted April 27, 1918; joined company same date; reported missing - in action September 26; was prisoner at Camp Rastatt, Germany; - rejoined company January 7, 1919; mentioned in 78th Division General - Orders No. 6 for bravery in action September 26, 1918. - - Przyczkowski, Joseph J., No. 2833893, Private, 1041 First Avenue, - Milwaukee, Wis. Enlisted May 29, 1918; joined company October 12th; - wounded in left leg (degree undetermined) October 20th; rejoined - company December 12th; taken sick and evacuated to hospital December - 28th. - - Pushner, Jacob, No. 2954387, Private, 75 Bay Street, Brockton, Mass. - Enlisted June 26, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Ranalletta, Achille, No. 3678854, Private, 531 State Street, - Rochester, N. Y. Enlisted July 22, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Rasmussen, Leslie L., No. 2832009, Corporal, R. F. D. 2, Belmont, - Wis. Enlisted May 25, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Ratkiewcus, John, No. 2828386, Private, 2929 West 40th Street, - Chicago, Ill. Enlisted May 27, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Reed, Thomas P., No. 2669133, Private, 80 Ravine Avenue, Yonkers, N. - Y. Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company April 16th. - - Reid, William M., No. 1746064, Sergeant, 114 West 39th Street, New - York City. Enlisted September 21, 1917; joined company same date; - transferred to Army Candidate School September 28th. Mentioned in - 78th Division General Orders No. 6 for bravery in action September - 26th. - - Renski, John J., No. 1737324, Private, 140 Coit Street, Buffalo, N. - Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Severely wounded - in right shoulder and neck September 26th. - - Richman, Fred, No. 4566016, Private, 8 Vernon Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. - Enlisted August 28, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Richter, Otto R., No. 2410784, Corporal, Lewis Street, Oakhurst, N. - J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date; served with - Regimental Supply Company during campaign. - - Riedel, George I., No. 3747108, Pvt. 1st Class, Mosinee, Wis. - Enlisted July 23, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Riess, Eugene, No. 2450873, Private, 141 West Sidney Avenue, Mt. - Vernon, N. Y. Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company April 16th. - - Riskey, John F., No. 3340152, Private, 924 Farrington Avenue, St. - Paul, Minn. Enlisted June 27, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Robbins, Charles A., No. 1746061, 1st Sergeant, 150 Summit Street, - South Manchester, Conn. Enlisted July 3, 1917; joined company - September 7th; appointed 1st Sergeant August 1, 1918; slightly - wounded by shrapnel in left leg September 26th; rejoined company - December 17th; transferred to 1st Replacement Depot January 20, 1919; - returned to United States in March 1919. Decorated with Distinguished - Service Cross for bravery in action September 26, 1918. - - Rogers, George H., No. 1746067, Sergeant, Keyport, N. J. Enlisted - September 22, 1917; joined company same date. Gassed September 19, - 1918; rejoined company November 15th. - - Ryan, William H., No. 2413606, Pvt. 1st Class, 157 Chestnut Street, - Red Bank, N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same - date; reported missing in action September 26; was prisoner at Camp - Rastatt, Germany; rejoined company January 7, 1919. - - Sanders, Will., No. 3662370, Private, Mott, Texas. Enlisted August 8, - 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Sapienza, Sabastiano, No. 2830845, Private, 2910 Wentworth Avenue, - Chicago, Ill. Enlisted May 25, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Sasso, Aniello, No. 2410785, Private, 110 Aitkens Avenue, Asbury - Park, N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. - Slightly wounded in thumb November 4th; rejoined company January 15, - 1919. - - Sawyer, Elwood L., No. 1751858, Sergeant, 413 Morgan Avenue, Palmyra, - N. J. Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company November 13th. Sailed - for overseas service with Supply Company 311th Infantry. Transferred - to that company March 13, 1919. - - Schelter, John D., No. 1749263, Sergeant, (Mrs. Madeline Schelter, - wife), 213 Terrace Avenue, Jersey City, N. J. Enlisted April 26, - 1918; joined company same date. Killed in action by shrapnel - September 26th while on outpost duty. - - Schiefer, Jacob, No. 1764991, Private, 93 Kilburn Street, Buffalo, N. - Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. Reported missing - in action September 26th; was prisoner at Camp Rastatt, Germany; - returned to United States in January 1919. - - Schmid, Alfred, No. 4561896, Corporal, 756 Cauldwell Avenue, Bronx, - New York. Enlisted August 26, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Schmidt, Jack, No. 2828065, Corporal, 787½ Fifteenth Street, - Milwaukee, Wis. Enlisted May 27, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Schmidt, Walter J., No. 1976622, Pvt. 1st Class, Route 1, Binkmille, - Ill. Enlisted September 17, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Schreiner, George, No. 2832956, Pvt. 1st Class, (Mrs. Frances - Schreiner, mother), 332 Seventeenth Avenue, Milwaukee, Wis. Joined - company October 12, 1918; killed in action October 20th northwest of - Grand Pre, during an attack on Ferme des Loges. - - Schultz, Martin L., No. 2083969, Pvt. 1st Class, 1516 Grand Street, - N. E., Minneapolis, Minn. Enlisted June 24, 1918; joined company - December 9. - - Schultz, Walter, No. 1737326, Pvt. 1st Class, (Mrs. Mary Schultz, - mother), 223 Metcalf Street, Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; - joined company same date. Killed in action September 26th by machine - gun bullets while resisting an enemy counter-attack. - - Schwenk, Michael A., No. 1737327, Private, 1012 Smith Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Sciancalepore, Louis, No. 1749063, Private, 229 Clinton Street, - Hoboken, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - - Scory, John, No. 2481989, Mechanic, Box 94, Lansing, Ohio. Enlisted - June 24, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Sculthorp, Warren D., No. 1746059, Mess Sergeant, 165 Riddle Avenue, - Long Branch, N. J. Enlisted September 5, 1917; joined company same - date; appointed Mess Sergeant October 1st; transferred to II Army - Corps in August, 1918. - - Sculthorpe, Harold, No. 1746075, Cook, 25 Main Street, Asbury Park, - N. J. Enlisted September 21, 1917; joined company same date; burned - by mustard gas October 30, 1918; rejoined company December 10th. - - Sheridan, Edward J., No. 1745938, Private, Ocean Avenue, Sea Bright, - N. J. Enlisted September 21, 1917; joined company same date but was - afterwards transferred to Headquarters Company, same Regiment; - rejoined company January 12, 1919. - - Sheridan, Leon J., No. 4563935, Private, 98 East Court Street, - Cortland, N. Y. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company December 9th; - transferred to Graves Registration Service January 28, 1919. - - Shipman, Maurice, No. 3661183, Pvt. 1st Class, Route 6, Honey Grove, - Texas. Enlisted August 5, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Siems, Walter, No. 2833423, Pvt. 1st Class, (address unknown). Joined - company October 12, 1918; severely wounded by shrapnel in right side - of head and back November 4th. - - Skillen, Edmund S., No. 1747131, Corporal, 155 Madison Avenue, - Elizabeth, N. J. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date; - slightly wounded in left leg September 26th; returned to United - States in December, 1918. - - Slover, Luke E., Jr., No. 2411118, Pvt. 1st Class, (Mrs. Eva Smith, - friend), Main Street, Keansburg N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; - joined company same date. Killed in action in Limey Sector September - 26th, by shrapnel, while carrying messages for company headquarters. - Awarded Distinguished Service Cross for bravery in action September - 26th. - - Smith, James E., No. 1738837, Private, 1146 Pierce Avenue, Niagara - Falls, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company August 16th; - evacuated to hospital September 2d; rejoined company December 17th; - evacuated to hospital December 28th. - - Smogola, Anton F., No. 2833924, Private, 1039 Third Avenue, - Milwaukee, Wis. Enlisted May 29, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Sobol, Jacob I., No. 4561914, Private, 877 East 105th Street, Bronx, - New York. Enlisted August 26, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Sokoloski, Martin J., No. 3330105, Corporal, 1016 West Denham Street, - South Bend, Ind. Enlisted June 19, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Soldner, Raymond A., No. 1978502, Pvt. 1st Class, Kinmundy, Ill. - Enlisted October 2, 1917; joined company December 9, 1918. - - Spensberger, John, No. 3306369, Pvt. 1st Class, 119 East 13th Street, - Pittsburgh, Kansas. Enlisted June 23, 1918; joined company October - 12th. - - Stankiewicz, John, No. 2086296, Pvt. 1st Class, 857 North May Street, - Chicago, Ill. Enlisted February 26, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Stiles, Bert W., No. 2414760, Sergeant, 511 Fifth Avenue, New York, - N. Y. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. Appointed - Company Clerk July 21st. - - Storck, William H., No. 2932855, Private, Fiat, Ohio. Enlisted June - 27, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Stringfield, Jasper, No. 3498489, Private, R. F. D. 1, Wheat, Tenn. - Enlisted June 27, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Stuhser, Frank H., No. 3347505, Private, (Peter Stuhser, father), 728 - Second Street, Manasha, Wis. Joined company October 12, 1918. Killed - in action October 30th by shrapnel while in support lines behind - Grand Pre. - - Sullivan, John L., No. 1764992, Pvt. 1st Class, (Mrs. Martin Kelly, - aunt), 141 Babcock Street, Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; - joined company same date; killed in action November 4th, at Les - Petites Armoises, by machine gun bullets, during an attack upon enemy - machine gun nests. - - Sullivan, William, No. 3751681, Private, 314 von Minden Street, St. - Paul, Minn. Enlisted July 25, 1918; joined company October 12th; - transferred to Graves Registration Service January 28, 1919. - - Sutton, Lewis Z., No. 1745988, Corporal, 324 West Main Street, - Moorestown, N. J. Enlisted September 18, 1917; joined company May 3, - 1918; reported missing in action September 26th; was prisoner at Camp - Rastatt, Germany; rejoined company January 7, 1919. - - Suwalski, Jan, No. 1737331, Pvt. 1st Class, 102 Montgomery Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Sweeney, Hugh J., No. 1746066, Sergeant, (William Sweeney, father), - 123 West Main Street, Moorestown, N. J. Enlisted September 21, 1917; - joined company same date. Slightly wounded in foot by ricochet bullet - September 26, 1918, but nothing further was heard from him. - - Switalski, Ignatz W., No. 3329487, Private, Cudahy, Wis. Enlisted May - 28, 1918; joined company October 12th; slightly wounded in left hip - October 25th; rejoined company December 4th. - - Szymczak, John, No. 1737332, Private, 911 Smith Street, Buffalo, N. - Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Tannenbaum, David, No. 4566084, Private, 55 East Second Street, New - York City. Enlisted August 28, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Taras, Sebastiano, No. 1748548, Private (John Taras, brother), 128 - Central Avenue, Leonia, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company - same date. Wounded in action September 26th (degree undetermined); - reported died of wounds (date and place unknown). - - Tarlack, Bernard, No. 2060527, Private, 3128 Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, - Ill. Enlisted September 19, 1917; joined company October 12, 1918. - - Tatoian, John C, No. 3329255, Corporal, 11700 Lowe Avenue, West - Pullman, Ill. Enlisted May 3, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Tauber, Gustave, No. 2670074, Private, 25 McKibben Street, Brooklyn, - N. Y. Enlisted April 4, 1918; joined company April 16th; reported - missing in action September 26th; was prisoner at Camp Rastatt, - Germany; rejoined company January 7, 1919. - - Thompson, George M., No. 1746073, Mechanic, 210 Academy Street, - Trenton, N. J. Enlisted September 8, 1918; joined company same date; - reported missing in action September 26, 1918; was prisoner at Camp - Rastatt, Germany; rejoined company January 7, 1919. - - Tietje, John F., No. 4 561770, Private, 175 Park Avenue, Corning, N. - Y. Enlisted August 26, 1918; joined company December 9th; transferred - to Graves Registration Service January 28, 1919. - - Tuthill, George L., No. 2450789, Mechanic, (Mrs. E. W. Tuthill, - mother), Jamesport, New York. Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company - April 16th; wounded in right arm October 20th; died of Hypostatic - Pneumonia February 25, 1919, at Base Hospital No. 77, caused by - wounds; buried in grave number 363, American Burial Plot, assigned, - Beaune, Cote d’or, France. - - Ullrich, Lewis W., No. 2061989, Private, 3711 North Troy Street, - Chicago, Ill. Enlisted March 12, 1918; joined company October 12th. - -[Illustration: 4th Platoon, Flavigny, France, 1919.] - - Vafiadis, William K., No. 2412153, Private, 182 Broadway, Long - Branch, N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. - Severely wounded in right shoulder and face September 26th. - - Venche, Tony, No. 2411124, Pvt. 1st Class, Matawan, N. J. Enlisted - February 25, 1918; joined company same date. - - Vermette, Gilbert W., No. 4563913, Private, R. F. D. 2, Malone, N. Y. - Enlisted August 26, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Vieths, Friedrich G., No. 2082894, Corporal, Box “F,” Goodhue, Minn. - Enlisted June 24, 1918; joined company October 12th; transferred - to 1st Replacement Depot, St. Aignan, April 6, 1919, for immediate - discharge. - - Vorta, Nicholas, No. 2450906, Private, (Mrs. Agnes Vorta, mother), - 1444 Edwards Avenue, Bronx, Westchester County, N. Y. Enlisted - April 1, 1918; joined company April 16th; slightly wounded in scalp - September 20th, received 1st Aid and returned to duty same date; - killed in action September 26th by pistol bullet in head, shot by - German officer, during general advance of company. - - Vrieze, Reuben, No. 2080897, Private, Route 1, Lime Spring, Iowa. - Enlisted June 24, 1918; joined company October 12th. - - Viscuso, Frank, No. 1749080, Private, 641 Grove Street, Jersey City, - N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date. - - Wallace, Walter R., No. 3659523, Private, Carlsbad, New Mexico. - Enlisted August 5, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Wandry, Carl, No. 3347495, Mechanic (address unknown). Enlisted July - 22, 1918; joined company October 12th; slightly wounded in right leg - October 30th. - - Warner, Theodore H., No. 2450897, Private, c/o Mrs. T. W. Sadlier - (sister), Quoque, New York. Enlisted April 1, 1918; joined company - April 16th; reported missing in action September 26th; was prisoner - at Camp Rastatt, Germany; rejoined company January 16, 1919. - - Webb, William, No. 2409728, Pvt. 1st Class, 170 Jefferson Street, - Trenton, N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date; - slightly wounded in right hand September 26th. - - Weber, Benjamin, No. 1746086, Mess Sergeant, 355 Joline Avenue, Long - Branch, N. J. Enlisted November 19, 1917; joined company same date; - with sergeant Welsh captured the first prisoner taken by the company; - appointed Mess Sergeant November 10th. - - Weidman, John C., No. 1737335, Corporal, (Mrs. Justina Weidman, - mother), 364 Watson Street, Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; - joined company same date; killed in action September 24th by direct - hit from shell while on outpost duty. - - Weinstein, Nathan, No. 4561941, Private, 603 Prospect Avenue, Bronx, - N. Y. Enlisted August 26, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Wekony, Julius, No. 2059420, Cook, 4907 West Eddy Street, Chicago, - Ill. Enlisted October 4, 1917; joined regiment October 12, 1918; - joined company November 23d. - - Welsh, Edward J., No. 2409727, Sergeant, c/o Margaret Eisenberg - (sister), 1719 Carlton Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Enlisted February - 25, 1918; joined company same date; with sergeant Weber captured - the first prisoner taken by the company; severely wounded by seven - machine gun bullets in right wrist and both arms October 20th; cited - for bravery in Limey Sector; decorated with Distinguished Service - Cross for bravery in Meuse-Argonne fight. - - Westlund, Gust V., No. 2074345, Pvt. 1st Class, 229 Twentieth Avenue, - South, Minneapolis, Minn. Enlisted June 24, 1918; joined company - October 12th. - - Wheeler, Raymerd, No. 2932858, Pvt. 1st Class, Peoli, Ohio. Enlisted - June 27, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - White, Henry R., No. 1746087, Bugler, Center Street, Sea Bright, N. - J. Enlisted September 21, 1917; joined company same date; slightly - wounded September 26th; returned to United States in December. - - White, Thomas A., No. 1764994, Corporal, 291 Babcock Street, Buffalo, - N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - White, Tracy S., No. 2410793, 1st Sergeant, 1215 L Street, Belmar, N. - J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. Appointed - 1st Sergeant November 10th; decorated with Distinguished Service - Cross for bravery in Meuse-Argonne battles. - - Willett, Cornelius V. S., No. 2411126, Mechanic, Port Monmouth, N. - J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date; slightly - wounded October 20th. - - Williams, Claude L., No. 1750243, Corporal, R. F. D. 1, Hector, N. Y. - Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - Williams, John, No. 1749065, Corporal, 116 Bloomfield Street, - Hoboken, N. J. Enlisted April 26, 1918; joined company same date; - slightly wounded in left hip September 26th. - - Willmore, Herbert McK., No. 2941605, Pvt. 1st Class, R. F. D. 3, West - Frankfort, Ill. Enlisted April 27, 1918; joined company same date. - - Wilson, Carol, No. 2413196, Sergeant, New Street, Sea Bright, N. J. - Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date; Mess Sergeant - from July 21st to October 20th, at which time he was transferred to - Army Candidate School; rejoined company December 17th; transferred to - Headquarters Company, 311th Infantry, and appointed Regimental Color - Sergeant, February 3, 1919. - - Winemiller, Robert B., No. 1746088, Bugler, 320 Tuttle Avenue, Spring - Lake, N. J. Enlisted September 21, 1917; joined company same date; - slightly wounded in left hand September 26; rejoined company December - 1st. - - Wise, Henry B., No. 2670038, Pvt. 1st Class, 215 West 101st Street, - New York City. Enlisted April 4, 1918; joined company same date. - - Wolcott, George T., No. 2411649, Corporal, (Mrs. Harriet Wolcott, - wife), 214 Newark Avenue, Bloomfield, N. J. Enlisted February 25, - 1918; joined company same date; killed in action September 26th by - machine gun bullet while rushing an enemy machine gun. - - Wolff, George C., No. 3454499, Pvt. 1st Class, 1808 Emma Street, - Menominee, Mich. Enlisted July 14, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Wolfskeil, John E., No. 2414764, Corporal, 318 Linden Street, - Elizabeth, N. J. Enlisted April 2, 1918; joined company same date. - - Wolley, Harry T., No. 2410794, Corporal, 132 Main Avenue, Ocean - Grove, N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date; - slightly wounded in right hand September 26th; returned to United - States in February 1919. - - Wolotkin, Benjamin, No. 4566100, Private, 24 Cannon Street, New York - City. Enlisted August 28, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Woolley, Francis P., No. 2411651, Corporal, 388 Columbus Place, Long - Branch, N. J. Enlisted February 25, 1918; joined company same date. - - Woolley, James B., No. 2409730, Corporal, Farmingdale, N. J. Enlisted - February 25, 1918; joined company, same date; reported missing in - action September 26th; was wounded and evacuated to hospital same - date; rejoined company December 9th. - - Worsfold, Albert J., No. 3335949, Private (Mrs. Hannah Worsfold, - mother), Stark, Ill. Enlisted June 25, 1918; joined company October - 12th; killed in action November 4th near Les Petites Armoises. - - Zalace, Dan C. Z., No. 3656966, Private, Eaton, Colorado. Enlisted - June 24, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Zanni, Michael, No. 2450800, Private, (Raffaeli Santone, friend), - Ardsley, N. Y. Enlisted March 30, 1918; joined company April 16th; - killed in action by sniper’s bullet through head, September 26th. - - Zenzian, Kajetan, No. 2422045, Private, 437 Fourteenth Street, West - New York, N. J. Enlisted May 29, 1918; joined company December 9th. - - Ziefski, Frank, No. 1764997, Private, 224 Winona Street, Buffalo, N. - Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date; reported missing - in action September 26th; was prisoner at Camp Rastatt, Germany; - rejoined company January 7, 1919. - - Zwolinkiewicz, Frank, No. 1737337, Corporal, 132 Detroit Street, - Buffalo, N. Y. Enlisted April 3, 1918; joined company same date. - - - - -ROSTER OF THE COMPANY - - When Sailing Overseas - Replacements from 86th Division - Replacements from other Units of the 311th Infantry - All other Replacements - - -WHEN SAILING OVERSEAS - - 1st Sergeant - Maxwell B. Ertwine - - Mess Sergeant - Warren D. Sculthorp - - Supply Sergeant - Joseph Levy - - Sergeants - James McC. Newell - Charles A. Robbins - Theodore A. Peterson - George H. Perry - William M. Reid - Peyton R. Anness - Hugh J. Sweeney - George H. Rogers - Alexander M. Hayden - Howard C. Lehy - Wilfred E. Haynes - Carol Wilson - - Corporals - James E. Jones - Edward J. Johnson - Robert B. Winemiller - Harry T. Wolley - Edward F. Hennessey - John A. Geoghegan - Walter DeGrote - Joseph H. Fahey - George T. Wolcott - Francis P. Woolley - Bert W. Stiles - Joseph Apicelli - Frank Zwolinkiewicz - Joseph R. McGarrity - L. P. Morton Morris - Tracy S. White - Dayton Osterweis - Walter J. Ahearn - John C. Weidman - - Mechanics - Lester E. Farry - George M. Thompson - George L. Tuthill - Cornelius V. S. Willett - - Cooks - Harold Sculthorpe - Walter deBruin - Albert J. Lusier - Joseph J. Lang - - Buglers - Henry R. White - James H. Lykes - - Privates 1st Class - William B. Ackerman - Joseph S. Aldridge - Earl Barnes - John M. Benzing - William G. Butler - Dominick Calabrese - William J. Campbell - Samuel E. Chiaradio - Herbert M. P. Cocker - Lawrence M. Croft - Albert Deile, Jr. - Thomas E. Devine - Eugene Ely - William G. Emerson - John F. Fahey - Gustave E. Fleischmann - Sam Freedman - John G. Hansenberger - Raymond L. Harriss - George W. Heck - George A. Heichberger - George A. Hogan - Henry L. Huston - Isidore Kaufman - Vallie J. Kilburn - Harry J. Laurencell - Frederick H. McCarthy - Edward M. Malone - Charles J. Mouser - Clendenon S. Newell - Bernard J. O’Rourke - Charles Peter - Levi M. Pettys - Walter E. Pilarski - William H. Ryan - John D. Schelter - Walter Schultz - Edmund S. Skillen - Luke E. Slover, Jr. - Lewis Z. Sutton - Tony Venche - Theodore H. Warner - William M. Webb - Benjamin Weber - Edward J. Welsh - Thomas A. White - John E. Wolfskeil - James B. Woolley - - Privates - William Y. Ackerman - Walter G. Amann - George J. Anderson - Stanislaw Andrzejewski - William A. Angevine - Aldo Annibalini - Carmine Arcuri - Carmelo Baiano - Walter V. Ball - William Baumann - Mervin Bement - John Bernhard - Barnett Bernstein - Harry C. Best - William Birk - Joseph Bishop - James Blair - George L. Blount - William D. Bogart - John F. Byreiter - Stanley F. Bogucki - Joseph A. Boucher - Edward H. Boyle - Bertrand G. Brooks - Louis Buechler - Harold E. Burchell - John F. Burke - James E. Cahill - Frederick S. Campanini - Anthony Cardell - Joseph R. Cassely - Natale A. Centofante - Pietro Colaguori - Rosario Collura - Frank J. Connolly - Elmer W. Cook - Henry A. Cordes - Alonzo Cottrell - John E. Culkowski - Joseph M. Curcio - Matthew V. Curtin - Frank Czajka - Michael Daeschler - Guisseppe Damato - Harvey R. Dash - Louis F. Denler - James J. Diskin - John E. Donohue - Harry Effingham - William J. Ellison - Patrick J. Feeney - Elmer Fellows - William H. Fielding - Jacob J. Fischer - Joseph Formes - Albert P. Frey - William E. Furlong - Julius Gaier - Edward F. Glenn - Israel Goldberg - Joseph F. Goodwin - Joseph G. Greenberg - Edward G. Gress - Carl E. Griffin - Charles F. Hallock - Max Halpern - George Hauber - James J. Healey - Loran L. Heiple - Fred Henne - Louis R. Heymer - Joseph L. Hill - Harold E. Holly - Eugene P. Hughes - Charles A. Hunterbrink - William Jacobi - Alexander Janicki - Charles W. Johnson - Albert B. Kane - Jay B. Karnes - Henry Kilbourn - Edward W. Kindt - John G. Kitson - Stanley E. Klosiak - William Koegel - Paul Keyes - Antoni Kopec - Walter Krygier - Alexandre Kuczkowski - Irving W. Lander - Fred C. H. Lange - Harry LaVigne - Joseph Ledwin - Cyril T. Leonard - William G. Long - Adam J. Lush - James E. Mackley - Boleslaw Makowiecki - Salvatore Martocci - Walter W. McAslan - Norman McCumber - James C. McMahon - William C. McMahon - John C. Meister - John Mero - Michael J. Miller - Angelo Morelli - Thomas J. Murphy - Rinehart J. Neuffer - William H. Norton - James M. O’Connell - John J. O’Gara - William E. O’Neill - John J. O’Reilly - Lawrence R. Peterson - Michael Picciano - Frank Pitarro - Lory L. Price - Thomas P. Reed - John J. Renski - Otto R. Richter - Eugene Riess - Aniello Sasso - Jacob Schiefer - Louis Sciancalepore - Michael A. Schwenk - John L. Sullivan - Jan Suwalski - John Szymczak - Sebastiano Taras - Gustave Tauber - William K. Vafiadis - Frank Viscuso - Nicholas Vorta - Claude L. Williams - John Williams - Herbert McK. Willmore - Henry B. Wise - Michael Zanni - Frank Ziefski - - -JOINED OVERSEAS - - -From Other Units of the 311th Infantry - - Frank W. Clark - Karl K. Heisler - John C. Lambert - William F. O’Hara - Elwood L. Sawyer - Edward J. Sheridan - - -From 86th Division - - Oscar Albitz - John A. Anderson - John A. Awe - Hazar Barsamian - Joseph Benzschawel - Peter Bloome - Gust W. Bloomquist - Walter Boettcher - Edward Borg - Arthur F. Brand - Carl M. Brenner - Elijah E. Brown - Peter E. Cantu - Charlie Carr - Harry Closeman - Joseph Congelosi - Charles Corbine - John Danielson - Stanley Deleskie - Joseph P. Dollard - Walter A. Dreher - Robert E. Edgerly - Alfredo Ennocenti - Albert C. Erickson - Gustave F. Erlandson - Norman W. Fay - Frank Ferrians - Othmar S. B. Gantert - Paul E. Golling - John Haegerl - Otto C. Hagedorn - Emil Hansen - William A. Hardies - John Hess - Joseph Hillinski - Harry H. Huntley - Louis Janczjewski - Erick P. Jern - Carl E. Johnson - Lloyd F. Johnson - Oscar E. Johnson - Emil B. Josephson - Leon L. Kahn - Ignatius S. Kapacius - John J. Kapala - John S. Kazmierczak - Leandrew T. Kelley - Herman G. Koehler - Theodore A. Koster - Joseph E. Kronhelm - Peter W. Kropidlowski - Carl A. Kuecker - George Kunferman - Will J. Lammert - Phillip J. Larkin - Olaf A. Larson - Oscar L. Larson - Edward A. Leitzke - Arnold W. Lent - Kittel N. Letmolee - John A. Lineski - Rocco Lotesto - Emil A. Lueders - William McDonald - Christ Madsen - William P. Magaski - Frank J. Marcinkiewicz - Charles H. Martin - Lewis N. Mergan - John W. Morrison - Robert A. Murphy - Carl E. Nelson - Otto Nelson - Sander O. Ness - Carl L. Ohrn - Imbert A. Ovrid - Arthur F. W. Pankow - Elmer J. Peterson - William G. Pitzrick - Joseph J. Przyczkowski - Leslie L. Rasmussen - John Ratkiewcus - George I. Riedel - John F. Riskey - Sabastiano Sapienza - George Schreiner - Jack Schmidt - Walter S. Siems - Anton F. Smogola - Martin J. Sokoloski - John Spensberger - John Stankiewicz - Frank H. Stuhser - William Sullivan - Ignatz W. Switalski - Bernard Tarlack - John C. Tatoian - Lewis W. Ullrich - Friedrich G. Vieths - Reuben Vrieze - Carl L. Wandry - Gust V. Westlund - Julius Wekony - Albert J. Worsfold - - -Miscellaneous - - Anthony Accetturo - Frank C. Allen - Harry R. Broomhall - Levi C. Cowser - Earl B. Clark - Harry Lee Cole - Newton C. Ashlock - Clarence R. Cobble - Wilbert A. Eastman - Morris F. Fergus - Max Goodman - Roy L. Hoeck - George J. Kreiner - Julius Lipowsky - John G. Lawton - William D. Limbert - Oscar Mandinach - Max Moroshick - Sam Meltzer - Louis A. Maske - Paul Morath - James P. McGuire - Harry E. North - Jacob Pushner - Fred Richman - Achille Ranalletta - Alfred Schmid - Jacob I. Sobol - Jasper Stringfield - Maurice Shipman - Will Sanders - Leon J. Sheridan - John Scory - Walter G. Schmidt - Raymond A. Soldner - William G. Storck - James E. Smith - Martin L. Schultz - David Tannenbaum - John F. Tietje - Gilbert W. Vermette - Walter R. Wallace - Nathan Weinstein - Benjamin Wolotkin - George C. Wolff - Raymerd Wheeler - Kajetan Zenzian - Dan C. Z. Zalace - - - - -NUMBER OF OFFICERS AND MEN IN THE COMPANY BY STATES - - - Original Company Replacements - State Officers Men Officers Men - - Alabama 1 1 - California 1 - Colorado 1 - Connecticut 1 - Illinois 5 30 - Indiana 1 - Iowa 1 - Kansas 1 - Maryland 2 - Massachusetts 1 2 1 1 - Michigan 1 - Minnesota 23 - Nebraska 1 - New Jersey 115 1 8 - New Mexico 1 - New York 4 100 3 17 - Ohio 1 8 - Oregon 1 - Pennsylvania 6 - South Carolina 1 - Tennessee 1 1 2 - Texas 3 - Wisconsin 37 - -- ---- -- ---- - 6 232 7 140 - Canada 1 - Unknown 17 - -- ---- -- ---- - Total 6 232 7 158 - - -NUMBER OF CASUALTIES IN THE COMPANY - - Officers Men - Killed in Action 1 35 - Died of Wounds 1 12 - Died of Disease 0 0 - -- ---- - 2 47 - Wounded in Action 1 83 - Accidentally Wounded 0 6 - Gassed 0 10 - Missing in Action 1 22 - -- ---- - Total--all classes 4 168 - - - - -LIST OF CASUALTIES - - -KILLED IN ACTION - - 1st Lieut. - Roy A. Schuyler - - Sergeants - Lehy, Howard C. - Newell, Clendedon S. - Newell, James McC. - Schelter, John D. - - Corporals - Apicelli, Joseph - Weidman, John C. - Wolcott, George T. - - Pvts. 1st Class - Butler, William G. - Deleskie, Stanley - Effingham, Harry - Erlandson, Gustave F. - Hansenberger, John G. - Laurencell, Harry J. - Lykes, James H. - Schreiner, George - Schultz, Walter - Slover, Luke E. - Sullivan, John L. - - Privates - Arcuri, Carmine - Burchell, Harold E. - Cahill, James E. - Cantu, Peter E. - Cole, Harry L. - Dollard, Joseph P. - Hardies, William A. - Kindt, Edward W. - Koegel, William - Koehler, Herman G. - Kropidlowski, Peter W. - Makowiecki, Boleslau - O’Hara, William F. - Stuhser, Frank H. - Vorta, Nicholas - Worsfold, Albert J. - Zanni, Michael - - -DIED OF WOUNDS - - 1st Lieut. - William S. Lahey - - Mechanics - Farry, Lester E. - Tuthill, George L. - - Pvts. 1st Class[A] - Ackerman, William B. - Burke, John F. - - Privates - Ellison, William J. - Erickson, Albert C. - Kahn, Leon L. - Kuczkowski, Alexandre - Lietzke, Edward A. - Maske, Louis A. - Morath, Paul - Taras, Sebastiano - - -GASSED - - Sergeant - Rogers, George H. - - Cooks - deBruin, Walter - Sculthorpe, Harold - - Pvts. 1st Class - Amann, Walter G. - Centofante, Natale A. - Chiaradio, Samuel E. - Cordes, Henry A. - O’Reilly, John J. - - Privates - Hughes, Eugene P. - Limbert, William D. - - -ACCIDENTALLY WOUNDED - - Corporal - Jones, James E. - - Pvts. 1st Class - Barnes, Earl - Campanini, Frederick S. - Fleischmann, Gustave E. - - Privates - Damato, Guisseppe - Magaski, William P. - - -WOUNDED IN ACTION - - 2nd Lieut. - Henry M. Merrill - - 1st Sergeant - Charles A. Robbins - - Sergeants - Fahey, Joseph H. - Hill, Joseph L. - Sweeney, Hugh J. - Welsh, Edward J. - - Corporals - Congelosi, Joseph - Hauber, George - Heck, George W. - Larkin, Phillip J. - McGarrity, Joseph R. - Morris, L. P. Morton - Skillen, Edmund S. - Williams, John - Wolley, Harry T. - Woolley, James B. - - Mechanics - Wandry, Carl L. - Willett, Cornelius - - Buglers - Winemiller, Robert B. - White, Henry R. - - Pvts. 1st Class - Chiaradio, Samuel E. - Ely, Eugene - Feeney, Patrick J. - Freedman, Sam - Harriss, Raymond L. - Henne, Fred - Huston, Henry L. - Johnson, Carl E. - Kaufman, Isidore - Kuecker, Carl A. - McAslan, Walter W. - Malone, Edward M. - Nelson, Carl E. - O’Rourke, Bernard J. - Pilarski, Walter E. - Siems, Walter S. - Webb, William M. - - Privates - Annibalini, Aldo - Baiano, Carmelo - Barsamian, Hazar - Bogucki, Stanley F. - Boucher, Joseph A. - Brenner, Carl M. - Brooks, Bertrand G. - Cook, Elmer W. - Curcio, Joseph M. - Curtin, Matthew V. - Czajka, Frank - Danielson, John - Diskin, James J. - Donohue, John E. - Fielding, William H. - Formes, Joseph - Furlong, William E. - Gaier, Julius - Goldberg, Israel - Hallock, Charles F. - Heiple, Loran L. - Heymer, Louis R. - Huntley, Harry H. - Jacobi, William - Janczjewski, Louis - Janicki, Alexander - Johnson, Charles W. - Johnson, Oscar E. - Klosiak, Stanley E. - Krygier, Walter - Lange, Fred. C. H. - Larson, Olaf A. - LaVigne, Harry - Ledwin, Joseph - Lent, Arnold W. - McCumber, Norman - McGuire, James P. - McMahon, James C. - Mackley, James E. - Mero, John - Neuffer, Rinehart J. - Ovrid, Imbert A. - Przyczkowski, Joseph J. - Renski, John J. - Sasso, Aniello - Switalski, Ignatz W. - Vafiadis, William K. - -[B]MISSING IN ACTION - - 1st Lieut. - Herbert R. Vanderbilt - - Sergeant - Hayden, Alexander M. - - Corporal - Sutton, Lewis Z. - - Mechanic - Thompson, George M. - - Pvts. 1st Class - Benzing, John M.[C] - Cocker, Herbert M. P. - Mouser, Charles J. - O’Connell, James M.[D] - O’Gara, John J. - Pitarro, Frank - Price, Lory L. - Ryan, William H. - - Privates - Bernhard, John - Birk, William - Bishop, Joseph - Blount, George L. - Lang, Joseph J. - Lush, Adam J. - Picciano, Michael - Schiefer, Jacob - Tauber, Gustave - Warner, Theodore H. - Ziefski, Frank - - - - -MEMBERS OF COMPANY “B,” 311TH INFANTRY WHO WERE DECORATED WITH THE -DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS. - - -FIRST SERGEANT, CHARLES A. ROBBINS. - -On September 26, 1918, at Bois de Grande Fontaine, two kilometers -northeast of Vieville-en-Haye, Sergeant Bobbins, although painfully -wounded in the knee, during advance, he continued to the objective, -rendered valuable assistance in reorganizing his company and refused to -retire until ordered to do so by Company Commander. He thereupon helped -to carry several other wounded to the First Aid Station before his own -condition was observed and he was evacuated. - -FIRST SERGEANT, TRACY S. WHITE. - -For extraordinary heroism in action near Ferme des Loges, France, 19th -October, 1918. When the position his company held was enfiladed and -communication to the rear cut off, he volunteered to carry a message to -the battalion commander after several runners had been killed in the -attempt. Crossing ground swept by intense machine gun and artillery -fire, he delivered the message and returned with orders as to the -disposition of the company. - -SERGEANT, JOSEPH H. FAHEY. - -On September 26, 1918, at Bois de Grande Fontaine, two kilometers -northeast of Vieville-en-Haye, when his platoon was enfiladed by -several enemy machine guns, made three attempts to rush same, retiring -only when he and his companions had been badly wounded or killed. - -Sergeant Fahey was also decorated with the French Croix de Guerre. - -SERGEANT, EDWARD J. WELSH. - -On September 24, 1918, at Bois de Grande Fontaine, two kilometers -northeast of Vieville-en-Haye, while his platoon was holding the -outpost line, under heavy shell fire and in the open, Sergeant (then -Corporal) Welsh’s platoon commander and all platoon sergeants were -killed or wounded. He promptly took charge, reorganizing his platoon, -and held his sector until relieved. - -PRIVATE 1st CLASS, JOSEPH S. ALDRIDGE, JR. - -On the night of September 24-25, 1918, at Bois de Grande, Fontaine, -two kilometers northeast of Vieville-en-Haye, Pvt. 1st Class Aldridge -carried messages repeatedly between Company and Battalion Headquarters -through a heavy enemy barrage; also took place of a wounded litter -bearer and brought in wounded under shell fire. - -PRIVATE 1st CLASS, LUKE E. SLOVER, JR. (Deceased). - -On the night of September 24-25, 1918, at Bois de Grande Fontaine, two -kilometers northeast of Vieville-en-Haye, Private 1st Class Slover -carried messages repeatedly between Company and Battalion Headquarters -through a heavy enemy barrage; also took place of a wounded litter -bearer and brought in wounded under heavy shell fire. - - - - -MEMBERS OF COMPANY “B,” 311TH INFANTRY MENTIONED IN 78TH DIVISION -GENERAL ORDERS NO. 6 - - -EXTRACT: “The Division Commander desires to record in the General -Orders of the 78th Division some of the deeds of men of this command -which were marked by the display of the highest of soldierly -qualities--initiative, dauntless courage, self-sacrifice and steadfast -devotion to duty which offered a constant inspiration to all who -came to have knowledge thereof and which contributed largely, in the -aggregate, to the success of the division’s operations against the -enemy.” - -1st LIEUT. ROY A. SCHUYLER, (Deceased) - -On September 26, 1918, at Bois de Grande Fontaine, after holding -outpost line with his platoon for three days under continuous shell -fire, without shelter and under most trying weather conditions on being -ordered to advance, led his men with most conspicuous gallantry through -a heavy barrage, took his objective, reorganized his command, where, -while posting men in observation in front of his position, with utmost -disregard of his personal safety, he was killed. - -2nd LIEUT. RAYMOND B. DUNN. - -On September 26, 1918, at Bois de Grande Fontaine, advanced with his -platoon through heavy enemy barrage; after heavy losses joined company -at objective with remaining five men, showing great coolness and -courage in organizing and defending new position under fire. - -SERGEANT WILLIAM M. REID. - -On September 26, 1918, at Bois de Grande Fontaine, after his platoon -leader was killed, took command of platoon and handled same most -gallantly and efficiently, repulsing two enemy counter-attacks. - -SUPPLY SERGEANT JOSEPH LEVY. - -On September 26, 1918, at Bois de Grande Fontaine, exhibited continuous -gallantry in action. Several times he brought up ration parties through -heavy shell fire to the outpost line. During enemy counter-attacks he -assisted company commander to reorganize right flank of company. - -CORPORAL JOSEPH R. McGARRITY. - -On September 24, 1918, at Bois de Grande Fontaine, when his platoon -leader and sergeants were killed or wounded, assisted Corporal Welsh -to reorganize his platoon under heavy shell fire, and to hold position -until relieved. - -PRIVATE LORY L. PRICE. - -On September 26, 1918, at Bois de Grande Fontaine, being posted to -cover his company’s left flank with his automatic rifle, held his post -under heavy shelling and machine gun and rifle fire and was mainly -responsible for repulsing repeated enemy counter-attacks from 6:00 A. -M. to 6 P. M. He thus set for his comrades a remarkable example of -devotion to duty and cool and unhesitating self-sacrifice. - - - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[A] Reported missing in action. - -[B] Taken prisoners and were released after the signing of the -armistice. - -[C] The writer was unable to learn what became of Cocker. - -[D] Reported wounded. - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - - - Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. - - Archaic or variant spelling has been retained. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HISTORY OF COMPANY B, 311TH -INFANTRY IN THE WORLD WAR *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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