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FROM THE BOOKS OF

GEORGE MORGAN WELCH ’03
COLONEL

Judge Advocate General’s Department
Army of the United States

 

 

 

 
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COMPANY “E”, 107TH INFANTRY

5478 BRIGADE, 27H DIVISION
U.S. A.

(NATIONAL GUARD, NEW YORK),

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1917-1919

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Published by
WAR VETERANS’ ASSOCIATION
Co. E., 7th INF., N. G., N. Y.
NEW YORK ‘CITY
1920

er hey
COPYRIGHT 1920

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WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION
COMPANY “E'', 7TH INFANTRY, N. @. N.Y
NEW YORK CITY

19YULYB

PRINTED BY THE
ALLIANCE PRINTING CORP.

NEW YORK
This History ian dedicated to
those mio gave their Lives—
ap all in this Company gave
their services—voluntarily.
Hureword

N the middle of the summer of 1914 the civi-
lized world was startled by the cry of the War

Lords, “To arms!” Half the civilized peoples of
the earth were plunged in war and thence after-
wards scores of memorable battlefields were del-
uged in blood and the monsters of the deep roved
the seas in battle formation.

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and
Turkey, had challenged the world, decried its in-
stitutions and vowed to sow throughout the earth
the seeds of g civilization dubbed, “Kultur.” Great
Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, Russia,
Roumania, Serbia, Montenegro and Portugal, took
up the challenge and organized their armies for
the defence of democracy.

The United States was the greatest of powers
not at war and early declared her neutrality.

As the war progressed the purposes of the dif-
ferent belligerents became more pronounced.
Germany’s determination to dominate was obvious.
She became tyrannical, not only with her allies
but with the neutrals. She committed depreda-
tions on the seas, causing the loss of American
lives; her deplorable conduct in Belgium created
throughout the world a feeling of distrust and dis-
gust; her insolent replies to notes protesting
against all her neutrality violations created a feel-
ing of anger and bitter opposition, until one after
another different neutrals either entered the war
on the side of the Allies or became openly in sym-
pathy with them.

American citizens were murdered. American
property destroyed, premeditated insults were di-
rected against the American people, and insidious
propaganda against the government was carried
on both at home and abroad by paid emissaries of
the Berlin government—the country swarmed with
spies and agitators who attempted to influence
labor and by violent means to cripple industry.
All these things exposed gradually, inclined the
sympathy of America toward the Allies and finally
formed the basis of a just cause for her entry into
the war.

In February, 1917, President Wilson handed
Bernstorff, the German Ambassador, his pass-
ports, and declared that a state of war existed be-
tween Germany and the United States.

On April 6th the Congress declared a state of
war and voted for an active participation by the
United States in association with the Allies.

A call went forth for men to join the Army and
Navy. Thereafter the men gathered from the four
corners of America answering the bugle’s sum-
mons.

In New York State the response was pro-
nounced. The great military organization of the
state known now as the twenty-seventh Division,
set to work with enthusiasm recruiting to a full
strength. In New York City the Seventh Infan-
try, and in the smaller towns up state the First
and Tenth Infantries, vied with the others to be
the first filled up. At the various armories, day
and night, the recruiting officers were kept busy
with the enthusiastic youths, many of whom were
sacrificing invaluable commercial and professional
opportunities who gladly held up their right hands
and swore the old oath of allegiance.

These men were entering a new manner of life.
From habits of comfort and ease they were sud-
denly thrown upon their own resources, when to
fail was to go sleepless and hungry. The Army
knows no pity. Men are taken as they are found,
and these men proved that they were men despite
the manner of their civilian life. Their personal
associations were of a new kind; men from all walks
of life were thrown together, they developed a
closer comradeship and a more fraternal kinship
than they had ever known before. That is the
reason for the wonderful spirit, remarkable en-
durance, and the unconquerable determination to
fight and win which permeated the entire Army.

It is the Fifth Companies of the First and. Sev-
enth that interest us now, for from them was built
up Company E of the 107th U. S. Infantry, of
which this book is the story. There isn’t a thing
in war that old E hasn’t seen and experienced. It
has endured the long period of home training and
enjoyed the leisure of a trip abroad; there, it has
suffered all the hardships of troops on the march;
it has fought and lost the best of its sons, has seen
them pay the supreme, glorious sacrifice; it has
known what it is to be tired, dogged weary, yet im-
bued with a spirit that enabled it to advance, go
on and on. It was a great company of fine men,
and the authors of this history have tried to do it
justice. They trust that in after years it may be
a source of pleasure and inspiration for the things
it recalls to all the men surviving.

Me
FRONTISPIECE
Chateau de la Goupillere, . . . . « Lauren Stout

FOREWORD
Nicholas H. Krayer

Including a short recital of the differences that led to war,
the spirit with which the company assumed its responsibilities
and the manner in which the men met the new situations con-
fronting them because of their new manner of life... 9

OFFICERS
Nicholas H. Krayer
.Brief remarks concerning the original officers of the

company, and such officers later assigned to it who had to do
with moulding the character of the company. . . . 15

Period I—THE CALL
The story of the Seventh New York, Walter E. Skinner 29
The story of the First New York, . Arthur E. Brundage 41

From the beginning of the war to the amalgamation of
these regiments with units fron the 10th and 12th New York
for the formation of the 107th Infantry, U.S. A.

Period II—INTENSIVE TRAINING
Francis G. Miller
The story of the training period at Camp Wadsworth,

being a recital of work and play and events of interest
and importance. . . . «2. ee eee 4S

Period III—EN VOYAGE
Nicholas H. Krayer

The trip from Camp Wadsworth, to Brest, including the
story of Camp Stewart and the trip across the ocean. . 65
Period IV—TRAINING IN FRANCE
Francis G. Miller

About hiking and working, eggs and French wine,
intensive efforts to learn all possible concerning the war
game, up to the time the company went into the line
in: Flandets: .< « © © ~~ Bm oe os 79

Period V—-WAR

From the first active participation in the defense of the
line in Flanders, through that famous section, Picardy; and
finally the march to the rear after the company had been
decimated by battle to only a handful of men; and the signing
of the armistice while the few men remaining were resting
and preparing for the next stunt. » OR She a Ge oe: ADH

Flanders and Hindenburg Line, Nicholas H. Krayer . 95
St. Souplet and Jonc de Mer Ridge, Francis G. Miller . 112

Period VI—LA GUERRE EST FINIE
Nicholas H. Krayer

Awaiting the order to return, and “‘Home” . . . 125
APPENDIX

The Rosters . . . . . Howard L. Boggs . 137

Itinerary in Europe . .  « George D. Dickson . 145

Composition of the 27th Division a) a ee ee ES

The Combat Divisions... . . . ee ie AT

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OFFICERS

HE old fifth company of the Seventh New

York, and later, Company E of the 107th

Inf., U. S. A., was throughout its existence
fortunate in its officer personnel. The original of-
ficers of _the company were excellent men, well
trained in their work and enthusiastic soldiers.
Those who came to the company later, as the amal-
gamation progressed, and after the original officers
In one way or another disappeared from the rolls,
were of just as high standard.

While in the Federal service the company had
five different commanding officers. One was re-
lieved of command because of the policy of the
Government against sending to Europe for active
service officers who were born in Germany, two
were killed in action, and one superseded when a
third captain was finally assigned to the command.

CAPTAIN KNUST

Captain Leo F. Knust, although born in Ger-
many in 1878, was a citizen of and has lived in
this country continuously since 1880. He com-
manded the company when the war broke out, and
supervised two important periods in the life of the
company. Captain Knust was enthusiastic in the
recruiting efforts of the company, and after having
once filled his command to the then full war
strength of 150 men, was required to redouble his
efforts when twenty-eight of those men were trans-
ferred to the old Sixty-Ninth New York, later the
famous 165th U. S. Infantry, and many more to
various other organizations. He also guided the

19
company during its training period in Camp
Wadsworth. Captain Knust enlisted in Company
E of the Seventh New York on May 11, 1898, for
service in the Spanish War and arose gradually
through all the enlisted grades and was then com-
missioned first lieutenant. He was promoted cap-
tain during the border campaign and given
Company E, to command, with which he remained
until April 28, 1918, when the company was
ready to depart for overseas service. Captain
Knust was so disappointed when not permitted to
sail with his outfit that he retired permanently
from the army. He was generally liked by his
men, but misunderstood by some. The men who
for various reasons thought they disliked him,
missed him most when he had gone. Although a
strict disciplinarian he never found it necessary to
send any of his men before a court martial. He
was one of the best marksmen in New York, hav-
ing been on the rifle team of that state since 1907,
and possessed the reputation of being accomplished
in field tactics. Captain Knust had made a study
of the European armies and was well acquainted
with their methods, as subsequent, events proved.

CAPTAIN HAYWARD

Captain Harry W. Hayward, an old time
Seventh Regiment man, brought up as it were, in
K Company, was assigned April 28th, to command
E Company. He enlisted, May 29, 1903.

Captain Hayward filled the vacancy created by
the transfer of Captain Knust. He was then a
first Lieutenant, but soon after received his com-
mission, and put on the two bars. Captain Hay-
ward was a strict disciplinarian, one who insisted
on military precision in every movement. He
carried himself like a soldier, and was a fiend for
work. He knew the “I. D. R.” as no other did,

20
and it was not long before the company was recog-
nized as the most precise and best drilled unit in
the regiment. Captain Hayward had the respon-
sibility of training the men in the newer extended
order tactics. He lost no time nor opportunity to
impart anything he learned about the war game to
his men. He led them in their first important trick
in the line in Flanders, and then in the attack on
the Hindenburg line. His efforts to thoroughly
inform his men of what they were up against in
the latter engagement are well remembered. Cap-
tain Hayward died on the field, encouraging his
men while he was mortally stricken. He was
wounded of the morning of September 29th, and
expired soon afterward.

CAPTAIN WATERBURY

Captain Cleveland L. Waterbury was assigned
to command the company in December, 1918. He
displaced Lieutenant Bragdon, who had been in
command for several months. Captain Waterbury
had been with the division since its organization at
Camp Wadsworth, being in charge of the bayonet
instruction. During the war he had been attached
to the aviation section of the army. He commanded
the company during the many reviews and inspec-
tions preliminary to departure for America, and
was mustered out of the outfit on April 2, 1919.

LIEUTENANT PENOYAR

First Lieutenant Wm. B. Penoyar joined Com-
pany E of the 107th Infantry in October, 1918.
He came from the First New York, in which he
served many years as an enlisted man. He re-
ceived his commission as a second lieutenant and
was later made a first lieutenant. He was second
in command of the company during its training

21
period in Camp Wadsworth (where he had charge
of machine gun instruction), and for the first sev-
eral months in France, until he was wounded while
in the line in the Ypres sector of the Western
Front in August, 1918. Lieutenant Penoyar pos-
sessed a pleasing personality and assumed a demo-
cratic attitude toward the men. He was a popu-
lar officer and well liked in all quarters. He left
the regiment in August, 1918, and did not again
return to it.

LIEUTENANT HAMMOND

First Lieutenant Benjamin T. Hammond was
the most popular officer in the company. He loved
the game and insisted on playing it square and all
the time. He worked tirelessly to develop a
thoroughly efficient company, and never tired tell-
ing the men, in their early recruit days, and later,
the proper manner of executing the various duties
of a soldier. It was under his leadership that the
recruits received their early instruction. They de-
veloped under his guidance. His precision and ex-
actness in the execution of details resulted in the
gradual development of a company for parades or
drill, whose efficiency was exceeded by none. Lieu-
tenant Hammond was born in Stony Point, N. Y.,
in 1881, enlisted in Co. E on May 12, 1902, and
promoted corporal and sergeant in turn. His
heart and soul was in E Company. He served
at the border as a sergeant and was commissioned
at the end of that campaign. On July 14, 1917,
he was made a first lieutenant. He was second
in command of the company when he met his death
from heavy machine gun fire while leading his pla-
toon over the top in the great assault on the Hin-
denburg Line in September, 1918. Lieutenant
Hammond possessed a nervous temperament which
seldom resulted in irritability. Even as he was

gy
dying he preserved his traditional characteristics
of clean thought and speech. As men of the com-
pany attempted under terrific machine gun fire to
bind up the fatal wounds he begged them not to
swear. “Uncle Ben,” as he was affectionately
called by the men, will ever live in the memories
of the veterans of Company E.

LIEUTENANT SCHWAB

First Lieutenant Stephen M. Schwab, another
of EK Company’s original officers, who paid the last
great and supreme sacrifice, was born in New York
City in 1894 and enlisted in Co. E on April 11,
1912. He, too, served with the company at the
border. He was first sergeant when the war
broke out and was commissioned a second lieuten-
ant July 14, 1917. He served with the company
at Camp Wadsworth and was without exception
the best of the younger officers of the regiment.

He entered with spirit into the work and it was his
enthusiasm for intensive bayonet training that re-
sulted in a broken leg, which laid him up for sev-
eral months. Later he had charge of the training
of bombers and rifle grenadiers. When the regi-
ment sailed for France in May, 1918, Lieuten-
ant Schwab was left behind with a detachment of
casuals. He returned to the regiment in July,
when he was assigned to Company E for a short
time, and then served as transport officer and adju-
tant successively for the Second Battalion. Dur-
ing this period he was made a first lieutenant. He
was reassigned to Company. E in August, 1918.
He distinguished himself in the line at Mt.
Kemmel and was killed in action on September

29, 1918.
23
LIEUTENANT BRAGDON

First Lieutenant George D. Bragdon was trans-
ferred to the 107th from Company G of the old
Tenth New York, and was assigned to Company
E. Lieutenant Bragdon worked conscientiously
and energetically, specializing in extended order
tactics. His earnestness in this work earned for
him the appellation “Big Chief.” Even in later
days, when he was in command of the company,
the only old officer left, he was referred to by
that name. After the arrival of the company in
Europe the lieutenant was transferred to M Com-
pany, with which he distinguished himself when
the outfit was in the line at Mt. Kemmel, and
later during the October operations, when he, at
one time, had command of the entire Third Bat-
talion. When EK Company was without officers
at the end of the active campaigning, Lieutenant
Bragdon was given the command, which he held
until Captain Waterbury was assigned to the com-
pany in December, 1918. Lieutenant Bragdon
was popular with the men.

LIEUTENANT BRUNDAGE

Second Lieutenant Arthur E. Brundage was
assigned to E Company of the 107th from E Com-
pany of the old First New York. He served dur-
ing the entire training period in Camp Wadsworth
and during a portion of his stay in Europe. Lieu-
tenant Brundage was a popular officer with all the
men. In Wadsworth he specialized in gas instruc-
tion and was well known throughout the regiment
as a result of his work. He took his work seriously
and executed his duties faithfully. When the regi-
ment sailed the lieutenant was given a special as-
signment with another command. He had charge
of a company of National Guard replacement
troops from the South in a provisional battalion

cn
then departing for Europe. He rejoined the com-
pany while it was in the line at Mt. Kemmel.
Later he was assigned to an infantry school from
which he returned just in time to take part in the
St. Souplet stunt when he was severely gassed, had
to retire from the lines, was sent home and dis-
charged.

LIEUTENANT RAVEN

Lieut. Richard M. Raven was assigned to com-
mand Company E after the stunt at the Hinden-
burg Line when all the officers of the company
were killed. The lieutenant joined the company
early in October and led it in the St. Suplet
assault. He was imbued with a severe and in-
tense hatred for the Germans that led him to the
execution of deeds almost impossible. Although
a new officer of whom the men knew little, he at-
tracted their affection and respect. He was killed
on October 16.

Lieutenant Raven originally enlisted in Com-
pany “K” of the “Old Seventh,” with whom he
served continuously. He advanced through the
several non-commissioned grades, and after the
“Border Service” became first sergeant. He was
commissioned lieutenant at Spartanburg.

Later he was detailed as Battalion Adjutant,
but his longing for active or line duty led to his
assignment to Company “E” on October 6th.
She CALL
(eros Ip

 
“E” CO. OF THE OLD 7th
Om country had entered the great war.

Throughout the nation men were volunteer-

ing in all branches of the service, willing and
anxious to do their part, each man wanting to serve
according to his opinion with the best organization
from his state.

In New York City the old 7th Regiment, N. G.,
N. Y., had returned from the Mexican border but
a few months before. Its members had excellent
training there, and most of those whose enlistments
had not expired or who had not entered the Platts-
burg School were on hand to be instructors to the
pore of men who were in the first rush to the
colors.

During the spring and early summer of 1917, on
the nights when E Company, or, as it was then
fondly called, the 5th Company of the old Seventh,
drilled on the floors of the armory, it was hard to
realize that this aggregation, coming from nearly
as many different occupations as there were men,
and boys who would soon be men, were to form an
important part of Company E of the 107th In-
fantry, A. E. F., a company of real soldiers and
gallant fighters. With nothing more than a white
brassard stamped with a big “7” on their arms to
distinguish them from civilians, they looked and
were the rawest of recruits.

There they were drilled by the all-important
“Border” men, exacting and fault-finding, who
never failed to notice the minute the men lost the
step, or the fraction of a second they gained or lost
on a prescribed cadence. They would notice the
slightest movement of the head or the least bit of
awkwardness in the manual of arms. It was easy to

29
distinguish the older men by their erect military
bearing and their air of superior knowledge, and
they were the only proud possessors of uniforms.

It was barely possible to realize that of these
border veterans remaining in the Company, only
a few months previous when Captain Knust as-
sumed command, only Aldhous, Hammond,
Schwab, Jackson, J. D., and Zink were sergeants;
Flynn, Ritch, Sinclair, Bible, Hanson and Dykman
were corporals, and Grimm, Hobert, O’Rourke,
Bryan, Lewis, Werring, Conlon, Fenouillet and
Davis were the only privates who had as yet been
appointed first-class, and Wetherill, Keller, Men-
denhall, Bletcher, Greer, Matthews, Vass and
Whalen were still numbered among the remaining
buck privates.

On the 30th of May, the company made its usual
Decoration Day parade, but in the service uni-
forms of olive drab instead of the elaborate gray
jackets or the full dress of peace times, which were
last worn in the review for Marshal Joffre and then
packed up for the Depot Battalion. The com-
pany was led by Captain Leo F. Knust. Recruits
who had had sufficient drilling marched without
arms or equipment behind their older comrades.
Throughout the month of June and until the com-
pany was called into service they were drilled twice
weekly and made great progress in getting into a
high state of military efficiency. Recruiting pro-
gressed so rapidly that the company had its
full quota of one hundred and fifty 'men and a wait-
ing list within a month after authority was re-
ceived on May 21 to recruit to the new war
strength.

Of the fifteen veterans who sent recruits, we
must mention those who sent more than one,
namely: Fuller, 6; Knight, 5; Barry, 4; Symonds,
8, and Pressinger, 2. It may be of interest to know

30
that of the 150 men, 113 had American-born
fathers, the others being Irish, English and Ger-
man, with 3 Italian, 1 Hollander, and 1 Dane.

Just before the company was called out, Lieu-
tenant Aldhous, who had been suffering from se-
vere throat trouble, was forced to resign, and in
his retirement the company met its first disappoint-
ment.

On July 15, 1917, the company was called into
service. The men gladly relinquished all privileges
as civilians and willingly and enthusiastically en-
tered the war as soldiers, eager for the course of
training that would make them fit for combat with
their country’s enemies.

Much to the delight of all, Stephen M. Schwab
was commissioned second lieutenant and Earl
Grimm was made the ever-smiling first sergeant.

The company then started drills in Central Park
and the men soon lost their civilian manners and
actions and became soldiers. By hours of hard
drilling under the hot midsummer sun they mas-
tered the close order drills and marches and ac-
quired the military set-up. They were rapidly be-
coming equipped and were all completely uniformed
and presented a striking appearance on the drill
field, especially marching up and down Fifth ave-
nue to and from drills.

On August 5, 1917, Company E was mustered
into the Federal service and the men received dis-
charges from the New York National Guard. This
was done without much ceremony, the men going
through the same formality as at an ordimary
monthly muster.

Early in the month of August the regiment was
reviewed by the Belgian Mission, then on an official
visit to the City of New York. The regiment gave
a drill exhibition in Central Park of the highest

31
order. The men of Company E marched and ma-
neuvered in a manner that they may well be proud
of. After presenting arms while the national an-
them was being played, the regiment passed in
review in such perfect order and alignment that the
military experts attached to this mission com-
mented favorably and in the highest terms.

About this time each regiment was required to
detail one company to precede it to Spartanburg,
and E Company being one of the first to obtain
its full quota of men and being otherwise in good
form, was designated. Equipment was all packed
and the men awaiting final word to move when
the orders were rescinded. They were disap-
pointed at not starting off and, as events proved,
had they done so, they would have been kept in-
tact as a company and avoided the first serious
effort of the authorities to disorganize the National
Guard as such.

The Rainbow Division was being organized and
E Company was called upon to transfer twenty-
eight men to the old 69th New York, which after-
ward covered itself with honor fighting in France
as the 165th Infantry. To bring that regiment up
to the newly prescribed war strength, details of
about 350 men were transferred from all the other
N. Y. Guard regiments. Those from the Seventh
were drawn by lot, based on the muster roll of
August 10th. In E, the names of Hinds, Coffin
and Courtney were stricken off on account of
doubtful physical status and Recruits Graner and
Griffin added. Men were numbered in each grade
and drawn by lot to furnish two sergeants, three
corporals and 21 privates. Among them were:
Corporals Coxe and Morgan, Privates Brandes,
Coxe, Hogle, Mathews, Bevan, Carney, Edwards,
Finnerty, Kemp, McBride, Moore, Schneider, J.
W., Taylor and Werring. Changes were author-

32
ized where men so desired for the purpose of keep-
ing close friends together. Corporals Bruell and
Privates Williamson, Kear, Waddell, Youmans,
Hagen, Catterson and Carey were thus substituted
at their own request. The total detail was later
changed to 6 corporals and 22 privates, so Cor-
porals Vestner, Long, Haley and Private Joy vol-
unteered. It was with the greatest regret that the
company parted with these men and with heavy
hearts they were escorted to their new regiment on
August 16th.

On this occasion the company paraded down
Fifth avenue in front of their comrades who were
to be transferred. On reaching Twenty-ninth
street the regiment formed itself in two lines,
aligning itself on both sides of the street, facing
the center. When the men for the 69th passed
through, the pieces were brought up to present
arms and the men stood rigidly at attention. It
was one of the saddest moments in the history of
the company. At this time Private J. W. Burke
was transferred from the 69th to our company.

From letters received by men in the company
and other advices, the E. Company men serving
with the 165th Regiment leave a record in the great
war, bright with deeds of valor and bravery, and
nearly every man won promotion.

On August 81st the old Sixth Division, which in-
cluded the entire National Guard of the State,
made its farewell parade in New York City.
Over thirty thousand troops took part in this
great march down Fifth avenue from 113th street
to Washington Square. The sidewalks were over-
flowing with spectators throughout the entire
march, many of whom were relatives of the sol-
diers participating. Company E was at its best
and marched proudly in their position in front of
the colors, ’midst the cheering of many thousands.

33
Inspired by the marches played by the regiment’s
new band, no men ever marched better. Every
man did his best, although it was very hard to
keep his head straight to the front. At every rest
the heads of all were turned toward the sidewalks,
eager for a glimpse of a mother or wife or sweet-
heart. Sam Young, who afterward paid the su-
preme sacrifice at the Hindenburg line, proved
himself one of the best-known men in the com-
pany, as his name was constantly heard from the
lips of many admirers on the sidewalk.

After passing the Arch in Washington Square,
the parade was disbanded by giving the companies
double time and the troops running in all direc-
tions, left the line of march without delay or con-
gestion of traffic.

After the farewell parade drills were resumed
in earnest. The men were impatiently waiting
for the greatly anticipated departure to the train-
ing camp. It seemed as if the appointed time
would never come, and E Company, eager to be
‘on the way, grew restless and impatient until at
last the date for entraining was definitely set.

On the night of September 10th the City of New
York gave the regiment a farewell dinner. E
Company, being the company on guard, was
called upon to furnish the detail to serve the regi-
ment. It was a big job. Unfortunately, the per-
sonnel of the company was out of luck for ex-
waiters, but as usual they rose to the occasion.
Of course there were exceptions, incidentally when
a sergeant underwent the disagreeable sensation
of having hot coffee poured over him by an ex-
cited buck private. It must also be admitted that
those who were first served. were the only ones
fortunate enough to have clean and dry table
linen. However, the Seventh Regiment good
humor prevailed and wet tableclothes did not

34
dampen high spirits in the least. Many choice
bits of repartee were heard above the tremendous
din of rattling dishes and silver.

The Company was in a healthy financial state
as the men originally paid dues, and were able to
retain good old faithful Ike Smith’s services con-
tinually up to leaving town, repair all damaged
furniture, procure elaborate agate-ware mess
equipment, including a hot water system, athletic
goods, musical instruments, phonograph, pay por-
ters’ tips on the trip, and buy pictures and food,
right from the Company fund.

The next day was the long-anticipated day of
departure. In the morning the halls and com-
pany rooms in the armory were thrown open to
the public and were packed with relatives and
friends, who came to bid the last farewells. The
soldiers, between greetings, were kept busy doing
their final packing and squeezing farewell gifts
into an already overflowing pack. They had not
learned then, as they did later, how many articles
a soldier can do without. Many things considered
indispensable, such as pajamas, slippers, brushes
and even condiment cans were thrown away on
the sides of the roads in France to lighten the
loads of the weary hikers. After lunch the last
touching farewells were made and promptly at
1 o'clock Bugler Jackson blew the final assembly
call. A few minutes later the Seventh Regiment
had left its armory and was on its last parade
down Fifth avenue to the Twenty-third street fer-
ries. Later in the afternoon the men entrained
and left Jersey City on their way at last to pre-
pare for the war.

The trip to Camp Wadsworth was, at times,
very tiresome, and the first night the cars were
cold, but as they were going southward all the
‘time it was soon realized that they were bound

35
for a warmer climate. Many interesting places
were passed through, and it was probably only
the fear of superior authority that kept the men
aboard the train at the different stops, as strict
orders had been issued that on no account should
they leave it. Time hung heavily, and to make
the hours pass more quickly the men indulged in
all sorts of amusements. The one-stringed instru-
ment of Skid Bible worked overtime, and quar-
tettes and choruses made the early hours of even-
ing less monotonous, notwithstanding the evident
fact that good voices were scarce.

After leaving Washington it seemed as if the
train had been turned over to a freight engineer
of the most reckless type. E Company will surely
admit that he could stop a long train in record
time. He generally decided to stop at the very
moment that would be least convenient to his
passengers. Shaving required nerve, and it was
his delight to spill the pot in a poker or red-dog
game. Meals were lessons in juggling.

At three o’clock on the afternoon of the 13th
of September the train finally reached its desting-
tion at a little place just outside of Spartanburg,
S. C., for some unknown reason named Fair For-
est. The troops detrained and marched along
dusty roads beside the hot fields of cotton, finally
reaching what appeared to be a patch of cleared
woods. E Company halted at its new home, and
with much difficulty pitched tents in places where
there were the least stumps.

The mess sergeant and his cooks were having
their own troubles erecting a temporary kitchen,
consequently the company had its first supper in
camp by the light of the moon.

Early next morning the men started clearing
the company streets of stumps and roots. It ap-
peared to be an endless job. The work was hard,

86
the hours dragged, and by night their hands were
blistered, their faces and arms sunburned, and
their bodies tired and aching. Axes and shovels
were broken and dulled and the street was still
filled with stumps. Many of the men will still
insist that the giant trees of California cannot
equal in size an old pine stump in Carolina.
After a week of clearing stumps, drills were re-
sumed. The drill field now was an abandoned
cotton field, with all the furrows and roots and
rocks left “as they were.” The thought of Cen-
tral Park, with its smooth, velvet lawn made one
homesick.

In conjunction with the parade drills, instruc-
tion was commenced in the practical methods of
modern warfare. The men learned the prescribed
manner of throwing grenades, the art of bayonet
fighting, patrolling, camouflage and liaison work.
Eight hours a day under a dry, hot sun was, to
most of the men, an experience new, and by no
means pleasant. At night after mess, Spartan-
burg was the chief attraction. A little Ford that
would comfortably carry four or five hauled a
dozen men down four miles of mud road full of
ruts to the town. They were called the two-bit
jitneys. In town there were moving pictures,
sometimes good; restaurants, and all the boys will
recommend their apple pie; and a college full of
pretty girls, to be looked at only. The wheat-
cakes and coffee at Burnett’s were the finishing
touch to a wild night in town.

Lieutenant Stephen M. Schwab, who was tak-
ing a special course in bayonet work, was the first
casualty the company suffered. His ankle turned
while jumping into a trench and his leg was
broken. He was out of things for some time, but
he seemed to enjoy the sympathy of many of the
fair camp visitors. He was most competently at-
tended by Nurse Horace Ritch.

37
During the first part of October, E Company
started its share of pioneer work in digging the
practice trench system. It was hard pick-and-
shovel work under a hot sun, and the men
stripped to the waist, worked hard to conquer the
red clay and rock that formed the soil. It was
quite a novel experience to have freshly sun-
burned backs and shoulders in the middle of Octo-
ber, but a very unpleasant one. Incidentally, the
showers worked overtime.

When the time came to occupy these trenches
for instruction the men found. fault and were dis-
satisfied with their construction. The dugouts
were not spacious enough, the trenches were too
narrow. Afterward when the company was in
the line before Mt. Kemmel their opinions im-
mediately changed. These were merely ditches in
comparison; the company would have gladly wel-
comed a counterpart of the Wadsworth system
then. This was due to the accuracy of the Ger-
man_ artillery fire and not the fault of the Royal
Engineers. The Wadsworth trenches were not
infested with cooties.

One afternoon the men were informed that
they were to lose their identity as the 7th Regi-
ment and were to be re-designated as the 107th
Infantry, and they were to be brought to war
strength by all available men to be transferred
from the Ist N. Y. Infantry. Our men came from
Co. E, Newburgh, and a detail from the 12th N. Y.

While the men much preferred to go through
the war as the 7th New York, they were willing
to set aside their sentiments and determined to play
the game without grumbling for the good of all.
It was with the greatest regret that they learned
that they were to lose Lieutenant Colonel Mc-
Lean and Major Schuyler through the re-organi-
zation. There was a great deal of satisfaction,
however, in the fact that they were to retain as their
Colonel, Willard Clinton Fisk, of whom the
Regiment was very proud, for despite his stern
manner in handling his command, the men knew
that he always had their interests at heart and that
under his leadership, the newly organized Regi-
ment would have little to fear by comparison with
other organizations. Eight months later, when in
France, Colonel Fisk became severely ill and was
returned to the United States, but the knowledge
that he had welded the various units of his outfit
into an organization whose efficiency was recog-
nizable by all, must have been some consolation to
him in his great sorrow upon being separated from
his beloved Regiment, with which he had served
continuously for forty-four years.

e

39
FIRST REG. INF., N. G. N. Y.

HE men of Company E, 1st Infantry,

N. G., N. Y., left Newburgh, N. Y., their

home station, for the European conflict Feb-
ruary 5th, 1917, following the breaking off of dip-
lomatic relations with Germany two days previous.
At full strength, and commanded by Captain
Raphael A. Egan, the company marched from its
armory completely outfitted for a winter campaign.
The men were not aware of their destination and
to the cheers of many of their friends, and led by
the combined city bands, the men hiked through
snow up to their knees and into the face of a
raging blizzard, down the streets of their native
town and to the ferry waiting to take them to
Beacon, N. Y.

The men entrained at Beacon together with
other members of their battalion and detrained
at the State Camp station at Roa Hook, north
of Peekskill. Here the men spent their first night
in service in the mule stables on the state reserva-
tion with the thermometer far below the zero mark.
From Peekskill the company moved to Tarry-
town, where it spent the following night in the
public buildings of the village and then moved
off by trolley car to Pleasantville, Westchester
County. It was here that the men learned what
their duty was to be; they were to guard the New
York City water supply from reported German
attempts to blow it up.

Detachments were sent from here to take up
the patrol of the big waterway and the men suf-
fered many privations in the next few weeks, the
weather remaining unbearably cold and the ques-
tion of supplies being a serious one because of the

41
bad condition of the roads due to repeated snow
storms.

The company was finally quartered at the Brace
Memorial Farm, near Kensico Lake, where it was
assigned a sector by Major James F’. Sheehan, the
battalion commander. The men were just getting
located when an order came to take up a new
sector. :

Captain Egan then prepared to move and the
company hiked from its quarters to Kensico sta-
tion, boarded a train and journeyed from there
to White Plains. At this place the company
boarded trolley cars and was taken to Tarrytown.
From Tarrytown they were moved by train to
Beacon and thence by ferry back to Newburgh,
where they entrained for Kingston. After chang-
ing cars they moved by train to New Paltz, N. Y.,
and thence by sleighs to their new sector near
Lake Mohonk.

The company was highly commended for its
_good work here, through winter snows and sum-
mer heat, by both the state military officials and
the people of the neighborhood. It remained on
duty until August 9th, 1917, part of the time in
huts and houses along the big pipe line and during
the summer months under canvas. Here the men
received considerable training and hardening, which
stood them in so well when it came time to make
good in France.

From its place along the aqueduct the company
made a record-breaking hike to Newburgh. After
being relieved by the newly organized State Guard,
Captain Egan asked permission of the Depart-
ment of the East to take the men home before the
general mobilization of the division in New York
City. Permission was given, but no transporta-
tion was provided. The anxiety of the men to
get home after seven months’ arduous guard duty

42
and their wonderful condition enabled them to
make the march of twenty-seven miles in nine and
one-half hours, including the stops for rests and
mess. They left their camp on the mountainside
at 1.15 in the morning and with a beautiful moon
to guide them made wonderful time before the
hot August sun was up. They arrived at New-
burgh at noon and although they were not ex-
pected until that evening a big crowd was out to
give them a home-coming reception.

A week was spent at the armory, the men
spending their nights at home and drilling during
the day. The order to move came a week after
they were at home. Thousands of people saw
them leave home early on Sunday morning, Au-
gust 16th. Bands played, citizens marched and
many wept as the company left town for the last
time. An escort of yachts accompanied the ferry
boat Orange across the river as she carried the boys
to Beacon where they entrained, along with Com-
pany L, for Van Cortlandt Park, New York City.
Here the company joined with the other com-
panies of the regiment, which formed a brigade
together with the 71st and 28rd Regiments.

There was much drilling and many ceremonies
in the park and thousand of visitors. While here
the company took part in the great farewell parade
of the New York Division down Fifth Avenue
and the entertainment which followed. The order
to leave for Spartanburg came on September 25th
and the regiment received another ovation as it
marched through the streets of New York for
Jersey City, where trains were boarded and the
start for the big training camp was made.

At the southern camp the real work of prepara-
tion for the big conflict really started. Here the
men marched and drilled eight hours per day until
the order to consolidate with the Seventh Infantry

43
to form the 107th U. S. Infantry was received.
Of course the men hated to leave the old regiment
behind for some of them left many years’ tradi-
tions behind them. Weeks in camp and also dur-
ing the Spanish War gave them a love for the
old unit which made it all the harder to leave.
They were consoled in one fact, however, and that
was if it was necessary for them to amalgamate
with another regiment none better could join with
them in forming the new organization to conform
to the standards as set by the War Department.

The company gave a farewell dinner to Colonel
Boyer, its regimental commander, before it left
for the camp of the Seventh. This was a memor-
able event for there were tears in the eyes of the
old commander as he bid the boys farewell and
appealed to them to remain the same good soldiers
they had always been and to maintain the record
of the old regiment no matter where orders might
carry them.

It was about noon on October 17th that the
company, led by the First Regiment band, marched
to join their new comrades, where they were
greeted by the Seventh Regiment band. Greet-
ings were exchanged and a comradeship began
that will never be forgotten.

Lieutenants William B. Penoyer and Arthur
E. Brundage came with the men of Company E,
who numbered 102. Others went to the engineers,
signal corps and artillery of the division, while a
few went to other companies of the regiment.
Captain Egan came to the 107th, but was assigned
to Company I. First Sergeant Galloway and Ser-
geants Willet Paltridge, Harry Bates and Joseph
Woodburn, with about ten other members of the
company, remained to form the nucleus of Com-
pany E, 1st Pioneer Infantry.

44
INTENSIVE TRAINING
Weewce Ty
INTENSIVE TRAINING
PERIOD II

CTOBER 16th, 1917, the men of E Com-
QO pany of the 7th New York were lined on

both sides of the street to greet the men of
the Ist New York Infantry. One hundred and
two men, with First Lieutenant W. B. Penoyer
and Second Lieutenant Arthur E. Brundage,
escorted by Lieutenant Hammond, were met at the
head of E Company street by Captain Knust and
marched down the street. They were cheered as
loudly and sincerely as was possible.

The Ist New York and the 7th New York, Na-
tional Guard, for the men, was now a thing of the
past, having been combined into EK Company of
the 107th U. S. Infantry, as Colonel Fisk was
pleased to remark, the First and the Seventh with
naught between them. The pride the men had
for their former units they now had‘ for their new
outfit, and immediately endeavored to set and
maintain a high standard of respect and efficiency.
Captain Egan, former commanding officer of E
Company, Ist N. Y., was assigned to I Company,
107th. On both sides the officers were respected
and admired immediately, and the “N. C. O.’s” and
men “got together” speedily and were friends from
the start. Then were received October 21st,
twenty-one men from Co. B, 12th N. Y., and after
twenty-seven men had been retransferred to the Ist
and 12th, December 8, 1917, thirty-four men with
Lieutenant George D. Bragdon from Company
G, 10th N. Y. Infantry. The men of both units
were welcomed and made to feel at home and
quickly became friends of all. All men had been

47
soldiering in camp for two months and without any
effort accepted each others ways and ideas, becom-
ing comrades instantly.

The company, now of full “250” strength,
drilled and trained with vim. Notwithstanding
that the company street had already been prepared
for its doubling in length, there was much to be
done around the camp, to provide drill grounds for
the new division being created. There were several
miles of roads to be built and others to be improved
and the doughboy was called upon to provide the
labor. In this respect the men of E Company
did their bit, and perhaps a little more, as many
of them will willingly testify. During this stage
of their camp life they became adept in the use
of the pick and shovel, and were called upon so
often to perform with these instruments, that many
of them asked, “What are guns issued for?”

The’ company street, the pride of Captain
Knust, had to be manicured regularly and vied
with the famous boulevards and drives of the
world. Corporals Matthews and Meehan were
called upon to exercise some of their high school
mathematics to accurately distance and line up
the tents. Corporal Keller’s knowledge of art
was called into service to design an archway at
the foot of the street, something that no other
company in the regimental camp possessed.
Needless to say Captain Knust ably supervised
the entire development. Sergeant Hobert was
kept on the jump as “Street Sergeant” until re-
lieved by Corporal Calamari, when the former was
promoted to Battalion Sergeant Major, the first
loss by transfer sustained by the new company.

The training period was not only extensive but
severe. It included many special courses. The
physical culture period early each morning had
the effect of limbering the men up, bringing each
and every one of their muscles into play. When

48
Sergeant Zink was in charge of the exercises he
insisted everybody “whisthle” while exhaling in the
breathing exercise. His time was so much taken
up with this athletic work that he was relieved as
Supply Sergeant and succeeded by Sergeant
Bryan, who continued the efficient methods in which
this important department was handled. Later in
the training period the English exercises were in-
troduced into the camp curriculum.

The schedule did not neglect close order drills
and of those most of the men felt confident they
were receiving “more than their share.” In all
reviews and parades old K Company always lived
up to its reputation. Eixtended order drills and
maneuvers were also given a prominent part in
the training schedule. Many an _ interplatoon
bloodless battle was fought in the brush and red
mud of Spartanburg. In the two divisional man-
euvers the company was unfortunate in the dis-
posal they made of their troops in that the offi-
cers did not quite agree with the white brassarded
observers, consequently many of the company’s
best men were ruled out of action. During one
of the actions Private James F. Brown was hurt
in the hand when his rifle, loaded with blank cart-
ridges, discharged. He was the only bona fide
casualty. Several men were declared to have been
wounded in various degrees, and were used as
models for the sanitary men who practised first
aid and bandaging regardless of the high cost of
linen.

Saturday morning the “famous army inspec-
tion” was always held with pomp and ceremony.
When the company stood at attention, prepared
for inspection, it was a sight for the gods! Each
and every man, immaculately clean, shoes polished
reflecting the sun’s rays and uniforms and equip-
ment cleaned and polished to the last and highest
possible degree. Occasionally an exceedingly large

49
dash of after-shaving powder concealed a slight
growth of beard. Major Mazet and later Major
Engel (who took command of the second battal-
ion when Major Mazet was assigned to the first
battalion) always expressed pleasure at the ap-
pearance of the men, the condition of the kitchen,
mess hall, tents, shower baths, street and latrines.

French and English officers and N. C. O.’s, as-
signed to the division, instructed all ranks in the
use of hand grenades and rifle grenades, the bay-
onet, gas mask, and the light French automatic
rifle known as the Chausechot. The work was in-
teresting and essential. A great deal of time was
devoted to the various courses. There was real
hard work to be done and the men made good
on the job they found themselves up against.
From seven-thirty in the morning to eleven-thirty
and from one to four in the afternoon everybody
was on the alert training at top speed in order
that they might develop perfect condition and
acquire all the knowledge possible so that when
the time came to go overseas they would be fit
and ready for the work to be done.

The bayonet instruction was a prominent factor
in the training schedule and especially trained
instructors were intrusted with this work. Ser-
geants Haible and Greer were detailed from E
Company. The instructors put their classes
through a grilling form of “physical torture” and
with their snappy commands, curt remarks, rapid-
fire methods created a tense interest and feeling
in the men. The men went over the bayonet
course, leaping in and out of trenches, thrusting at
the dummies, executing butt swings and strikes
with all their energy and strength. The perspira-
tion flowed freely. Blouses and O. D. shirts were
usually discarded for the work. It caused one
to smile to see Private Hochstaine, five feet two,

50
teamed up with Private Ferguson, six feet three,
charging the line of dummies.

The semaphore signalling and the Morse code
were taught the men, which they mastered
promptly, developing speed and accuracy. Pri-
vates Fromm, Bonnano and Bowen were the most
apt pupils. It must be said for the men who
came to the company from the old 10th N. Y.
that they were well versed in the art of signalling.
Hochstaine, Dubreuil and Tompkins were well
versed in the semaphore code.

The interior guard tours of the regimental area
were executed with great exactness and precision.
E Company details mounted guard and carried
out their instructions and orders with snap and
precision, and woe unto the man who failed to
make his piece ring when he presented arms to
Lieutenant Hammond, officer of the day. The
company furnished, also, details in turn for out-
post guard duty in the vicinity of the Q. M. stores
near Fair Forest, and the base hospital. Long
will be remembered the dreary hours spent walk-
ing post during a heavy rainstorm or on a cold
winter night.

The digging of the vast trench system at Camp
Wadsworth will never be forgotten. Many an
unsweet word was uttered as the men wrestled
with Carolina’s famous red clay. Work was
started on the trench system the first week in
October. ‘They were ready for occupancy the
middle of November. The second battalion oc-
cupied the trenches for its first trick of twenty-
four hours two days prior to Thanksgiving Day.
The men had their first experience of entering
trenches correctly, taking them over from the first
battalion, which it relieved. Stand-to at dusk and
stand-down at dawn, attack and defense forma-
tions were executed. Patrols were organized and

54
operated in the section representing the enemy’s
lines. As senior non-com. with the second bat-
talion intelligence section Sergeant Bletcher won
laurels through his accomplishments on patrols.
He was usually assisted by Privates Thoms, Bell,
Bowen, L’Hommedieu and Holden, all of whom,
with the exception of Bowen, were later attached
to the intelligence section with the battalion in
action. Working and ration parties were detailed
and the work of the men in trenches on the battle
fronts in France was simulated to the very last
detail.

The battalion was relieved Thanksgiving Eve.
Rather tired but more experienced, the men went
to their tents and their good friend cot. Corporal
“Dave” Burke, in the minds of a number of the
men, is in a position to recommend the old army
cot to any'who desire a comfortable bed. The
following day was a holiday. Many packages
were received by the men through the mail. There
were candy, fruit, cakes and many other delicacies
in every tent in the street. A very fine “feed”
was served in the mess shack. The national bird
was appreciated and devoured with satisfaction
by the “corned-willy fed’’ soldiers. Sergeant
Wetherill and his staff had prepared an excellent
supper and deserved all the compliments that day
conferred upon the culinary department. Cor-
poral Carl Fenouillet was given an army trunk
by his comrades in the old 7th, as a mark of ap-
preciation for the manner in which he, as official
mail clerk, cared for the letters from sweethearts
and others. Many times he went out of his way
to give the boys the very best mail service possible.

Shortly after Thanksgiving day the “sunny
south” experienced the coldest winter in many
years. With one foot of snow on the ground, a
biting wind blowing, and a zero temperature re-
corded, the men were inclined to cease reeommend-

52
ing Spartanburg as the ideal winter resort of the
South. Some very cold days and nights were
spent under the canvas. The Sibley stove re-
ceived more petting and was fed more wood than
any of the large boilers heating thousands of
people in the metropolis from which most of the
men hailed. Some very rare remarks were hurled
at that stove when it became balky and petting
failed. It had a habit of shooting quantities of
sparks all over the exterior of the tent, burning
large and small air holes in the fabric. This
usually occurred at a time when no water was
obtainable, and the men were required to extin-
guish the blazes with their hands. On two oc-
casions the bugler sounded fire call. The men
dashed out of the tents in the small hours of the
morning minus essential parts of their uniforms,
presenting quite a unique appearance as they
formed in order at the head of the street to fight
the fire in the manner prescribed in regulations
provided for such emergencies. Lieutenants
Brundage and Penoyar profited by the men’s
efficiency in fire-fighting when their tent was the
victim of flames.

Furloughs were granted men about this time.
A few men each week were given leave to visit
home. The change of temperature so affected
Private Sam Drabble’s voice he was given leave
to go to New York to consult a specialist. Owing
to the fact that one of the staff officers was on
the same train he could not regain his voice until
he alighted at the Pennsylvania station.

Private E. J. Young’s supply of Pirika choco-
lates had the faculty of disappearing mysteriously.
No one knew anything about it but everyone re-
marked how good they were.

By this time the majority of the men had be-
come acquainted with families in Spartanburg and
53
might be found in their homes on Saturday and
Sunday evenings. Sergeants Mendenhall and
Bruce, Corporals Vialls, McIntyre and Scherer,
comprising one of E Company’s quintettes, were
popular in the South Carolina city. Dances in
town were attended by the men. They also took
‘advantage of the opportunities offered by the
Y. M. C. A. to bathe in its pool and to utilize
its rest and reading rooms.

Many a celebration was held in the Cleveland
Hotel dining room. In some extraordinary and
unexplainable manner a bottle of “vichy” made
its appearance. Corporal “Jack” Hines states the
“Unit,” a non-alcoholic beverage, was fair. Cor-
poral Hines ought to know.

A number of well-intentioned and _public-
spirited New York ladies interested in the regi-
ment donated a large sum of money to the
regiment for the purposes of erecting a camp
auditorium. Men especially trained in that kind
of work constructed the building. FE Company
furnished quite a few men. Captain Knust was
official boss of the job. Private Doig had
charge of the erection of the massive stone
chimneys, being assisted by Private Lemmon and
Private “Heavy” Monnell. The capacity of the
auditorium was about 8,000. Religious services,
band concerts, movie shows and boxing bouts were
held in the building.

To go to town good use was made of the one-
ton 22-H. P. truck (model 1917) which the First
Regiment men brought with them. It made
regular trips to and from Spartanburg, holding
about 20 passengers. Otherwise it was up to one to
take his choice as to whether he would travel by the
P. & N. rail route or “Ford” his way. After
having made the decision one prayed to the gods
of chance to be merciful. If the flivver route
were chosen the flivver usually had to be caught

54
on the fly. As there were, no doubt, ten occu-
pants aboard the luxurious five-seated motor
vehicle, one was required to hang on with two
fingers, and if one were lucky a space for a toe
or two might be found. It was a ride for life
over bumps and around the turns on two wheels.
Riding on the P. & N. was more comfortable and
surely more dignified. But on the other hand it
was decidedly slower. Speed was unknown on
this railroad, and it aggravated the engineer while
travelling between stations when the men alighted
from the rear coaches, walked up to the locomo-
tive and asked the fireman for a light.

With the coming of winter more than appre-
ciated was the goodly supply of sweaters, socks,
mittens and other woolen necessities sent the men
by the Women’s Auxiliary of the 107th Infantry.
They deserve the greatest credit for supplying
them before the winter set in and not afterward.
A great number of these articles from other sources
were sent with spring.

When the snow started to melt during the latter
part of December Camp Wadsworth was one sea
of mud. Boots were greatly appreciated, and the
majority of the men made haste to procure for
themselves a pair of the big hip boots distributed
by the commissary. First Sergeant Grimm found
them very handy on many a cold, but dry morn-
ing. For the last minute risers for reveille forma-
tion the overcoat and a pair of boots were a bless-
ing, covering a multitude of missing clothing.
Many a shivery moment was spent in line before
the company was dismissed.

Christmas was enjoyed by everybody, not only
because there was no reveille nor work that day,
but because all had caught the spirit of the oc-
casion. Religious services were held and most of
the men attended their customary places of wor-
ship. Packages of all sorts and sizes were received
from home by the men. The first class mail was
unusually heavy. Corporal Fenouillet and Pri-
vate Allison handled the mail problem for KE Com-
pany, putting in a few very strenuous days during
the holiday week. Captain Knust was home for
Christmas. During his absence Lieutenant Ham-
mond commanded the company. He did every-
thing in his power to make the Christmas celebra-
tion in EK Company a success. Sergeant “Skid”
Bible was in charge of the program for the official
celebration. The old mess hall was “dolled up”
in great style for the occasion. The Christmas
tree was dressed beautifully. Lieutenant Weth-
erill, having received his commission, his successor,
as mess sergeant, Cook Ritter, proved to be equal
to the occasion, for a celebration dinner. He and
his staff of cooks provided a meal that was a
winner. It simply could not be beat. The entire
kitchen staff were given all credit which was their
just due.

Each man received a stocking. There were
plenty of candy and nuts for all. The officers
made appropriate speeches. All were greeted with
hearty applause. Lieutenant Hammond read a
telegram from the captain conveying his greetings
for the day to his boys. Various other telegrams
conveying the season’s greeting to the men were
read. The tremendous applause given Lieutenant
Wetherill impressed him very much, and he could
not but realize how well the men liked their former
mess sergeant. Privates Cappola and Guerrero,
respectively talented pianist and violinist, who al-
ways willingly entertained, pleasingly contributed
more than their share to make the evening’s en-
tertainment a success. Cook Dondero sang several
songs and was called upon to render again and
again “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.” Private
Kernochan, too, was compelled to respond to the

56
cry from the men for encores. Other talented
men of the company contributed to the entertain-
ment. Private Green’s impersonation of a dope
fiend impressed the men for its accuracy. “Ap-
propriate” gifts were presented to the officers and
men, and many a good laugh was had during the
presentation.

New Year’s Day was spent in the tents, close
to the Sibley stoves, for it was an extremely cold
day. The many books and magazines on hand
were devoured by the men in idle moments. It
was not necessary to remind them that they were
this year celebrating the advent of the new year
in an entirely different manner than was their
wont; and while military restrictions might pre-
vent them from a repetition of their customary
celebration, it could not prevent their minds from
fancying the boisterous and gay festivities in which
they would have taken part had they been in their
old homes and amid their ¢ivilian associations.

The water pipe at the head of the street had
frozen and all water had to be carried from the
spigot at the head of the machine gun company’s
street. Corporal Stout, the company’s artist, while
speaking of Camp Wadsworth at that time, states
“it certainly was a lovely place for polar bears.”

The men of the old “First” regiment having been
called into Federal service February 4th, 1917,
arranged for a celebration of the completion of
one year’s service. Lieutenant Brundage worked
hard to gather together the men of the old com-
pany who had been transferred to other units than
the 107th for a celebration on February 4th. He
was successful in gathering the men, and when
the occasion arrived there were present 350, in-
cluding many men of the old 7th, 12th and 10th,
all of whom entered into the spirit of the party.
In addition to the company officers, Colonel Boyer
of the 1st Pioneers, into which the Ist N. Y. In-

57
fantry was formed, Major Mazet, commanding
the 107th during the colonel’s absence, Major
Engel, of the second battalion, Captain Egan, I
Company, former commanding officer of E Com-
pany, Ist N. Y., Lieutenant Haloran, Medical
Detachment, Ist Pioneers. and Lieutenant “Tex”
Wetherill were present. All the officers spoke
in their sincere and face to face manner. Ser-
geants Keller, O’Rourke, Mendenhall, Zink and
Bryan, officer candidates, attending the O. T. S.,
were also on hand.

In addition to the company entertainers Ser-
geant Bible had “booked” for the occasion the
second battalion quartette, cook Schwartz of F
Company, Private Van Zant, an elocutionist of
O. D. Pill fame, the regimental Hawaiian trio,
Private Kuhl of the 108th Regiment and others.
It was a memorable occasion in the life of EX Com-
pany, 107th Regiment, and will never be forgotten
by those who were present. Refreshments were
served.

Very shortly after the “party” the company
prepared to make the trip to the rifle range at
Glassy Rock. Emphasis in the drill schedule was
laid on aiming and sighting exercises. Sergeants
Lewis and Bletcher had charge of the in-
struction. They specialized in triangulation.
Whole days were spent in aiming a rifle at a small
movable target with a hole in the center. Every
time the rifleman said “mark” the instructor made
a dot where the center of the target came on the
paper. After he had taken three shots, the in-
structor connected the three dots with a line form-
ing a triangle. Stanley and Tom worked so zeal-
ously that any man in the company in his sleep
could construct the most minute triangles possible.

Old “EK” Company was the first company of the
regiment to leave for the rifle range. Early on
58
the morning of February 14th it left camp, en-
training at Fair Forrest for Campobella, the near-
est railroad station to the range, from whence the
company hiked ’steen miles through mountainous
country to its destination. The sun beat unmerci-
fully on the men. Putting to good use a part of
the Company funds, Captain Knust purchased the
supply of soda water in a'general store near which
a halt was made. It was necessary to make a
detour adding several additional miles to the march
because the artillery was using its range through
which the infantrymen would ordinarily have
passed to their range. The mountaineers had a
method all their own of cheering the men up, mak-
ing the hike seem short. Each one of them when
questioned as to the distance to the range would
reply, “’bout fo’ miles.” It mattered not how
near or far the company was from the range, it
was “just "bout fo’ miles yonder.”

Glassy Rock was reached at five o’clock in the
afternoon. Almost exhausted the men proceeded
to unload the transport and make camp. Al-
though a strenuous job, it required but little time.
The camp was situated in a beautiful locality.
The altitude was high. One could see across the
state line from the top of Glassy Rock. The Blue
Ridge Mountains seemed to look their best when
the company made its first visit to the range. But
what a windy and cold place it was on the plateau
on which the camp was located! It was nothing
short of a miracle that the tents did not go up
like kites during the night.

The cooks experienced difficulty quite a few
times during the stay there, struggling not only
with the problems of water and fuel, but also the
shortage of rations. Cook Baxter prepared a
lovely “kerosene oil flavored” stew one day and
his reputation as an army chef was at stake and
also his “goat” for quite awhile.

59
When opportunity offered, the Company con-
tinued its try-outs to determine whether all the men
had come up to the new athletic standards required
by Division Orders; namely, 100-yard dash in 14
seconds; standing broad jump, 714 feet; running,
14 feet; running high, 4 feet and heaving grenades,
35 yards; all in field equipment.

It was of no consequence whether the sun shone
or the rain poured, Captain Knust, an expert shot
and an enthusiastic rifleman of national repute, had
the company on the range early. From the one
hundred yard to the three hundred yard table, the
company worked, the officers coaching tirelessly
and patiently. It is worthy of note that the en-
tire Company (present 214) qualified in the first
and second tables; that 138 qualified in the third,
and 80 in the fourth. How well this is will appear
frotn a comparison with four companies from the
108th Infantry, who were on the range about the
same time, and made in a table printed below.
The men who qualified in the fourth table are:

Sgts. Bible Pvt.

Haible Ist cl. Bowen
Lewis Callihan

Cpls. Meehan Dickson
Adams, K. Fromm
McEwen, E. J. Kerr
Shaw McIntyre
Whalen Scherer
Farrington Thoms
Farina, N. Vanderveer
Boggs Pvt. Crowell
Drabble, W. W. Gloss
Springsteen Jankura
Costales Loyd
Hillman Roberts

Wyman

60
The following table compares the results of E
Company at the range with the four companies of
the Third Battalion of the 108th Infantry:

(Not including officers)

108th P&A Pra. 1 #2 8 4
Co: Tosca. 237 198 182 118 59 82
Co: Maisie: 224 178 #%QWW2 21 56 11
Co. K...s<: 236 191 186 158 108 82

Co. M...... 234 184 175 188 103 + 78
Co. E, 107th.282, 214 214 214 138 380

A week was spent on the range, at the expira-
tion of which the company hiked to Campobella
via a shorter route than was used when coming
up. Upon arriving at the company street the men
were surprised and very pleased to find that Cook
Schwartz of F Company had prepared plenty of
good warm cocoa. Bread, hard tack and apple
butter was issued in abundance. There was a mad
rush to the shower baths, where the men indulged
in a cleansing that they had not been privileged
during their absence from the camp. How good
the old cot did feel! It couldn’t be beat, that is
all there is to it. The next day, much to Corporal
“Judge” Elkin’s disgust, Corporal K. Adams’
squad became aware of the fact that “cooties” had
attached themselves to their persons and imme-
diately a campaign of extermination was inaug-
urated.

At this time the system of identification
numbers was inaugurated for the army. E Com-
pany ran from 1,210,495 to 1,210,719 inclusive,
being based on strength of company on February
28, less the five men at O. T. S.

The company made another trip to the range
when the entire regiment maneuvered and ad-

61
vanced behind a barrage laid down by the artillery
brigade. The four-day stay was spent in pup
tents. There was much rain. The trip was made
afoot in both directions. Lieutenant Grimm, the
company’s former smiling and popular first ser-
geant, was assigned to H Company for duty. The
maneuver behind the barrage was perfect. It was
a novel and instructive experience, even though it
illustrated in a very small way what the men were
to go through later overseas.

The return trip to Camp Wadsworth was made
in eight hours and fifteen minutes, considered good
for a twenty-eight mile hike. The camp record for
hiking was broken. This record, made by the
107th Regiment, remained intact during the oc-
cupancy of Camp Wadsworth by the Twenty-
Seventh Division. But oh! what an assortment of
feet was displayed to Lieutenant “Doc.” Benedict
the following morning. There were more styles
of blisters and callouses than there were cooties
on an English corporal, and that’s going some.

The third week of April preparations were be-
gun for departure overseas. There was work of
all sorts to be done in the company and the regi-
ment. Life was but one detail after another, but
the work was done cheerfully and willingly for it
meant “over there,” and a chance to get a crack at
the “Fritzies.”

At this time the company received its first Na-
tional Army men as replacements, twelve in num-
ber, and recruit Polachek.

Before leaving the auto truck was sold for $250
which, with the other funds, gave the company al-
most $1,700 after all bills had been paid. The
company was in sound financial condition at all
times, and particularly so when it left for overseas.

Two days before the departure the men were
more than surprised—they were thunderstruck—
to learn that Captain Knust was relieved from

62
duty with the company, because he was of German
birth. This action could hardly be believed in
view of the fact that the captain was a citizen of
the United States for forty years and for twenty
years a National Guardsman. It was a hard blow
for all, for the captain had built up the company.
He supervised the training for nine months, work-
ing at all times with but one object in mind, to
make E Company a 100% company. As badly
as the captain felt when making a little farewell
address to “his boys” he still retained his spirit
and was game to the core, remarking, “It is part
of the game.”

_ Lieutenant Hayward of K Company was as-
signed to EK Company as commanding officer, and
was very soon thereafter promoted to a captaincy.

The night of April 28th was the last spent in
Camp Wadsworth. The last night on the cot and
under the old brown canvas that sheltered the
men from sun, wind and storm. The training
period was at an end. The men were scheduled
for overseas, and wére happy.

We here lost another of our old-timers. “Tony”
Zink, the first of the Officers’ Training School
graduates to be commissioned, was assigned to an-
other unit and much as we regretted the parting,
we realized that as men were promoted, they must
necessarily leave their comrades and go forth to
their new duties in other fields.

63
EN VOXAGE
Keo mr Y,/
EN VOYAGE

the 1st of June was filled with many thrill-

ing incidents and occasions for KE Company.
There was the great jubilation of departure from
Camp Wadsworth, and the tremendous disap-
pointment when it was learned that the port of
embarkation for the division was to be Newport
News, and not New York. Then there was the
joy of family reunions at Camp Stewart and the
tears of farewells. Needless to say, all felt a
keen pain as they sailed away, for many knew
they would never return, and others felt that if
they did, it might not be in quite the same physi-
cal condition as they left, for all realized the seri-
ous nature of their journey across the seas.

The company was in an unsettled state during
this period. The captain was an unknown quan-
ity as far as the men were concerned. Hilliard
Matthews had been made first sergeant over the
heads of several sergeants who thought they
ought to have been considered for the job. Many
of the corporals were not quite satisfied with the
selection of Corporals Springsteen and Drabble to
be sergeants, feeling that in going over their
heads Captain Knust had not been fair. Corporal
Bancker had been elevated to supply sergeant and
a number of new corporals had been made, all of
whom did not receive the approval of the ambi-
tious first-class privates.

However, the journey was a pleasant one, and,
during the trip across the ocean many of the
wrinkles were ironed out of the sails, and the com-
pany from then on rode smoothly the seas of ad-
venture, making a creditable record in everything
it undertook to do. The morale and spirit of the

67

T HE period between the end of April and
men were high; they developed into a company
that was the equal of any in the American Ex-
peditionary Forces.

The excitement of the preparations to leave
Camp Wadsworth had much the same effect on
one as the strain of riding a bicycle up a long,
steep grade. It is with a feeling of relief and
relaxation of muscle and tension that one glides
over the level roadway after the top is reached.
One then looks back with a sense of satisfaction,
feeling that he has accomplished something
through determination. On the day it departed
the company looked down the long incline of
months covering the Camp Wadsworth period
with not a little regret and affection. Here the
men learned to know each other and made fast
and closer friendships than ever before.

The last formation in Camp Wadsworth took
place in the afternoon of April 29. Captain
Knust was in the street to witness the departure
of his old command. He checked up on the seal-
ing of the tents, and watched the men march to
the rear of the street and out of the camp to go
sailing over the seas, and, as in some cases, never
to return. The commands, “Right by squads,”
and “Column left,” started the movement. By
the rear exit, through the picket lines, to the Q.
M. stores, the company was guided by Lieutenant
Hayward. It passed the old system of trenches
in which the men had trained and which were the
product of their own labor. Following the rails
of a spur of the Southern Railroad, they pro-
ceeded out of the camp, arriving at Fair Forest
in the early afternoon pretty well fatigued, for
they were carrying huge packs filled with many
unauthorized articles. They had grown attached
to their different little articles of memento and
didn’t have the heart to throw them away. Later
months of heavy marching order developed in

68
them the good sense to rid themselves of all ex-
cess baggage, whether personal property or
“isher.”

On the same siding to which the men stepped
on that memorable day in September when they
first set foot on the soil of South Carolina their
train was waiting to take them on their first lap
in their journey overseas. Only a few moments
were required to entrain the men; then, “All
aboard!” and away they went. It was one of the
many dramatic moments in the lives of these sol-
diers. All knew they were leaving behind Amer-
ica, for the little they saw of it thereafter was
military—intensely so. How many times in the
future while trying to dodge the raindrops
through the roofs of their billets or attempting to
sleep in their holes in the ground with nothing be-
tween them and “Jerry” flying overhead but their
sometimes unsatisfactory shelter tent, or while.
playing hide-and-seek with whiz-bangs and machine
gun bullets—yes, how many times under far more
trying conditions when food was scarce and i!l-
prepared, have these men thought of home and
friends, good old New York, even Camp Wads-
worth, and surely Mrs. Hughs, at Duncan, and
her fried chicken an’ candied yams, of the multi-
plicity of delicacies, preserves, jams, jellies,
syrups and honey! And those hot biscuits and
home-made butter! Not to mention the pies and
cakes and puddings, and all the other good things
she provided for a fellow to eat. Why, she does
not know what a wonderful reality she was in the
memory of the many E. Company men who regu-
larly patronized her dinner table.

Day coaches had been provided for the trip.
Some men grumbled that sleepers had not been
provided, but after two or three months in Eu-
rope they would gladly have accepted the old
American day coach as the most palatial rail con-

69
veyance in the world. Finally settled, the men
began to speculate on their destination. Could
it be New York? It must be New York! Their
desire strengthened their conclusion that they
were going to New York. When, the next morn-
ing, after a night of semi-consciousness, they
found themselves in Richmond and traveling East
uey realized they were bound for Newport News,
a.

The journey ended in a maze of railroading.
The company detrained near its quarters, and the
platoons were quickly assigned to their barracks.

Camp Stewart, it appeared to the men from the
tent city of Wadsworth, was a nice, comfortable
place for old and feeble soldiers. It was a sudden
change in living conditions for the men of Com-
pany E, from the old pyramidal tents to a city of
barracks, four walls and a roof, real, live spring
beds, plenty of water, hot for bathing, comfort-
able washing facilities and a modern latrine
system.

Little drilling was done in Camp Stewart. It
was a soldier’s paradise as far as work was con-
cerned. The only men burdened with heavy re-
sponsibilities were the staff sergeants, who, how-
ever, were burdened with far more than their
share. Sergeant Bancker worked overtime to
properly outfit the company, and to equip it for
overseas duty. When the time for sailing came,
the company was well supplied with everything
required. Sergeant Bancker and those assisting
him were thanked by Captain Hayward before
the assembled company. He was assisted by Ser-
geant Springsteen and Private McDonald.

When the barracks bags were collected for ship-
ment the day before sailing, they were all found
to be loaded well with surplus supplies of deli-
cacies and tobacco and cigarettes. Men had put

"y
in supplies in sufficient quantities to last a long
time after their arrival in Europe. The bags
were so completely filled that in nearly every
instance it was almost impossible to draw the
opening together.

The company had hardly settled down in their
temporary quarters before there was a rush for
the telegraph office to apprise anxious folks of
the location of the unit. A few days later par-
ents, brothers and sisters, wives and sweethearts
swarmed to the camp to say a last good-by to the
boys about to cross the ocean on the great adven-
ture. Until the last day the camp was always
crowded with visitors who were permitted only
in the area surrounding the adjutant’s office.
There they were met by runners and _ orderlies
who sought out the men they wished. Once dur-
ing the stay at Stewart, E Company furnished
the guard and the runners who saw to it that no
visitor came to the camp in vain.

Troops were not permitted to leave the camp,
but these particular men being hardened soldiers.
knew how to work the game. Some of them left
the camp without permission. Officers were ap-
prised of the conditions and tripled their interior
guards to prevent the men from Jeaving. It was
then impossible for the men to “run” the guard.
Those who had gone out and returned to sneak
back to their places were caught. Among them
were two E Company corporals and several pri-
vates. The two corporals were reduced to the .
ranks and given kitchen detail for additional pun-
ishment, while the privates were required to do
hard labor for several days.

For exercise, the men were taken to a field near
the base hospital of the camp, where the captain
introduced himself to the company as a drill mas-
ter. He required a very small space in which to
drill the company. He specialized in quicken-

7
ing movements. His insistence on the correction
of the smallest details resulted in a state of effi-
ciency in close order and the manual of arms not
surpassed in any company in any army.

Eight days passed smoothly and quickly with-
out exciting incidents, and then something hap-
pened! Recruit Polachek contracted measles.
That did not seem so serious, but when it ap-
peared that the company might be left behind be-
cause of the incident, many hearts were filled with
despair, for to “go over” was the highest ambi-
tion of every man in the company. Finally it
was decided to leave behind only those men who
slept in the same room with the stricken man.
These included Sergeants Mendenhall and Bible,
both star entertainers in the company. Lieuten-
ant Schwab was assigned to remain with the cas-
ual detachment into which the quarantined men
were formed. About the same time Lieutenant
Brundage was detached and assigned to command
a company of National Guard replacement troops
from the South, then at Camp Stewart scheduled
for an early departure to Europe.

Finally the time approached for the departure
of the regiment. Barrack bags were turned in
May 9th and loaded on the ship. The following
day an early start was made on the movement
from the camp to the dock. The entire second
battalion travelled together, under the leadership
of Major Engel. It was a barren, dusty road the
company traversed to the pier. It led through
the negro quarter of the town and through an un-
imposing outskirt. At the pier the command
“Right by file’ started the movement up the
gangplank. As the men boarded the vessel, the
“Antigone,” each was given a slip designating his
bunk number, the deck where located, mess hall in
which he received his meals, and the life raft to
which he was assigned. Ei Company was quar-

72
tered in the extreme forward section of the ship.

For the first few hours after embarking the
men were required to remain below decks. After
the steamer had been under way for about two
hours they were permitted the liberty of the main
deck. They swarmed the deck, occupying every
conceivable perch. Men swarmed all over the
great booms. The weather was fair and the sea
smooth. From the start it looked much as if it
were to be a “bon voyage,” and such it proved to
be. On the first day out many of the men were
taken ill, but all recovered in a remarkably short
time. About the only men who were seriously ill
at any time, or who were ill for the entire journey
were Sergeant Whalen and Private Murphy. It
was not so much the dipping or rolling of the ship
that caused the illness as the stuffy lower regions
in which the men had to sleep. They were out-of-
door men, and unaccustomed to closed portholes
and poor ventilation. After the men had become
acclimated to the confinement below decks, the
serious illness disappeared, even though later on
in the journey the sea became rough and the ship
‘rocked and rolled and dipped.

For amusement during the long, idle hours of
the trip the men organized teams and roughed it
up a little with “Johnny Ride the Pony” and other
army outdoor games, much to the amusement of
the sailors. In the early evening a motion picture
was usually shown in the mess hall. On several
occasions men from the division show performed.
There was no band aboard, but groups of men
gathered together, formed impromptu choruses
and rendered harmoniously the latest Broadway
successes. The Y. M. C. A. distributed many
books, all of which furnished amusement for the
men.

When the submarine zone was reached every
eye was alert for the appearance of a periscope of

73
the insidious undersea craft. None were sighted
during the trip. In undiscoverable points of
vantage men were posted to scan the seas un-
ceasingly for the infinitesimal periscope. In the
crow’s-nest, high on the main mast, outlooks were
posted. Here observations were made with field
glasses. Nothing at all, no matter how large or
small, escaped the vigilance of the watchers, and
the minutest variations of the monotonous same-
ness of the sea’s surface was reported. During
the day target practice occupied the sailor’s atten-
tion. The gun crews made excellent scores, the
men were told.

The sailors were a clean lot of men. They
were American, the ship being manned entirely
by the Naval Reserve Force. Many thrifty sail-
ors gathered in the cost of a day’s outing in
France by washing clothes for the soldiers. The
old canvas leggins, then part of the soldier’s uni-
form, proved to be the source of much revenue
for the sailors. Twenty-five cents a pair was the
price of having them cleaned up and whitened as
they never were before. Other sailors, more
thrifty than considerate, peddled candy and
pickles among the soldiers, charging exorbitant
prices for them. Most of the men were well sup-
plied with money and were free in the use of it.

During the day the men were permitted every
liberty consistent with order. However, strict
rules regarding lights were enforced at night. No
smoking was permitted after sunset. All soon be-
came accustomed to the familiar call “The smok-
ing lamp is out!’ Men on deck immediately
ridded themselves of their “butts,” and from then
until morning there was no smoking on the ship.

During the meal hours, both for the sailors and
the soldiers, the decks were crowded with men.
The congestion was an inconvenience, but could
not be avoided. The sailors had much difficulty

74
in passing from one part of the ship to another.
Soldiers possess the happy faculty of easily mak-
ing themselves at home anywhere, but where they
do, they usually take over the place completely,
almost dispossessing the rightful occupant. But
there is always one thing to which a soldier will
always give way—FOOD. “Gangway! Comin’
thru—hot stuff!’ from a sailor carrying food
from the galleys to the petty officers’ mess always
resulted in the hasty creation of a lane lined with
longing eyes. The steaming food issued by the
sailors seemed luxurious, delicious, too good (in
the distance) for ordinary soldier mortals.

The doughboy ate in a former dining-hall.
There were evidences about it that it was a dining-
hall in more pretentious days. Here the different
companies were fed separately, one after another,
twice daily. At first the food was sufficient and
well prepared, but in the latter part of the jour-
ney the issue became smaller and the absence of
the customary third meal was sadly felt. How-
ever, a sandwich in the middle of the day relieved
the situation.

Many of the men availed themselves of the
baths on the ship. To wash well in the salt water
was difficult, but a visit to the showers at least
once daily overcame the inconvenience of an un-
satisfactory water. However, all the men did not
utilize the showers, largely because they were of
insufficient capacity to accommodate all the men
desiring to avail themselves of their benefits. In
the Gulf Stream, when the water was warm and
the air mild, the men were stripped and herded on
the decks of the ship, where the hose was played
on them, and they were given perhaps the most
unique bath of their experience.

The journey was, on the whole, a picnic-like
affair. All one did was eat, sleep and seek amuse-
ment for himself. Once in a while there was a

75
trick of guard to do, but when it came it was a
diversion. The sight of a shark or some other
mammoth of the deep created a momentary inter-
est. Often the strains of music from a band on
one of the other ships of the convoy reached the
“Antigone.” At night the phosphorus playing in
the foam of the ship’s wake fascinated watchers.
Pride for the American Navy filled the heart of
every man on board as he thrilled at the maneu-
vers of the little torpedo destroyers that guaran-
teed the safety of the great transport fleet, laden
with human cargoes.

The only interruption to the smooth course of
life aboard the transport was the call to the mess
line. Everybody wanted to be at the head of the
line, which was obviously impossible. He who
was unfortunate enough to be last had to pass
three or four times across the mess hall while the
line wended its snaky progress toward the “chow.”
Eventually he reached the straightaway, when the
.food came within sight. Such an accumulation of
authority for observation and orderly accomplish-
ment of the service; first, there was a naval non-
com on hand, for what purpose God only knows;
then there was an army officer to interfere with
the cooks, and then an officer, and sometimes two
of the company being fed, perhaps to see that
none of the men fell down the hatchway; and then
the mess sergeant was there, and finally the head
cook and a line sergeant to organize the line, and
the poor doughboys so hungry that they had no
desire to rush the mess, as it seemed some feared
they might do.

Frankfurters and sauerkraut, beans and po-
tatoes; they were the fare. The navy bread, fresh
from the ovens daily, was a revelation to the sol-
diers, accustomed as they were to the hard combi-
nation, the products of their field ovens.

And then, one day, it was rumored that the

76
long journey was nearing its end. Land would
be sighted in the morning, it was said, and surely
on the morning of May 28rd, the shore lighthouses
were seen looming in the distance, and as the ships
progressed, an apparent barren island was seen
taking shape until it developed, detail by detail,
into the beautiful harbor of Brest. Many Ameri-
can torpedo boats were seen, and many other ves-
sels flying the Stars and Stripes gave evidence of
the great American activity in this quarter. For
two days the company remained aboard the “An-
tigone.” Finally, on the 25th of May, a lighter con-
veyed the entire company ashore. It was with a
feeling of satisfaction and great confidence that
the men first stepped on the shores of France.
One felt the strength of the power behind them.
It was a new experience for all, and the hardships
of the next eight months proved to be the greatest
schooling in the career of these men.

77
TRAINING in FRANCE
(UPON,
TRAINING IN FRANCE

FOURTH PERIOD
OR two days the men were kept aboard the
PH santigone impatiently awaiting their turn
to disembark. They were doubly anxious to
land because the rationing of the transport for the
trip had not contemplated a fifteen-day journey,
and the meals for the last few days were conse-
quently scanty. When the sailors in a galley lo-
cated at the Main E Company hatchway conde-
scended to pass out the contents of a huge container
of beans the E Company men received more than
their share. Scrambling up the hatchways after a
great rush for mess-tins, the men fought off all the
other companies and secured inward satisfaction

with but few bruises as the cost.

Finally about midday of May 25th a lighter con-
veyed the Second Battalion ashore and all the men
but one (and the exception of a special unloading
detail), set foot for the first time in France. The
exception was Private Stout, whose artist tem-
perament could not await to absorb the quaint
Brittany village and its people. “Stouty” had
previously donned a sailor’s uniform and explored
the old town to his heart’s content. Everything
transpired in his favor until he met Lieutenant
Penoyar in the main street, then it became doubt-
ful, but the camouflage of his dark blue uniform
proved very successful, for the lieutenant turned his
head. At any rate Stout returned to the ship after
exploring the city, but never heard anything of an
unfavorable nature from Lieutenant Penoyar.

The company was now entered upon another
phase of its existence. It was in France, and was
soon to train for war within the sound of war. It
remained in Brest only over night and the next
day started on the long rail trip to Noyelles. After
spending a night in a rest camp there it hiked to
Morlay, at the mouth of the famous Somme River,
where it was billeted in barns and outbuildings.

81
The names of many places in France are asso-
ciated with the history of the company. Some of
them are the names of famous battles, others
simply represent work and play. Of those that
mean both work and play Morlay is perhaps one
of the best remembered. When called upon to
furnish a large detail, practically the entire com-
pany, to unload freight cars at Noyelles and trans-
fer the freight to lorries for the British front, the
company responded with a cheerfulness that
spelled “high morale.” It was difficult work,
heavy work. From early morning until late at
night the men toiled without complaint. The task
was so cheerfully and well performed that the Brit-
ish major in charge communicated a letter of
thanks and commendation to the division com-
mander.

While at Morlay the company suffered the first
casualty in France. Charles Bowen was drowned
June 1st in the mouth of the Somme. With a party
of men from the company he went to have a swim,
as was his wont whenever the opportunity pre-
sented itself. He was unclothed before the others
and dove into the water. The other men did not
at first miss him, but when they did, thought he had
gone up the river. When he did not appear after
a reasonable length of time they started a search.
Corporal Brown drew the body from the waters.
Every effort was made to restore life to the body.
Lieutenant Coogan, one of the medical officers, had
been sent for. He did all in his power to revive
Bowen but to no avail. The funeral was held sev-
eral days later. Major Engel, commanding the bat-
talion, did much to secure for Bowen a decent
Christian burial. The body had been kept in a pup
tent near the billet in which he had lived and the
men in his squad acted as a guard over the body.
Women from the neighboring village brought
flowers to the little tent, placing them upon the

82
body until nothing was discernible through the foli-
age. At the little graveyard in Ponthoile an im-
pressive funeral service was held at the grave.
Company H lined the path from the entrance of
the cemetery to the grave. Through the line of
khaki-clad men the pall-bearers carried the body,
followed by the guard of honor, and the few E
Company men who could be relieved from the im-
portant company detail on which they were en-
gaged at Noyelles. Chaplain McCord prayed and
made a short eulogy over the body. Cook
Schwartz of F Company sang “Nearer My God
to Thee” and “Lead Kindly Light.” The buglers
sounded “taps” and the casket was lowered into the
grave.

At Morlay the men went through the ordeal of
turning in much of the equipment that had been
issued them at Camp Stewart. It broke their
hearts to dispose of a wardrobe they had built up
with much care. In an effort to hold on to clothing
they tucked breeches, blouses and “O. D.” shirts
away in their barrack bags in the hope that some
day they might regain them when the bags were
returned. But in this they were anticipated. The
supply sergeant was required to go through all the
bags and remove all articles of issue. The bags
were then turned in and the man thereafter carried
on his back everything he owned.

Close order drills, hikes, and physical exercises
occupied the time alloted for training purposes.
Gas masks and steel helmets were issued at this
place. While here the regiment was reviewed by
Field Marshal Haig of the British armies.

Nearly every night while the company was bil-
leted here the German airmen made raids upon
that section of France. The crash of exploding
bombs, dropped nearby, drowned the dull drone of
the airplanes overhead. When the company de-
trained at Noyelles they were delayed in their de-
parture for the rest camp by air raids. The play
of the searchlights in the sky, and the bursting of
the anti-aircraft shells were the first vivid sights
of war that had come to the attention of the newly
arrived American soldiers. And nearly every
night after their arrival “Jerry” visited the area,
and left a souvenir or two behind.

For amusements the men sought the “esta-
minets.” In all directions they sauntered out, curi-
ous, seeking new sights. It was not long before
they discovered the town of Le Crotoy, a small
summer resort on the coast. Here they were wont
to go in the evenings and on Sunday. Many of
the men still possessed considerable money. The
best these towns had to offer was not too good for
the American soldiers. Dinners were had at the
town’s best hotel. The men made the acquaintance
of aviators from a nearby French airdrome, who
aided them in their search for amusement.

Not only did they seek amusement, but they
were hard bent for food. The army ration was not
what it had been at Camp Wadsworth. The men
were now being fed by the British army, and were
on a short ration. A slice of bread, a piece of
bacon and a cup of coffee did not satisfy the men
for a breakfast, and the recurrence of ‘““MacCon-
ochy’” and “bully beef” on the daily bill of fare
was too monotonous.

On June 17th the company left Morlay for Oni-
val, near Ault, where it remained for several days,
to shoot on the range near Eu and to witness a
demonstration of a cloud gas attack. This move-
ment, however, was only the first lap in a general
movement toward the front. The company re-
sumed the march on June 20th when it left the
chalk cliffs of the channel country for the interior.
For four days the company hiked, stopping for the
night at different towns along the route of march.

84
Stops were made at Millencourt and Heuzecourt.
Le Souich was the destination.

The company was quartered in the barns of a
small chateau. Some of the men pitched shelter
tents in the rear of a residence, the remainder re-
siding in the barns. There was a huge court yard
in front of the residence in the center of which
was the usual pool of questionable water; E Com-
pany formed on three sides of the court yard, the
men facing the pool. It was during a retreat
formation at this place that Sergeant “Skid” Bible
appeared with his detachment of casuals. Here
the men received their first pay in France, and
their first mail from home. Here, also, they turned

in their American rifles and were issued the British
Lee-Enfield.

From Le Souich the regiment made its first trip
towards the line. To practice taking over a system
of trenches the company was hiked to Saulty near
the Arras front, where it was placed in a reserve
line of entrenchments near the artillery positions.
The company was accompanied by its rolling
kitchen and lunch was served after the men had
been withdrawn from the trenches. Then the hike
homeward was made. It is estimated that the men
marched twenty-six miles that day. —

July 2nd, the company left Le Souich, entrain-
ing at Beauquemaison, and, travelling all night,
this time “a la forty hommes and eight chevaux,”
arriving the next morning at St. Omar in Flanders.
Breakfast was eaten in the streets of the city after
which the company proceeded to hike to Steen-
voorde, where it was destined to spend, probably,
its most profitable period in France. En route to
that place a stop was made at Broxeele, where In-
dependence Day was spent as a holiday. As part
of the celebration Brig.-Gen. Pierce reviewed the
brigade. Another stop was made near Arneke,

85
from whence the trip to Steenvoorde was made the
following day.

Steenvoorde will be recalled by members of E
Company long after many other places in France
have passed from their memory. It was here that
the men heard for the first time the explosion of
a shell, and became accustomed to the whirring of
them as they came over. Here they received most
of their instruction in modern methods of warfare.
The use of bombs, rifle grenades, Lewis machine
guns and wave formations of attack were explained
and practiced. Every other day the men were on
the rifle range.

At this place the O. T. S. men were given their
commissions, and transferred from the company,
and new sergeants were made in their places.
Later Sergeants Lewis, Hanson and Greer fol-
lowed them to the O. T. S.

Instruction and practice in the art of war occu-
pied most of the time. However, moments for
pleasure were snatched from the day. In the even-
ing many of the men often stole away to “Julie’s’
for eggs and chips and a cup of coffee. The place
was a shanty to be sure, and the people for whom
it meant daily bread were very dirty, and, some
said, questionably loyal, and the forks with which
the men ate were covered with fat, but it was the
only place around, and Julie always wore a smile,
and showed an attempt to look clean. She was
cheerful, exchanged bright repartee with the men,
who liked the way she said “No compres!” She
did all in her power to make the place attractive.

There were other places to go for amusements,
British canteens, estaminets, the airdrome near
Abeele. But these usually meant a considerable
walk for the men after a hard day of work. Once
the division show appeared here for the Second
Battalion. It required very little to amuse these
soldiers who once were accustomed to receiving the

86
very best and most expensive kind of amusement
that could be provided by the ingenious.

Because of the daily shelling and nightly air
raids the men were required to live in holes in the
ground over which they pitched their pup tents.
Double tents were usually pitched. The holes were
two feet deep or deeper. Some of them were only
wide enough to accommodate the body of the man
sleeping in them. Others were just as wide as they
could possibly be dug and come within the bounds
of a pup tent.

While at this stop details were sent up to the
line to do various kinds of work. There was one
digging detail which required the entire strength
of the company. Cables from the artillery posi-
tions were being laid, and the infantry were re-
quired to dig the trench in which they were to be
secured. Hiking all afternoon the men arrived at
the point near Reninghelst where their job was to
begin, were put up for the night in their pup tents,
under the mouths of twelve-inch pieces, that belched
forth their steel to Jerry all night. The men had
learned what it is to be tired, as is evidenced by the
fact that notwithstanding the reports of the guns,
they slept.

Working all day, digging through the clay of
Flanders, to a depth of six feet, they laid hundreds
of yards of cable. There were no slackers, every-
body took a crack at using a pick or a shovel.
Corporals and sergeants took turns, for there was
rivalry between the various squads. Many of the
men in the pony squads worked harder than they
should have worked. Private Scandell did more
work than any other E Company man on the detail.

While on this detail the men were given an op-
portunity to visit the different batteries and wit-
ness the heavy artillery war against the enemy.
They also observed the method of machine gun de-
fense against enemy airplane attack. They saw

87
the great hospital at Remy and the adjoining ceme-
tery in which it is said there are buried more than
ten thousand British and French soldiers who gave
their lives in the battles in the vicinity of Ypres.

As soon as the battalion had completed its share
of the labor of digging the trenches it was returned
to its bivouac at Steenvoorde, where it resumed
work of preparing for war.

Then came the day when the unit left the vicinity
of Steenvoorde for the rifle range near Zudausques.
This was on August Ist. The trip was made by rail
from Winnezeele to St. Momolin. By foot the
men hiked over an improvised boardwalk through
the swamp lands near St. Omar for nearly seven
miles. When they arrived at their destination
they were billeted in pup tents in a field. It rained
nearly the entire time the company was at Zu-
dausques, but this the men did not seem to mind.
They were in the pink of physical condition. Much
work, hard hiking, temperate living and reasonable
hours resulted in the hardening of muscles as they
never were before. Few men were ill, notwith-
standing the weather. The beer, all who were in
this town will admit, was very good, and was a
relief after the cheap wines of the sections nearer
the front. The men had not yet reached that sec-
tion of the country where rum, cognac and other
harder drinks prevailed in the popular favor.

Captain Hayward took his company to the prac-
tice grounds where different advance formations
were explained. The men went at the dummies,
through barbed-wire entanglements, over trenches
and firing at targets at the same time, in all deter-
mination to acquire all the knowledge possible con-
cerning the game of war before they went into the
line to do it “real.”” They went on the range sev-
eral times, firing from the two hundred yards and
the four, five and six hundred yards. Nearly all

88
the men of the company proved satisfactory as
riflemen.

Upon their return from the ranges they were
despatched to the front. They followed the same
route in their return that they had followed in leav-
ing the Steenvoorde area, excepting that instead of
stopping at Winnezeele they went direct to Beau-
voorde Wood after putting up for the night near
that place. There they were held in readiness to
enter the line. Equipment and ammunition were
issued, ordnance was inspected, personal property
and all surplus equipment collected, and with their
battle packs, they left Beauvoorde Wood August
11 for the first real experience in the line.

Everything was done that conscientious men
could do to prepare for the tests of courage and
training now confronting the men. The soldiers
of Company E now fully realized the truth of some
of Captain Knust’s utterances at Camp Wads-
worth when he urged the men to consider the war
from a serious point of view, to prepare themselves
to meet an enemy highly schooled in the art of war.
While it was with confidence the men entered bat-
tle, yet they cautiously conceded intelligence and
strength to their enemies. Therein lay their own
superiority.
 
WAR

OR three months the company was engrossed

in war, with all its horrors and despair, its

tragedies and hardships. Holding the line,
practicing stunts, hiking and hopping over to bat-
tle with the enemy, were events of moment during
August, September and October. In these three
months were tested not only the training and
physical fitness of the men but their mettle, and
it may be said for the men of Company E that
every man proved himself worthy of his associa-
tions.

In this period, officers and men lived in closer
union than during any other period of their asso-
ciations. They suffered losses in mutual friend-
ships and endured hardships alike. The hand of
war smote indiscriminately, taking here an officer
and there an enlisted man. The first officer of the
company to be ruled out of action was Lieutenant
Penoyar, wounded in the leg and shoulder while
in the line in the Dickebusch sector of the Ypres
salient. Lieutenant Penoyar was hit by shell
splinters while entering the line under cover of
darkness, and was hit again while retiring to a
dressing station to have his first wound dressed.
The lieutenant was so badly treated by the
wounds that he could not again return to field
duty and was assigned to work behind the lines.
The first enlisted man of the company to suffer
was Sergeant Springsteen, who was seriously
wounded in the shoulder while visiting the front
lines for observation purposes. He was accom-
panied by a number of other men from the regi-
ment, some of whom were wounded and one
killed. Sergeant Springsteen was sent to a hos-
pital in England, where he remained for several
months. "When he had recovered, he too was
given work behind the lines to do and sent back to

the United States.
93
Many changes took place in the company dur-
ing this period. Non-commissioned officers were
sent away to school to train for commissions, and
other non-coms were made. Changes were made
in the officer personnel. Second lieutenants came
and went, but cast little influence on the company.
And then, it is sad to relate, officers and non-coms
and men paid the supreme sacrifice in the great
events of the period. New officers were assigned
to take charge of the company, only a handful of
men left, but they, too, went, in one way or an-
other, until at the end of the fighting period there
remained no officers, and only fourteen enlisted
men.

During these three months the company was
administered by two different commanding offi-
cers, and by three different first sergeants. Many
new sergeants were made. If there was any dis-
satisfaction felt over the various promotions, the
company was too busy with other things to ex-
press it. Sergeants Davis and Matthews were
sent to an officers’ training school. Sergeant
Haible was made first sergeant. The appoint-
ment was hailed as a fine one, and such it proved
to be, though many thought he should have been
sent to the training school in the place of the for-
mer first sergeant. However, later he was sent to
an officers’ training school, along with Sergeant
Whalen, and Frank Scherer succeeded to the first
sergeancy. With Sergeant Meehan, he too finally
went forth to be an officer. It is too bad that
these four men did not receive commissions. Be-
cause of the ending of the war they were not com-
missioned, but simply given a testimonial to the
effect that they had passed the required tests and
were graduates of a training school for officers,
and were then returned to the company. WNot-
withstanding the loss of apparently invaluable
men, the company was not at all weakened.

04
These lines are a small attempt to relate the
story of the company during the period of war.
It is impossible to tell accurately the feeling of
men as they go into battle, or the sense of incom-
parable loss they feel as they come out with the
knowledge that there were many vacant files in
their ranks. Hearts are too sore, brains too tired,
and body worn out and weary, to be impressed by
later events. In battle men exert themselves to
the utmost of their strength, do things they in
their moments of training thought it was beyond
their physical power to accomplish. And the nar-
rative of this period is the story of one strained
period after another. For the purposes of this
book, the war period has been divided into four
parts, which may be headed, respectively: Flan-
ders, Beauquesne, Hindenburg Line and St.
Souplet.

FLANDERS—HINDENBURG LINE

On the 11th of Aug. the second battalion moved
out of Beauvoord Wood on the first lap of its jour-
ney to the front line to defend positions in front
of the Germans’ famous and most necessary ob-
servation post—Mt. Kemmel, to a farm long ago
abandoned by its owners and now occupied by
British troops. It was near Reninghelst, and in
the line of heavy batteries, and but a few miles
from the front. The farm at which the company
halted was occupied by a company of British
troops made up of men from Queens and Lan-
castershire regiments, with whom Company E
was finally amalgamated. The coalition of the
two companies was effected under the supervision
of Captain Hayward, his officers and the British
officers, and when completed the double strength
unit was divided into two provisional companies,
comprising four platoons each, with an equal dis-
tribution of British and Americans.

95
At this farm the men were given their evening
meal and were issued rations for the next day.
Shortly before sunset and the hour for departure
tea was served. When darkness had approached,
the reorganized companies moved out of the farm
and up to the front to do and dare as occasion
and fate might require. The advance was made
in a column of two’s, a distance of about twenty
yards being maintained between the platoons be-
cause of the possibility of casualties resulting from
shellfire. Perfect quiet was maintained. The
men were engrossed in thought. They were en-
tering upon the greatest experience of their lives.
None knew how much longer he had to live.
Everything suddenly became an uncertainty.

As the thin column approached the front line it
came in contact for the first time with material
evidence of war. On all sides, apparently from
all directions, came the roar of guns and the crash
of bursting shells). The German verey lights,
thrown up from outposts and patrols, seemed very
near, yet they were more than a mile away. Some
confusion prevailed at the point where the reserve
companies of which E Company was a part left
the main road to the Le Clyte sector for the
trenches they were to occupy. In single file, fol-
lowing paths and trenches now filled with water,
the company found its way to its destination.
The men were distributed along the trench and
told they were to remain here for several days.

The English immediately set out to find bivvies
for themselves, and it was not long before the
Americans were following their example. A
bivvy is simply a nitch scratched in the side of a
trench and covered with a piece of sheet metal
where it may be obtainable. With each squad
there was a British and an American corporal.
They usually bunked together. In some cases
where there were not sufficient bivvies to accom-

26
modate the men they were compelled to stretch
out on the duckboards in the bottom of the trench.
Here they slept while they could. They were
given small opportunity to sleep that first night
in the actual occupancy of the trenches. Hardly
settled, they were disturbed by tremendous bursts
from the British batteries a few yards in the rear
of their trenches, and soon after were ducking the
‘shells that “Jerry” sent over in retaliation. Many
narrow escapes were experienced that first night.

The next day the company furnished working
details for the engineers, who were completing a
new system of intrenchments for resisting a Ger-
man attack should it be launched at this point.

Incidentally, while on that detail they located
several potato patches, abandoned because they
were under direct observation by Germans located
in points of vantage on Kemmel Hill, which
loomed in front of the American positions. Re-
gardless of the danger of it, they crawled out,
particularly Private Dreichler, until sufficient
“fruit of the earth” had been gathered to feed the
squad he was in.

Three days were spent in this manner. During
these days the men learned to walk under shell-
fire without flinching, and, in their enthusiasm to
“see” the war, explored the back area freely. The
little village of Le Clyte nestled under a hill and,
sheltered from direct observation from the Ger-
man lines, was a subject of interest to the men.
Battered to pieces, so that there wasn’t a stick of
timber left untouched by shell splinters, the vil-
lage represented to them the crowning destruc-
tiveness of war. Here the men found a well
which they visited frequently for water for drink-
ing and washing purposes. This water was not,
as the men thought at the time, a very fortunate
discovery, for after the company was removed
from the line, men were attacked by dysentery
arid were sent to the hospitals by the score.

97
Finally, the time came for the men to take over
the outposts. This, the men knew, would be a
Serious piece of business. Under cover of dark-
ness the advance was made. Paths, tracks and
trenches were followed. A guide led the way.
The march was made in single file. When the
sunken road at LeClyte was crossed, the roar of
Allied guns seemed far in the rear; then predom-
inated the cracking of machine guns. The enemy
verey lights were only a few hundred yards away.
Noiselessly the advance continued. While a light
remained up, and the earth was flooded with the
yellow glow of it, all halted and remained entirely
motionless until it disappeared. Then the ad-
vance continued. Many times the relief, as the
company was now known, for it was on its way to
guard the front line, was interrupted by the ene-
my’s lights.

It was very dark, and the night was very silent,
except for an occasional burst from a machine
gun, first here and then there, when company
headquarters was finally reached. Guides led the
various platoons to their trenches. Three platoons
were placed in the outposts, while one was held in
a trench known as the counter-attack trench, as
reserves in case of necessity. These men were ex-
pected to regain any trenches that might be taken
from the company in a raid or other manner of
attack on the company’s sector of the front line.
During the period the company held the front
line there were no direct attacks on its position.
Operations on both flanks were carried on, but
nothing more serious than a strafe was directed
against Company E.

After the third day in these trenches the Brit-
ish were withdrawn and the Americans held the
line alone.

For the first four days that the company held

98
the front line, and all it was required to do was
sit tight, it was subjected to a severe shelling.
Twice a day the Hun batteries sent over every
variety of missile, from machine gun bullets to
the very largest stuff they had. It is strange how
many shells can be sent over that do no damage,
but, as Private “Chick” Leghorn remarked,
“Everybody can’t be where they ain’t hittin’.”

“Chick” was right. The company did not hold
the line without paying a price. The first cas-
ualty was “Sunny” Jones, who accidentally shot
himself in the foot. Corporal Shade and Private
Roberts were wounded when a shell came crash-
ing at them, penetrating the earth against which
they were leaning and going straight through the
body of an English corporal who was seated in
the trench between the two Americans. For-
tunately for the latter, it was a dud and did not
explode. But the terrific crash when it hit sent
rifles and equipment flying. Shade was hit in the
face with his own rifle. Roberts was shell-shocked.
Both had to leave the line.

The saddest occurrence was the wiping out of
Sergeant Farina’s rifle outpost by a high explosive,
which landed just right to kill Privates McCaul
and Crawford, and to seriously wound Farina
and Private Pilus. All were removed from the
line that night, the dead to be buried in the
‘little cemetery near Abeele, where are now lo-
cated considerable American graves. Corporal
“Foots” Taylor was hit by a machine gun bullet
on the same night, and Private Fleming was
wounded by shrapnel. Private Lloyd was blinded
during this event, and distinguished himself while
being taken from the line. He was being carried
but felt he ought to walk, and asked to be led.
And this was during a severe strafe. Corporal
Monell was wounded in the leg, and Private Curry
also hit.

 
In addition to those mentioned above, other cas-
ualties incurred during the period in the line offi-
cially known as the “East Poperinghe line, Bel-
gium, July 9 to August 20,” were Corporal Mis-
feldt, Privates Skinner, Kerr, Kasmeyer and Cor-
poral Callihan.

The company’s intelligence section, under Ser-
geant Bletcher, in charge of battalion intelligence
men, operated an observation post cleverly con-
cealed. Corporal L’Hommedieu and Privates
Holden and “Wild Bill” Cooney faithfully at-
tended their duties here, making discoveries of
movement in the German lines of value to the
artillery. Later Sergeant Bletcher was returned
to America as an instructor and Holden and
Cooney were made corporals and given squads.

While in the line the men were well fed. Brit-
ish rations were issued, usually consisting of ba-
con, beef, bread, cheese, jam, tea and raisins. The
“issue” was distributed to the platoons from com-
pany headquarters in parcels sufficient for eight
men. The platoon sergeant divided the food he
received among the corporals, who distributed the
individual portions to the men. Even while in
the line only a score or more yards from the Ger-
man outposts, the men received mail from home.
Many of them wrote home from the trenches.

Mt. Kemmel! Every time a man looked over
the top toward the German lines, this huge hill
loomed up before him. It was a bare, bleak
earthen mound; not a tree nor a bush could be
observed on top. It had been a target for artil-
lery for years, and was battered and banged as
no other in France. Men were fascinated by the
whirring of the big Allied shells over their heads
on their warlike mission to the German lines.
They followed the sound and watched for the ex-
plosion on the top of Kemmel. The hit could be
seen before the explosion was heard. The hill

100
seemed utterly deserted, as though there wasn’t a
German in the place. But at night, in the dark,
the enemy machine gunners could be heard play-
ing tattoos as they in a businesslike manner “cov-
ered” the various tracks and trails used by the
Allied runners and messengers and ration parties.
It was one of these whimsical bullets that crashed
through Corporal Taylor’s arm.

Excepting for the night when the outfit was re-
lieved, the darkness was intense. It was difficult
to penetrate more than a dozen yards with the
vision. Sentinels were unusually alert. Runners
were constantly watching for audacious enemy
patrols who might have slipped unobserved be-
tween the outposts to explore the front line. One
night Privates Juhren and Dreichler, while deliv-
ering a message, thought they saw a group of Ger-
mans between the fourth platoon outposts and
company headquarters. They returned to their
platoon and reported their “discovery.” A patrol
investigated and found them to be only a row of
trees that had been shot to stumps by shellfire,
and which looked like a row of advancing men.

During the occupancy of these trenches the
runners were kept busy carrying messages be-
tween the different platoon headquarters and com-
pany headquarters. The company runners had
much to do carrying messages to battalion head-
quarters in the rear. Private Sam Young won his
promotion to a corporalcy for his work as a run-
ner while in the Kemmel sector. He was tire-
less, fearless and never failing.

Lieutenant Schwab distinguished himself for
his daring and fearlessness. The men learned
here to have confidence in all their officers and
non-commissioned officers.

On the 19th of August the company was re-
lieved from the line and taken to the rear. The
first night it halted at a temporary rest camp near

101
Reninghelst, from which it retired to its field near
Steenvoord. Here noses were counted, and equip-
ment replaced, and then the outfit again moved
to Beauvoord, now a starting place for the line,
where it was held in reserve. The emergency
which would have taken it into the line for a sec-
ond time did not occur, and the company retired
to Oudezeele, where for a few days it remained in
shelter tents and then hiked to Proven, Belgium,
where it entrained for Doullens.

This trip proved to be more or less of a pleas-
ant jaunt for the Americans. They travelled
along the coast, encircling Bergues, Dunkirk, Ca-
lais, Boulogne and Estaples, arriving at Doullens
at midnight. EE) Company hiked to Beauquesne,
where it was first placed in shelter tents in a field
and later quartered in billets.

Beauquesne will always be remembered by E
Company men with pleasure. Here they met the
first French civilians they had any opportunity to
meet and learned for the first time what French
hospitality is. Band concerts and performances
by the Divisional Show were frequent.

It was here that Sergeants Matthews and Davis
left for the O. T. S. and that Corporal Watkins
was made a sergeant and that Privates Holden,
Young, Lander and Bonnano were made corporals.

While at Beauquesne the work upon which the
greatest emphasis was laid proved to the men that
they were soon to take part in something big.
Nearly every day there were field maneuvers of
some kind. Always combat formations were given
the important periods of the day, in fact, many
entire days were spent in practicing advancing in
wave formations. Many hours were spent prac-
ticing operations against supposed machine gun
nests and heavily manned trenches. The different
approach formations and wave formations were

102
He until every man thoroughly understood
them

Beauquesne! Quiet, peaceful, French! The
company was in the town scarcely an hour when
it had sampled every apple tree near it and
hardly a day when every man knew just where
the cheapest good vin blanc could be obtained.
“Alaine,” the little barmaid who was so pretty,
and as dainty and trés chic as she was good, will
be recalled often by many a man who wants to re-
call pleasant things and pleasing people. Her win-
ning ways won many of the Americans as cus-
tomers and friends.

There was an “egg place” here and it was well
patronized by EK Company men. Oeufs were about
the only food that the American soldiers might
buy. Occasionally a beef-steak or a pork chop
might be obtained. On such occasions the men
really feasted and highly enjoyed the meal, utterly
disregarding the various bad smells about their
dirty dining-rooms and kitchens, and the general
discouraging appearance of the so-called cook.

The men knew the time for the great stunt had
come when they were told they were soon to move
to another front. On September 24th the com-
pany left with the rest of the regiment for Haut
Allaines. The company entrained at Roisel, trav-
eled in box cars through the most desolate war
country of France, traversed the war wasted
country from Amiens to Peronne, detraining at
Tincourt, and hiking to Haut Allaines, where it
remained for several days in pup tents, preparing
for the advance to the front lines.

Haut Allaines was material evidence of bitter
fighting. The town was in ruins, scarcely one brick
standing upon another. Evidences of recent Ger-
man occupation were everywhere visible. Wicker
baskets in which German shells were carried to the
batteries, many of them still containing their shells,

168
were distributed everywhere. Live shells, bombs
and rifles and thousands of rounds of small arms
ammunition littered the countryside. Battered
trenches marked the hillsides. The men investi-
gated all of them and all day long could be heard
the explosions as the men threw German potato
masher bombs. And as dusk approached the sky
was ablaze with German signal lights set up by the
more adventurous of the American soldiers.

Bivouacked on a battlefield the men slept under
the crosses of the heroes who gave their lives to
gain this ground. Australians had contested here.
Many of those who had been in the series of en-
gagements from the great attack of Villers-Bret-
tonneaux were encamped near the Americans and
were to back them in the greater attack in which
they were soon to take part.

The spirit of the men was excellent. Notwith-
standing the imminence of a great event they were
in appearance as light and irresponsible as in the
drill field at Camp Wadsworth. At the instiga-
tion of the Captain, Sergeant Whalen organized a
football team and contested with a team from F
Company. The latter fared badly at the hands of
the E Company men. They had to acknowledge
defeat. “Steve” Jankura and Sam Young were
the heroes of the game.

Then came the orders to turn in shelter tents,
poles and pins, and all other equipment and per-
sonal property not needed in the fighting. Extra
clothing and odds and ends were wrapped up in
the shelter tents and turned in to Sergeant Bancker.
They were all plainly marked with names and
numbers of the owners so that those fortunate
enough to come out of the fray with the company
might regain them. Blankets, too, were turned in.

With only their slicker, personal articles and
rations in their pack on September 27th the com-
pany moved up to the lines in preparation for the

104
great attack. A halt was made at Ronssoy where
the men were distributed in a line of intrench-
ments in reserve. On the night of September 28th
rations were issued and the men were equipped
for the “hop-over” the next morning.

The men had been carefully informed by the
captain of just what they were to do. The plans
were fully explained so that each man might be
able to act on his own initiative should occasion
require it. Very carefully the captain went into
detail, first with the entire company, and later
with the non-coms, describing the movements to
be executed by the company in its advance dur-
ing the attack, and encouraging the men to be-
lieve that they could not possibly fail in what they
were about to undertake to do. Company E was
one of the companies to try what picked men from
other Allied armies had failed to do—break the
Hindenburg Line.

It cannot be made too plain that no effort was
spared to thoroughly inform the men just exactly
what was expected of them. For several days be-
fore the attack they were drilled in advancing a
hundred yards in five minutes and increasing the
' pace to a hundred yards in three minutes. The
nature and concentration of the barrage was thor-
oughly explained. The liaison arrangements were
gone into in detail. The nature of the ground to
be covered was thoroughly explained. That a
smoke screen was to be used, the men were told.
Every detail in the. movement forward was ex-
plained. The men were encouraged to believe that
they could not fail. They determined that they
would not.

On the night before going over all the non-coms
gathered in the captain’s headquarters, where they
received their final instructions. It was the last
time these men gathered together. It was the last
time many of these men saw their officers. The

105
captain, good old “Uncle” Ben Hammond, and
“Steve” Schwab all paid the supreme sacrifice the
next morning.

Before leaving their trenches the men were given
hot stew and had been issued rations for the next
day. Hand grenades and bandoliers of ammuni-
tion were issued, rifles were inspected and every-
thing was in readiness for the advance.

Something after midnight the company was led
out of its trenches in the reserve to the hopping-
off place. The Germans were aware of the at-
tack and were putting up a severe barrage. They
accurately covered the various trails leading to the
place where the Americans were distributing
themselves in battle formations. Many of their
shots hit their mark, and men advanced to posi-
tion with the cries of their wounded comrades
ringing in their ears, even above the bursting of
the shells. The sky was lit up with verey lights,
but the movements of the men could not now be
halted, because the lights were displayed too fre-
quently. Two shells hit near E company, both of
them causing casualties, and wiping out several
squads,

When the tape had been reached the men were
dispersed in the nearby shell holes in which they
were required to remain until the attack opened.
The barrage opened promptly at 5:50. The com-
mand was given to rise and go forward. All men
obeyed the command. There was a rain of ma-
chine gun bullets overhead and the singing of
whirling missiles. Great explosions were taking
place all around, artillery was booming. The
German S. O. S. lights appeared in the sky as far
as the eye could see on both sides of the advanc-
ing waves. Shells from the enemy batteries were
taking their toll, and men fell by the score. When
the enemy wire was reached, a terrific fire from
German machine guns on the extreme left of the

106
divisional sector, hit the company, and men fell
dead and wounded. Lieutenant Hammond was
hit, and then the captain. When Lieutenant
Schwab took command of the company and at-
tempted to bind the wounds of Lieutenant Ham-
mond, he, too, was hit. All three died from the
‘wounds. The company carried on. Men con-
tinued to be put out of action by the terrific
enemy fire, but those remaining held on. Several
men distinguished themselves for the manner in
which they rallied the men around them, and es-
tablished themselves in the front to secure the line
against counter attacks.

Four E Company men were taken prisoners in
this engagement. They had advanced too far in
the smoke screen, were wounded, unable to return
to their own company, so did the sensible thing and
surrendered. They were Privates J. J. Casey,
White, Gallagher, and Cianfrogna. After the
armistice was signed three of them-returned to the
company. Gallagher returned to America from
England.

Several non-coms, not required to enter the fight,
did so of their own free will. All were wounded in
the engagement. They were Sergeant Bancker and
Corporals Dickson, Callihan and Boggs.

The company entered this fight with a strength
of 170 men, but retired from the line on the third
day with only 46.

There were left in the company only four ser-
geants, Haible, Scherer, Whalen and Farrington,
and not more than half a dozen corporals. A
lieutenant was temporarily assigned to the com-
pany after it had retired to Doingt Wood to re-
cuperate and re-organize. Equipment was re-
placed, the men thoroughly rested, and then the
company departed again for the front to engage
in a number of serious encounters with the enemy

107
that reduced its effective strength to eight men
without any officers.

The complete list of casualties suffered by E
Company in the attack on the Hindenburg line
follows:

Lieutenant Hammond, the first officer of the
company to die, fell while urging his platoon for-
ward in the attack; Captain Hayward, with a big
hole in his left groin, awaited patiently the end of
the battle, seated in a shallow shell hole he encour-
aged his men, who on all sides of him were wounded
and dying; Lieutenant Schwab was wounded in the
jaw by a sniper while in the act of assisting Lieu-
tenant Hammond.

Sergeant Drabble, wounded in the lung while
leading his platoon forward, died in a C. C. S. at
Doingt, not 500 yards from where the remains of
his company were encamped to reorganize and
“earry on.”

Sergeant Watkins—Wounded in the face by a
machine gun bullet from the effects of which he
died. —

Corporal Krantz—Died a hero, a volunteer who
led tanks in the advance, far ahead of his com-
pany, an assignment that meant sure death.

Corporal Ferguson—Survived the attack of the
29th but was killed on the 30th by a whizbang
which struck him on the head. He had distin-
guished himself on the 29th rallying the remnants
of troops on his front and assisting in organizing
them to resist counter-attacks.

Corporal Bonnano—Was badly wounded in the
right shoulder September 29 and died October 20
in a base hospital.

Corporal McDonald—Died in the advance Sep-
tember 29 from wounds received while going for-
ward earlier in the morning.

Corporal Young—Leading his squad, was

108
wounded in the jaw and died October 3 at a base
hospital.

Private Allison—Was hit in the stomach and
died on the field, only a short distance from the
captain.

Private Baird—Died when hit a second time by
shrapnel, when as a case of “walking wounded” he
was going back for aid to his wounds.

Private Baker—Died from wounds, the result
of a bursting shell.

Mechanic Bicknell—Was badly wounded by a
machine gun bullet in the left kidney and died
shortly after reaching the field hospital to which
he was taken.

Private Castronova—Died instantly when hit by
a machine gun bullet during the great advance.

Private Deveson—Died on the field from
wounds received in occupying another shell-hole to
reset his machine gun.

Private Englebride—A Lewis gunner of daring,
died utilizing his weapon with good results.

Private Fromm—First man of the company to
die on September 29, hit in the head. He was at-
tached to company headquarters, and died on the
field after returning from a bold mission.

Privates Travis, Cooney, T. J., and Kelly, M. J.
—Died at a C. C. S. at Doingt, from wounds re-
ceived in action.

Private Morrissey—Died from wounds in the
right side.

Private Wallenstein—Died on the field from
wounds received while with a small group of
Americans who were resisting a much larger force
of Germans. Subsequently three of his comrades,
wounded, were taken prisoners.

109
Mechanic Lemmon, Privates De Boe, Shay,
Thuet, Jackson, M. J., Lilienthal, Laverty and
Kenney—Died where they fell on the field of bat-
tle.

Private Leghorn—Hit by an entire burst from
a machine gun, died instanty. He had attempted
to leave a shell hole to go forward.

Private Padakos—Hit by shell splinters at the
tape; was killed.

All three officers and thirty-one men were killed
and sixty-three men wounded of whom Sergeants
Meehan and Vialls, Corporals Taylor (2d time),
Dickson, McIntyre, L’Hommedieu, Shade (2d
time), Callihan, Lander, Privates first class Do-
herty, Carmody, Hashagen, Casey, J. J. (P. O.
W.), Ballis, Privates Skinner (2d time), Lozier,
Guerrero, Barton, Brundage, Cianfrogna (P. O.
W.), De Blasio, Driechler, Faulhaber, Hammer,
Hockstaine, Knapp, Miller, W. F., Rightmeyer,
Rydell, White (P. O. W.), Young, E. J., Betts,
Kagel and Turkofski were later returned to the
Company.

Supply Sergeant Banker, Sergeants Shaw and
Van Meter, Corporals Farina, N., Holden, Jan-
sky, Misfeldt (2 times), Raymond, Thoms, West-

_ervelt, Wyman, Privates first-class Brown, M.,
Drury, Fogarty, Gilland, Graner, Kauffman, Mc-
Dermott, Moretti, Swan, Privates Borgia, Ku-
binec, Mirabito, Strelitz, Webber, Brooks, Galla-
gher (P. O. W.), Welliver and Leech were re-
turned direct to the United States from hospital.

In the meantime Lieutenant Richard Raven of
118
K Company had been assigned to the company as
commanding officer. He was enthusiastic for the
war, and promised to be a leader worthy of his
predecessors.

(1t
ST. SOUPLET AND JONC DE MER
RIDGE

YWNHE company arrived at Doingt Woods the
l noon of October 2d, 1918. The men were
pleased with their billet. The entire com-
pany, reduced to little more than a platoon, was
accommodated in the shack formerly used by the
Y. M. C. A. The strain of the previous days
had not entirely worn off and the men were
fatigued. The old Y shack looked good to all.
There was a piano in good shape and almost im-
mediately Private Coppola had his fingers work-
ing on “high.” The air was full of undergar-
ments, razors, and the soldier’s complete and ex-
tensive toilet kit (which was usually carried in the
hip pocket), and soap and water were in the lime-
light.

Every night at this point the much-looked-for
and welcomed mail from home was received. It
came in large quantities, for there was a large
accumulation. But the faster it came the better
the men liked it. News from home was devoured
at a speed that defied all laws of digestion. Cloth-
ing and ordnance equipment were issued and there
were daily inspections.

The men had the larger portion of the day to
themselves and they rested, talked over the recent
happenings, wrote letters, hunted for canteens, vis-
ited some of their comrades in a casualty clearing
station nearby, and took life easy. The “Auzies”
entertainment was also attended by the men. But
all hands were on line when Bugler “Alarm
Clock” Jackson blew mess call, for the issue to
the kitchen was plentiful and Sergeant Ritter and
his staff of cooks prepared excellent meals for
the company.

Lieutenant Raven of K here joined the company

112
as commanding officer. He was first battalion ad-
jutant and lost his brother, of K Company, in the
recent battle. The lieutenant requested to be as-
signed to a line company. Lieutenant Raven was
a fine man and a good officer. The men took to
him and he won their affections almost imme-
diately. Sergeants Haible and Whalen left the
company here for officers’ training school and Ser-
geant Scherer was made first sergeant. The com-
pany was reorganized and Corporals Costales and
Anderson were made sergeants, and Privates
Molloy, Cooney and Sam Drabble were made
corporals.

Jerry visited the camp every night. All lights,
whether there was doubt or not as to their being
visible, were extinguished and remained so until
the sentry blew the signal for “all clear.”

New company records were made here. The
men were startled at the official publication of the
list of the dead and wounded. Every one hoped
the men who were missing would turn up O. K.
The price paid to gain the victory at the Hinden-
burg Line was heavy, and many comrades had
gone “west,” quite a few were seriously wounded,
and a great number slightly wounded. The men
were impressed; experiences and sights were indeli-
bly marked in their memory. The hatred for the
German became more pronounced and a fierce de-
sire for revenge surged through the minds of all.

The men were ordered to roll their packs and
prepare to leave, October 7th, to move forward
as active reserves. This work was done speedily
and the company moved out about 2 P. M., hik-
ing to Tincourt, pitching pup tents in the woods.
Six o'clock the following night the order was re-
ceived to prepare to move in a few minutes. The
work was done in absolute darkness and the com-
pany fell in and proceeded to hike to Bellicourt,
where the men bivouacked for the night. It was

113
a cold, damp night, and the frost on the blankets
was heavy by morning. The men slept on a sec-
tion of the famous Hindenburg Line which up to
a short time previous had been held by the Ger-
mans. The night was clear and an impressive
sight was beheld as a “Jerry” plane, with anti-
aircraft searchlights concentrated on it, flew
around. The anti-aircraft batteries, working at
top speed, kept the plane up, finally persuading
the pilot to start for the Fatherland, which he
did with speed.

The company stayed here until late in the after-
noon. All day an endless stream of vehicles
moved in both directions on the road. Ambu-
lances, artillery pieces, limbers, G. S. wagons,
lorries, ammunition and supply trains—as far as
the eye could see they plied back and forth. Oc-
casionally a group of “Jerry” prisoners wended
their way past the procession to the prison cage.
They did not seem to feel badly over their cap-
ture. In fact, their demeanor signified quite the
opposite. The next stop, several kilometers away,
was made at dusk. The pup tents were set up
again and camp for the night was made. The
battalion moved forward early the next morning
and halted along the railroad tracks on the out-
skirts of Busigny. The 30th Division was carry-
ing on the advance and their dead were distrib-
uted here and there on the fields, but their num-
ber was greatly excelled by the German dead.
In quite a few places the crews lay close to their
machine gun nests.

Lieutenant Sparks was assigned to E Company
at this time. The following day the company was
told the regiment was to enter the lines that night.
The usual preparations were made, non-essential
articles, personal equipment and such were put in
squad bundles to be left with the supply sergeant.
Combat packs were rolled and the precious “iron

114
rations” were carefully placed in the haversack.
The necessary hand and rifle grenades and bando-
liers of ammunition were issued. The men were
ready once more to enter the front line.

The desire of the general officers to continue
the advance and decisively beat the Germans ere
the severe weather set in was shared by the men
in the ranks. There seemed to be a general
thought that the Germans simply could not stand
up under the punishment being handed them and
continue to meet the losses they were forced to
sustain.

The company took its position in the line, re-
lieving a unit of the 30th Division about 4 a. m.,
October 12th. Two platoons were distributed
through a sunken road, the other two occupying
advanced trench positions. Corporal Brown, Pri-
vates Harding, Miller and Mackay, a Lewis gun
section, were placed in a shell hole for outpost
duty with orders to stay there until relieved. In
the excitement, Lieutenant Sparks, upon return-
ing to the trenches after establishing the outpost
well in advance, forgot the position and patrols
could not locate it. The third night a patrol lo-
cated the outpost and the section was brought
back to the trenches. Their canteens had been
empty for twelve hours. They attacked the “bully
beef” at platoon headquarters with vigor and
drank as only thirsty men can.

The enemy shelling was very heavy and the
company was subjected to frequent concentrated
gas shell attacks. The enemy possessed the ad-
vantage of observation, making it necessary that
all movements made in the trenches during the
day be done very cautiously. At night the sky
in the rear of the German lines was illuminated
by the blaze of burning towns. Sergeants Scherer
and Meehan left the company here to attend offi-
cers’ training school and Sergeant “Skid” Bible

115
was acting “topper.” Patrol parties were organ-
ized each night. On several occasions they pene-
trated the enemy’s lines deeply. Ration parties
were forced to run the barrage that “Jerry” put
up during his frequent strafes. Bi-hourly contact
was made with the 108th Regiment on the com-
pany’s ‘left. The patrols were required to work
speedily. It was difficult, for there were times
when nothing was discernible a few feet away,
owing to the intense darkness. The bursting of
the shells and the occasional verey light afforded
the only light. A dead German lying on a knoll
was a guide-post, for upon reaching him the
patrol wheeled to the right.

The company and platoon runners had many
an exciting trip carrying messages. Private Laed-
lein distinguished himself here, “running” tire-
lessly and cheerfully. It mattered not when he
was called upon, or what he was to do, he did it
and never uttered a “peep.”

It rained most of the time. Thus the cold and
wet made holding the line a real hardship. A
dugout was a thing unknown in these trenches.
One might be able to scratch a “bivvie” with an
entrenching tool, but that was all.

Lieutenant Brundage was gassed and had to
leave the lines with other gas casuals. Two men
received shrapnel wounds, but they were not seri-
ous. Considering the large front the company
covered, the work each man did owing to the
small numerical strength, the heavy enemy shell-
ing, continuous sweeping machine gun fire, the
company was fortunate as regards casualties.

The cooks were on the job and had food for
the men ready for the transport train each night.
“Jerry” flew overhead each morning, dipping low
on several occasions.

Four o’clock of the 16th of October a unit of
the 105th Regiment relieved the company. The

116
inky blackness of the night, the rain, and the
thick, muddy bottom of the trenches, which were
exceedingly narrow in parts, made it difficult to
carry on the relief. Before the company was one-
quarter of a mile.in the rear of the line, day had
dawned. “Jerry” whiz-bangs flopped all around
the company, which was extended in single file.
One of the shells burst close to Corporal Molloy
and gave him a nasty wound in the back. Ser-
geant “Skid” Bible aided him to the rear.

On the way to the rear the company passed
units of the 30th Division, who were digging
“‘bivvies” in reserve positions. They informed the
men that both divisions were “going over’ the
next day. There were no loud cheers given upon
receipt of this news, nor did the men register joy
by smiling. Every one was all in. The company
marched to a field the Second Battalion occupied,
where the men paired off and dug in.

The field was in range of enemy artillery fire.
The 4th Australian Division Field Artillery pieces
were close by and kept up a continuous fire. It
was a nasty, cold, rainy day. To sleep was im-
possible. One had to be content with lying down
and relaxing. Owing to illness Lieutenant Sparks
left the company here.

The kitchen came from the rear and the cooks
prepared a supper which was most welcome. Just
previous Lieutenant Raven informed the company
of the plans of operation for the morrow. The
necessary preparations were made for an “over-
the-top” stunt. The blankets carried in the
trenches were turned in here, rifles were cleaned
and petted bomb pins were straightened out, in
order that the rings might be pulled speedily, and
other essential preparations were attended to.

About 1 o’clock in the morning of the 17th the
company had a warm breakfast. There are things
that produce miraculous effects on soldiers, one

7 .
of which is pay-day. On that day the sick arise
from bed, the lame walk, all sorts of aches, colds
and irritations disappear, and a hot meal, particu-
larly when served previous to “going over,” hits
the spot, changing the soldier’s outlook on life,
and then only the silver lining of the cloud is
visible.

Immediately after mess equipment was slung.
The company fell in to its position in the battalion
and the march to the tape started. “Jerry” was
shelling the front line area for all he was worth.
Upon reaching the tape the company deployed
into combat groups, awaiting the zero hour. The
men stretched themselves flat on the ground, giv-
ing their rifles and gas masks the final inspection.
The fog and smoke were dense. One could just
make out the man six feet away from him. About
5 o'clock the barrage started. It was a “corker.”
The air seemed filled with shells and machine
gun bullets. Almost immediately “Jerry” laid
down his counter barrage. It was no mean one,
either. Hell popped that morning and with a
vengeance. The second battalion was in a more
forward position of the attack than it was in the
previous stunt, thus the barrage was more notice-
able. The company had not been under way very
long when a big shell burst just in the rear of the
company, killing Private Clements, who was act-
ing as a stretcher bearer, also wounding Mechanic
Potente. Private McGerrity of the sanitary de-
tachment attached to the company, who was on
his toes every minute, applied first aid to Mechanic
Potente. The men liked “Mac” very much.
Nothing phased him, and he was a sticker. The
first objective was reached an hour after the zero
hour. The battalion held the line at St. Souplet
for two hours, then “went over” again. Private
Spear became so weakened through illness he was
compelled to report to the aid station in the rear.

118
“Jerry” kept on sending over all he had. His
machine guns continued to work at top speed, but
his efforts to stop the advance were futile. On
reaching the objective, the line was straightened
out, and after a brief rest the battalion advanced
again, halting at Bandival Farm about 2 P. M.
Here the company dug in while “Jerry” kept up
his machine gun spraying. Private Tompkins
was shot in the arm at this point and had to go
to the rear.

When night fell, patrols maneuvered, observ-
ing the enemy’s activities, and kept up a sched-
ule of communication with the English, who had
come up on the company’s left. A ration detail
went to the rear, bringing back a good supply.
Best of all, there was water. The men had their
first drink in twelve hours, for there was no water
available prior to going over.

Between guard tricks one was able to catch a
bit of sleep. Two o’clock Lieutenant Raven told
the company the advance was to be continued and
the battalion would go over in the first wave.

Four a. m., October 18th, the company was in
its position, deployed in single line formation,
awaiting the zero hour. Sergeant Costales, while
jumping in the dark over a trench occupied by
the “Tommies,” had the misfortune to land on a
bayonet, receiving a mean gash in the leg. Lieu-
tenant Raven, a natural leader of men, walked up
and down the line, brightening up the tired and
almost exhausted men with his cheery and peppy
remarks. The barrage was laid down, giving
“Jerry” something to think about. The first wave
followed the barrage closely, and one experienced
a thrill never to be forgotten as the shells of all
sizes, and in connection with a rain of machine
gun bullets, whizzed overhead, landing but fifty
yards in front. The German machine gun and
rifle posts were closely distributed, cleverly cover-

119
ing the terrain over which the company had to at-
tack.

It mattered not how desperate the circum-
stances, nor how firm a defense the Germans
made, they made the company continue on. Those
“Jerries” who discarded their equipment, crying
“Kamerad” as they held their hands up, were
taken prisoners, but those who waited until their
posts were surrounded and then put their hands
up went “west.” Each and every man had his
hands full in the attack, for the company strength
was but thirty-odd men. A similar condition ex-
isted throughout the battalion. Shortly after the
heavy individual fighting started the battalion had
rounded up more prisoners than it had in the at-
tack. At one point to the left of the company
“Jerry’s’ machine gun nests, concealed from view
in the shrubbery, put up such a terrific and well-
directed fire it was necessary to halt and mop
them up, not waiting for the moppers-up. Lieu-
tenant Raven, who had been firing at the nests
from a shell hole, had just given the order to rush
the nests when he was struck in the neck with a
bullet, killing him instantly. Privates George
Schneider and Conklin also paid the supreme sac-
rifice at this point. The men of the company
showed their fine spirit and courage, assisting
their wounded comrades, reorganizing the balance
of the company, and cleaning | out machine gun
nests. Several of the company’s citation men re-
ceived mention for their distinguished action at
that particular time. Sergeants Bible, Anderson,
Corporals Callihan, Privates Laedlein, Thomas,
McGuire, Quinn, W. T. Taylor, Loyd, Hass-
denteufel were wounded at this point.

The moppers-up, an English unit of the King’s
Royal Rifles, assisted by men of the company,
mopped up the “Jerries.” The remaining men of
E Company joined the battalion. The companies

120
having suffered heavy losses, a provisional bat-
talion was formed. Lieutenant Lockyear, the bat-
talion intelligence officer, met his death in that
battle. He was a highly capable man, handling
the intelligence section at all times efficiently. E
Company supplied several men and N. C. O.’s for
the section. Private Stout frequently went on
patrols with the lieutenant, having many exciting
adventures, and accomplishing much in the pro-
curing of valuable information.

The battalion made further advances on Octo-
ber 19th and 20th, meeting no firm resistance.
The enemy apparently did not deem it wise to
make a stand, relying on machine gun rearguard
action and artillery to cover his retirement. The
exhausted condition of the men and the inclement
weather made even an attempt to dig trenches an
impossibility. The lines consisted of shell holes,
which were very unsatisfactory field. fortifications
owing to the heavy rain and the field being a vast
sea of mud.

The casualties during the four hard engage-
ments with which the company is credited during
October were high compared with the number of
men engaged. * During the week from October
18th to the 20th the company had enrolled two
officers and 71 men. The casualties were as fol-
lows:

KILLED:

Lieutenant Raven—Died in battle, in the act of
leading a charge on a machine gun nest.

Mechanic Schneider—Shot in the head creeping
towards an enemy machine gun nest on October
18 in the battle of St. Souplet.

Private Conklin—Killed by machine gun fire
while attacking an enemy nest.

Private O’Reilly—Died in hospital from wounds
received on the field while advancing.

Private Blake, William— Officially reported

wa
“died of disease,” died from gas effects received
October 16th; died in hospital October 27th.

Wounded and Returned to U. S.—Lieutenant
Brundage, Sergeant Costales, Corporal Molloy,
Mechanic Potente, Privates first-class Griffin,
Hassdenteufel and Taylor, W. T., Privates
Brown, J. F., Lloyd (2d time), Laedlein, Mackay,
Odell, L. L., Quinn, Spear, Casey, C. J., Yakal.

Wounded and Re-assigned—Sergeants Bible,
Bruce, Anderson; Corporals Callihan, Drabble,
Thomas; Privates Burke, W. V., Mellee, McGuire,
Gschlecht, Dubreuil, Kinsley, Green, Van Tassel
and Dolan.

It might be stated here that E Company did not,
during its entire record in the great war, lose a
single man through disease. It is true that Blake
was reported as having died from disease, but it is
also true that he had been severely gassed, and that
it was the gas that contributed most largely to his
demise. This is a record well worth being proud
of. There were no deaths, excepting that of
Bowen (drowned), that was not a “battle death.”

Eleven p. m. of the 20th of October the battalion
was relieved by the English and marched to St.
Souplet, billeting there for the night. Eight E
Company men led by Corporal Brown came out of
the line. Played out to the point of exhaustion, af-
fected by exposure to such an extent they could
only speak in a whisper, dirty, badly in need of a
shave and wet, they expressed no regrets upon be-
ing relieved, falling asleep immediately, not caring
how, when, or where they were as long as there was
room to stretch out. The Company had breakfast
at St. Souplet the morning of the twenty-first,
leaving soon after mess for the field at Busigny
that the battalion had occupied the 16th and 17th
of October. The entire regiment was accommo-
dated in the field and there was room to spare.
Some mail was distributed there, socks were

122
changed, razors and soap applied for the first time
in eleven days, causing the men to feel half civilized
and their normal selves once more. They turned
in for sleep early that night under the shelter of
their pup tents. The men had been put to severe
tests during the stunt, had participated in heavy
fighting, getting practically no sleep, small ration
issues, and the strain told.

The following day the battalion marched to Bel-
licourt, spending the night there, leaving the next
morning for Tincourt. Here the battalion en-
trained for Villers-Brettoneux. One night was
spent there. The following morning the company
marched to Glisy, spending the night there.
Blangy-Tronville having been selected for the sec-
ond battalion to occupy, the battalion moved there
the next day.

E, Company secured very good billets possessing
fireplaces which were most welcome and used ex-
tensively. Men who were on special details while
the company was in the line returned here. Lieu-
tenant “Big Chief” Bragdon was assigned to the
company and the unit was like a family group with
the lieutenant as the head of the house. The men
were more than pleased to have Lieutenant Brag-
don as their commanding officer.

The cooks, once more, became of some import-
ance to the men and Anderson, Grant, Murphy
and Jones, under the able management of Mess
Sergeant Collard, did their utmost to satisfy the
ravenous appetites of the Company.

123
en
LA GUERRE //
; TST FINIE_ |

 
     
 

i’
SIXTH PERIOD
La Guerre Est FINrie

EWS of the signing of the armistice came
to Blangy-Tronville, where the company
was resting and re-organizing for its next

big effort, by courier. Promptly the French in-
habitants, those few whose homes were nearly en-
tire enough to be habitable, indulged in wild cele-
brations. The officers who brought the news
caused the bell in the village church to be rung.
The estaminets were flung wide open and the day
spent in wild rejoicing and hilarity. British
“Tommy” met “Yank” and exchanged congratu-
lations; “Yank” passed it on to “Digger” and
“Digger” to the French in blue.

While the whole world celebrated, the little old
company continued to drill and to work and pre-
pare just as if it would be required to make the of-
fensive it had heard it was to engage in about No-
vember 15th. But after the day was done and the
notes of “recall’’ had died away the moment for re-
joicing had arrived, and with two months’ pay in
their pockets the men proceeded to stage a regular
American celebration. It would not do to too
clearly describe the series of affairs that marked
the company’s recognition of the end of the war.

First-sergeant Ritter or Supply-sergeant Hill-
man, Mess Sergeant Collard, or Sergeants Vialls,
Farrington, Fenouillet, Krayer, or Taylor, or Mer-
sereau, Skinner, A. D. Brown, H. P. Adams,
Hoehn, Jankura, Scott, Fox or Kilpatrick, could
tell you all about it, and no doubt in the future
they will, perchance they meet, celebrate the same
series of parties over and over again.

During this period, which has its memories of
long, dreary days of waiting to return to America,

LNMoD ce mu
there was many a bright spot which will often be
recalled with pleasure. Sgts. Vialls, Ritter, Far-
rington and others went to Paris. Corporals Mil-
ler and Doig sojourned in Scotland, “Neal” Cotter,
Lauren Stout, “Steve” Jankura and Pinkstone
made the trip to Saint Malo. “Jack” Bruce went
to Bordeaux. Corporal Brown went to London.
Indeed the men saw more of France and England
in two months after the armistice was signed than
in their entire overseas service.

Following the signing of the terms that brought
a cessation of hostilities, the 107th Infantry was
reorganized and replaced to nearly the full war
quota. Colonel DeBevoise was made a brigadier
general and given command of the 53rd Brigade,
consisting of the 105th and 106th Infantry regi-
ments, and the 105th Machine Gun Batallion.
Lieutenant-Colonel Bryant was assigned to the
regiment and shortly after became its colonel.
Lieutenant-Colonel Engel, perhaps the most pop-
ular officer of the regiment, was placed second in
command.

Lieutenant George D. Bragdon, an original “FE”
Company officer, and the only one in active service,
was put in command of the Company. All ex-
pected and hoped he would be given a captaincy,
but for some unexplained reason he was not recom-
mended, though we had been told he would return
to America in command of the Company. Even
in this small measure of comfort he was dis-
appointed and Captain Waterbury was sent to the
company as a replacement officer, taking command

several days before Christmas.

A series of reviews and athletic meets marked
the activities of the different units as they waited
in the Corbie area—E Company at Blangy-Tron-
ville. Several field problems—particularly liaison
problems—were worked out.

128
In a great field near Glissy, on the Amiens-
Peronne road, in view of hundreds of German
prisoners engaged in repairing that thoroughfare,
the regiment raced and jumped and fought in the
try-outs for athletics to represent the division in the
corps meet near Corbie.

In the battalion, regimental and divisional con-
tests, EX Company was well represented. Du-
breuil’s long legs several times fetched him home
the winner in long-distance running. Fox, the
_bugler, had it all over everybody else for taking off
his wraps and shoes and replacing them. Kil-
patrick proved good at boxing. Visker was a
healthy man on the tug-of-war team.

Although no E Company men took part in the
finals at the corps meet, many of them were held
in reserve. 'Twenty-seventh division athletes won
a majority of points in the contests.

On November 28rd the battalion moved out of
Blangy-Tronville, the most comfortable home it
had had in France. It hiked to Corbie and en-
trained for the Le Mans area to prepare for em-
barkation. Because of the transport difficulty it was
expected the trip would require at least forty-
eight hours. Hot cocoa was served by the Y. M.
C. A. before departure. Rations had been issued
for three days. However, about thirty-six hours
later, just as dawn broke, the column entered the
square of Tuffé, Sarthe, memorable in the history
of the battalion. EX Company was quartered in a
former dance hall and enjoyed electric lights for
the first time since leaving the United States. Very
conveniently near was the bar of the “Family
Dance Hall,” as the place was called, only in
French. It was presided over by one of the rarest
and most trés chic girls the company had seen in
France. “Rene” was her name. Rene and her
mother did everything in their power to make the

129
boys feel at home. Rene mended their clothes,
sewed on their chevrons and insignia and mixed
their different drinks with an eye to assuring per-
fect satisfaction. Then along came fifty-six re-
placements and it was necessary to find more room
in which to put them. So the company was moved
to the old chateau de la Goupillére, near the St.
Hilaire-le-Lierru, where the men were put in barns
and other out-buildings. The sergeants and several
unattached corporals had a building to themselves.
The captain and lieutenants lived in the chateau.

Attached to the company at this time were two
sanitary men, Private Edward Meyers and An-
thony Pulio. Both lived with the sergeants. They
nursed the ill and disabled, giving satisfaction to
all except the first sergeant and the captain who
couldn’t reconcile the long list of light-duty men
with the previous record of the company for good
health.

After the series of reviews which marked the ar-
rival of the division in the embarkation area had
been completed, the company settled down to the
routine of ordinary military duties. Drills and
games, regardless of rain, were kept up in order
to keep the men in good physical condition. There
were reviews for General Pershing, Major Gen-
eral O’Ryan, Brigadier Generals Pierce, Debevoise
and Wingate, and for Colonels Bryant and Engel.

A part of the drill program which amused the
men was the appearance of officers and non-coms.
to instruct them in the proper manner of aiming
and sighting the rifle. Before each lesson the of-
ficers apologized for their presence and the appar-
ent affront they were offering to veterans. How-
ever they soon passed away.

Life was one exploit after another, one pay-day
and then another; one party and then two or three.
Sceaux, Boéssé or the two combined, La Bosse, St.

130
Hilaire, Tuffé, Montfort, Connerré—they were
the settings, and the wide-eyed inhabitants couldn’t
comprehend the principals—American soldiers
with plenty of francs, for whom nothing was too
expensive.

The Hotel Du Pot-D’Etain on the square in
Tuffé was the scene of much revelry. It is sacred
in the memory of the company and regimental his-
torians. Much of the material for this little volume
was prepared there between drinks or between
meals. Admiral Skinner or Frank Miller could
_ an entire chapter concerning their activities

ere.

_And the boys knew Sceaux Boéssé well. Charlie
Haible or Jack Bruce, or Walter McIntyre, or Bill
Doig perhaps can tell you more about this place
than the writer.

Christmas was celebrated with a keg of wine
and a big dinner. Christmas boxes from home lent
a cheery note to the season and a little sweetness
and luxury to the meals and parties. New Year’s
day was quiet. Few holidays marked the remainder
of the stay of the company at this place, though
men enjoyed “trick” passes to Le Mans and other
places, such as Paris.

Replacements and men returned from hospitals
rebuilt the company to an almost pre-war
strength. Sgts. Haible, Whalen, Scherer and
Meehan returned, graduated, from the officers’
training schools. Cianfrogna, White and Casey
returned from Germany, where they had been held
prisoners of war, all having been taken Sept. 29th,
in the Hindenburg line drive. Cianfrogna was the
only one of the company to reach Berlin. He had
been wounded and was sent to a hospital near Ber-
lin. After he became well he was challenged to
box and defeated several promising middleweights
among the German soldiers. He escaped from
prison but was retaken. Gallagher, too, was taken

131
a prisoner of war, but he returned to the United
States after his release from internment.

March 1st the company moved to Connerré to
entrain for Brest. The hike was made in a down-
pour of rain. Soaked, the men were required to
wait several hours for their train. They were fed
by the Red Cross just before entraining. The
regimental band, to follow in a day or two, played
for the two battalions then departing.

The train was an all American affair, a troop-
train such as these soldiers had never seen before.
A great kitchen car, providing two hot meals a day
to soldiers travelling on the train was attached. It
was a new thing for these troops, accustomed as
they were to the bully beef and bread and jam as
a travelling ration. Big steel cars, with plenty of
clean, fresh straw provided for bedding was almost
too good to be true. Hot coffee several times a day,
and hot biscuits, baked on the train, was almost un-
believable.

When the men arrived in Brest they were
greeted by vast improvements. Ten months had
passed since they landed at and passed through
Brest. They were fed at the detraining point—a
good hearty dinner of stew, amid very favorable
surroundings. Then they were moved—“a la foot”
——to the camp, where they were to remain until em-
barkation. They lived in tents, with board floors,
Sibleys and mattresses to sleep on. Of course the
ground was soft, but duck boards had been pro-
vided for the approaches to the different tents. The
eating arrangements were good. The food was
good. On the second day the men were put through
their cootie and physical examinations and were on
their way to the ship. Wednesday, March 5th,
they boarded the great “Leviathan” and the next |
day steamed out of the harbor of Brest, homeward
bound. Nearly all of the men hardly believed it

132
was true, expecting to be awakened at any moment.
It was as a dream to most of them.

On the 13th they landed. They will never forget
the wonderful reception they were given. Camp
Merritt, with all its comforts, was their next home.
Here they were visited by Captain Knust,
“Chubby” Holden, Van Meter, Tom Bletcher,
Westervelt, W. O. Kelly, Wyman, McDermott
and others. On the 24th they were moved to the
Twelfth regiment armory, on the trip to which
they were escorted by veterans of the old Seventh
and the new depot battalion. At the armory they
were visited by Tony Farina, Laedlein, Percy
Jackson, Horace Ritch, and a score of others.

The parade was held the next day. It is impos-
sible to describe the feelings of the men as they
passed through the great mass of people lining
Fifth Avenue or as they marched under the arch-
ways erected in their honor.

The following day they were transported to
Camp Upton, where they were detained long
enough to turn in their field equipment. On April
2nd they were handed their final pay and bonus
and discharge, and scattered to the four corners of
the country.

Men of the old company killed in the service
in other organizations than their original E were:
Lieutenant Bryan, 102nd Infantry; Lieutenant
Keller, 126th Infantry; Corporal Cox, 165th In-
fantry. Others who have since died are: “Joe”
Burke, Cook Witt, Roy Sarvis and Corporal
Elkin.

Any roll call of the future will necessarily in-
clude some names not answered to. There is no
power except the appealing power of fellowships,
that can compel the men to respond. But there
will be gatherings and there is no doubt that those
men unable to attend in person will at the time of

133
the meeting give thought to the old associations,
and be “present” in heart, spirit and sympathy.

Nor will those who passed away in the strife be
forgotten. The recollection of their sacrifices is
the richest possession of our memories.

184 4
HISTORICAL ROSTER
COMPANY E, 107th U. S. INFANTRY

 

 

OFFICERS ENLISTED MEN
TABLES a b= 4@ acslore T’t T’tl a b ec def goh ii j kimono
Continroualy, with
rganization .. 1 1 38
‘Wounded. & zeunraeal ae ES ee
rom Hospital .. 73 32~«21
Joined after Hos- mae +
tilities ....... ax 8 1 4 10 1 2 1 1 5
- oO oI. 1 3 1 6 12 5
ar. 25, mvetet 1 2 36 4165 1 7% 1 5
2. Killed in Action... 4 4 38 16 12 4
3. Wounded & returned : ‘
to: U; 83: vsiascwns 2 2 46 #18 13 2 8
4 in Boe and j ‘
ropped ........
6. Gommtiesioned 2nd +
Lieutenants .... 1 #17
6. Transferred in
France ......... 15 a 3 1 1 3
7. Discharged in U. S. 2% if 9 3 Ff
8. Transferred in U.S. 1 2 3 8 27 8 6&
9. Assigned and Trans-
ferred in France 8 8 84 1 24 6 47 2 4
Totals.......... 5 2 111 38 22 443 175 104 21 3% 113 6 GH 6 52 2 4

KEY TO HISTORICAL ROSTER

The letters placed in front of each name indicate the organization or replacement group
from which each man was transferred to Company B, 107th U. S. Inf., as follows:
a. Co. E., 7th N. Y. Infantry. i, Replacements from 40th Div. Nov. 12, 1918.
b. Co. E., Ist N. Y. Infantry, Oct. 16, 1917. j. Replacements from Msls. Dec. 6, 1918.

e. Co. B., 12th N. Y. Infantry, Oct. 21, 1917. .
7 . k. . 18, é
a. Co. G. 10th N. ¥. Infantry, Dee. 4, 1917. Transferred from 39th Div. Nov. 18, 1918.

f. Replacements from draft Apr. 27, 1918. 1. Transferred from draft Sept. 25, 1918.

g. Replacements from draft July 29, 1918. m, Transferred from M. G. Co. 107, Jan. 5, 1919

b. Replacements from draft Oct. 27 "1918 n. Transferred from 43d Engineers, Jan. 4, 1919
. cem . 27, .

A.C.S. Army Candidates’ School.
O.R.C. Officers’ Reserve Corps.

The figures after the names indicate the battles in which soldier participated, actually
in the line with Company E. Some of the men participated in battles while on special duty
with other units of the division but are not credited on this roster, as it is intended to show
the actual strength of the company in the line.

Numerals enclosed in brackets indicate the battle in which the soldier was wounded
or killed in action.

The star after a number indicates the battle in which the soldier was gassed.

BATTLES AND ENGAGEMENTS

1. East Poperinghe Line (Belgium) July 9 to Aug. 20, 1918.
2. Dickebusch Sector (Belgium) Aug. 21 to Awg. 30, 1918.
3. Hindenburg Line (vicinity of Ronnsoy) Sept. 29-30, 1918.
4. La Selle River (vicinity of St. Souplet) Oct. 17.
5. Jone de Mer Ridge (vicinity Ardre Guernon) Oct. 18, 1918.
6. St. Maurice River (vicinity Catillion) Oct. 19-20, 1918.
ABBREVIATIONS
DS—Detached service. Trans—Transferred.
Rep!—Replacements. Cas—Casnual,
SD—Special duty. Det—Detachment.
POW —Prisoner of war. Sup—Supply.

DOW—Died of wounds.
187
Roster as of March 25th, 1919

Original Members still with Company “RE”

1st Lieut. d GEORGE D. BRAGDON,

SERGEANTS (Army Candidates School Graduate)

© Haible, Charles J.
a Whalen, Raymond J.

FIRST SERGEANT
a Ritter, Arthur J.

' SUPPLY SERGEANT
@ Hillman, Stanley I.

MESS SERGEANT
b Collard, Edward E.

a Burke, David B.

b Brown, Albert D.

b Adams, Howard P.
a Boggs, Howard L.
a Dickson, George D.
a McIntyre, Walter J.

a L’'Hommedieu, John D.

a Cotter, Cornelius P.
a Shade, Frank L.

a Callihan, Joe M.

a Drabble, Samuel R.

b Cooney, William T.

a Miller, Francis G.

a Doherty, Frank J.

a Stout, Lauren

d Tompkins, Fermon R.
a Schutt, Walter I.

MECHANICS
f Picciurro, Samy

b Lozier, George H.
a Guerrero, Arthur P.
b Miemming, Ernest D.

a Jackson, Henry B.

1 a Scherer, Frank B.
1 3 a Meehan, William P.
SERGEANTS
a Bible, William
fee e058 a Bruce, John D.
a Vialls, Walter W.
a Farrington, Roswell
123456 a Anderson, Joseph J.
b Taylor, William
a Fenouillet, Carl
123456 a Krayer, Nicholas H.
CORPORALS
123456 a Thomas, Hugh F.
123456 a Burke, Walter V.
128 a Carmody, Thomas E.
345 6 a Doig, William G.
1 2 (3) a Hashagen, Herman W.
1 2 (8) b Scott, James L.
‘1 2 (8) b Kilpatrick, Robert J.
1234656 a Mersereau, Emory P.
(1) (3) a Harding, Harry A.
1 2 (8) 4 () a Monaghan, William J.
1 3 (4) a Casey, John J.
123456 b Melee, Thomas R., Jr.
123456 b Jankura, Stephen J.
1 2 (3) a Hinds, John H.
123456 d Lander, Frank M.
1 2 3(4)5 a Skinner, Walter W.
§.D. & Hosp.
CcooKS
1 3456 b Anderson, Thomas B.
12 3 d Grant, Martin J.
(8) ; b Murphy, Harold J.
(1) 3.4 a Jones, Edwin H.
BUGLERS
1234656 b Fox, Arthur W.

188

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123456
1SD Sup. Co.
1 2(3) POW
123 4
123456
SD Div. Bath.
1 2 (3)
(1) 2 (8)

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12345 6
Original Members Still with Company ‘‘E’’
(Continued)

f Ballis, Alex. T.

b Barton, Charles B.
b Baxter, John O.

a Bell, Gordan H.

a Brundage, Franklin D.

b Cianfrogna, Guy

b Cooney, John J.

a Crowell, Stewart, Jr.
b Curry, William J.

e De Blasio, Amerigo
d De Carlo, James V.:
d Dolan, George A.

b Dondero, Charles B.
¢ Dreichler, George

d Dubreuil, Joseph B.
e Farrell, Charles J.

a Faulhaber, Malcolm

d Fiedorowicz, Henry L.

d Gloss, Frederick W.
f Gschlecht, Joseph

> Hammer, William M.
d Hochstaine, Irving

b Joy, Arthur A.

d Betts, Albert E.
b Kegan, Francis P.
ec Elliott, Thomas W.
a Greene, William M.

PRIVATES, FIRST CLASS

2 (8)

2 (3)
234
2SD Sp. Co.
2 3*

2 (3) POW
28

es et pe

Peep Dee ee

Nwnw

1 2(3)456 e Polachek, Armand H.

123 49 b Quackenbush, Russell H.

1 2D8A4 Hq b Rightmyer, Frank E.

1 2 (3) b Rydell, Harold

123 a Schneider, Bverett J.

12345 a Van Buren, Raeburn L.

123 4 5% d Van Tassell, Charles

1 2(3) b Weyant, Calvin A.

1 2 (8) b White, William F.

123 a Young, Elmer J.
PRIVATES

12 3° d Kagel, Maurice

1234 f Minn, Dilsworth

1234 b Sceandell, Herbert J.

123 4

2 SD Sup. Co.

a Juhren, Peter W.

d Keating, William T.
d Kerr, Richardson

b Kinsley, Thomas E.
a Knapp, Edward R.
a Lawrence, Charles C.
f Matthews, John J.

b McEwen, Ddward J.
@ McGrath, Patrick F.
a McGuire, Thomas J.
b Merritt, Ferdinand R.
f Miller, William F.

b Monell, John D.

ASSIGNED TO COMPANY AFTER HOSTILITIBS

OAPTAIN

ore Waterbury, Cleveland L.

ee

acs Powell, Leavit C.

PRIVATE, FIRST CLASS

b Harle, Orrin

a Kratch, John G.

‘b Pinkstone, Samuel J.
f Pollinger, Philip

.

Ja 10 Dec. 718

FIRST LIEUTENANT
acs Ostrander, Alexander Jd 5 Jan. 719

SECOND LIEUTENANTS

Jd 12 Nov. 718

Jd 19 Feb., 1919
Jd Aug. SD Sup. Co.
Jd Nov. 1-M.Co.
(from L Co.) Dec. 5

‘

PRIVATES
h Kessler, Jacob

3
j Quinn, John
j
j

Rowe, William F.
j Ruscher, William

Mueller, Charles J

Rosenblum, Isadore

iv Rat

be
o§
Ss Fo

mh
oo ow
~

. Co.

By, 16]
So be eee
0 ss
Foes
ges <7
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Bath

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Nobo By te nN

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acs Gehweiler, John A. Jd 12 Nov. ’18

 

(Table one) Total, 5 officers and 121 men

139
CAPTAIN
a Hayward, Harry W.

FIRST LIHUTHNANTS
a Hammond, Benjamin T.
a Schwab, Stephen M.
a Raven, Richard M.

SHRGRANTS

a Drabble, William W.
a Watkins, Lionel G.

CORPORALS
a Bonnano, Anthony
a Ferguson Harold
ce Krantz, Maurice
a McDonald, Austin J., Jr.
a Young, Samuel H., Jr.

MECHANIC
a Schneider, George J.

PRIVATHS, FIRST CLASS

b Allison, Walter D.

b Baird, John J.

b Baker, Everett W.

a Bicknell, Beverly E.
ce Castronova, George

a Conklin, Arthur A.

b Crawford, George

b Deveson, George H.

b Englebride, Cyril J.
a Fromm, John P.

d Jackson, Michael J.
d Kelly, Michael J.

b Laverty, Robert

a Lemmon, William

a Lilienthal, Howard, Jr.
d Morrissy, Thomas F.
b Travis, Ezra

a Wallenstein, Ferd., Jr.

PRIVATBDS

ec Clements, Robert D.
a Cooney, Thomas J.
c¢ De Boe, Frank J.

b Kenney, John T.

b Leghorn, Arthur

d McCaul, Stephen J.
a O’Reilley, William J.
f Padakos, Gregores
b Shay, Hdward

ge Thuet, Oliver V.

ACCIDENTALLY DROWNED

a Bowen, Charles W.

Ponthoile Cem. S.W. edge W. of Church

KILLED IN ACTION
PLACH OF BURIAL

 

 

 

 
  

 
 

WSS) ancdeva ech aedichdue e saepersusvnacelaveae doce ...-- Guillemont A-1-1
1 2 (8) me Guillemont Farm A-1-2
1 2 (8) . . Villers Faucon Am. 1-B-1
Jd 1 Oct. 4 (5) . ais desesiacis St. Souplet B-1-14
5
1 2(3) DOW Oct. 10, C. C. S. Wir... cece eee eee Doignt 1-D-6
1 2(3) DOW Oct. 5, Ge He 12, cesses csswdasavnen Rouen BR.E. 7064
1 2(3) DOW Oct. 2, GH. 9B....... ccc cece ee Rouen T.F. 8488
DZ {By eretareeesiis Aisracats Bieiesars-aSisieteie Mini bret icles St. Emilie 2-H-25
LBS eae heen see ees cee etewke cen Guillemont A-1-31
128) kets candies Seaee temons oF Guillemont F. B-3-25
1 2(3) DOW Oct. 3........00eeeeee St. Marle-Le-Havre Am. HB. 4
1 2 3 (4) sia atin sate siete od se RRR See St. Souplet B-1-13
1 2 (3) woke Zivigsyace wees Saints eivseraie Ware eee RM Bony F-3-72
1 2 (8) Guillemont F, A-2-18
1 2 (3) seeiammeens Bony F-3-71
1 2(3) DOW with etn eue St. Emilie 2-D-13
1 2 (8) Hs SRE tees sew Has aseceeeee. Bony ¥F-3-68
2 (68 “Saxe seny ai gyi SSE madman seater St. Souplet B-1-21
qd) igsa beg 0 Teimersy widnueraee Risterears sida: bvexe cieisiese oye Abeel 3-B-14
1 2 (8) . Guillemont F. B-3-24
1 2 (8) DOW Sept. 2... cccesceevecncseceseecces Bony F-3-64
1 2 (8) Guillemont F. A-4-1
1 2 (8) Guillemont F. B-2-18
1 2(8) DOW Sept. 29, C.C.S. 41.......c scenes eens Doignt 4-D-7
1.248) 9 dastoas cans caste nesmesionicemwes Guillemont B-1-26
1 2 (3) ... Guillemont A-3-27
1 2 (3) .» St. Emilie 2-H-12
1 2 (3) DOW seeeeees-Guillemont B-2-12
1 2 (3) aistetg acabiaie wists eye St. Emilie 2-C-18
1 2 (3) Saisie Guillemont A-5-16
E234) bscwarecioas eheleae os Busigny Am. C. 3 Plot 106-9
1 2(3) DOW Oct. 1, B.F.A. 56........ -Villers Faucon Am. 1B3
1 2(3) DOW Sept. 30, C.C.S. 20.......... secoeees Doignt 4-D-9
1 2is)  sasarccveeis scary a aisisiadeyeeee ates Guillemont B-3-29
1 2 (8)
(CD. eben ele Sates a aale Ne eipteiuia wy . Abeel 38-B-15
12 3 (4) DOW Oct. 20 CCS. ee tas ie aGinaeenes Tincourt
1 2 (8) . Guillemont B-3-27
1 2 (8) ac Guillemont A-2-26
1 2(3) DOW Sept. OS DIR aieaedkecicsen aie seis ..-Bony F-3-61
DIED OF DISEASE
June 1, 1918 b Blake, William 1 2 3* Oct. 27

G.H. 7.

(Table two) Total—4 officers and 38 men
140

 
WOUNDED IN ACTION AND RETURNED TO U.S.

FIRST LIBUTENANT CORPORALS ‘
b Penoyar, William B. (1) b Farina, Nicholas 1 2 (3)
SECOND LIEUTENANT a Holden, George A. 1 2 (3)
b Brundage, Arthur B. 1 SD. 4* ad Jarisky, Tekeph: a. seh)
a Misfeldt, Charles C. (1) (3)
SERGEANTS d Molloy, George B. 1 2 3(4)
a Bancker, Arthur (Sup) 1 2 (3) a Raymond, Marshall D. 1 2(3)
a, Contes: Brad 12.8) a Thoms, Bentley L. 1 2 (3)
b Farina, Anthony P. @ a Westervelt, John R. 1 2(3)
b Shaw, Edwin L. 1 248) a Wyman, Howard A. 1 2 (3)
a Springsteen, Howard D. (1)
a Van Meter, Galen J. 1 (3) PRIVATES
b Borgia, James F. 1 2 (3)
MECHANIC d Brown, James F. 1 2 3 (4)
b Potente, Nicholas J. 12 3(4) a Brooks, Myron B. 1 2(3)
PRIVATDS, FIRST CLASS d Casey, Charles J. 1 2 3 (4)
b Brown, Malford 1 2 (8) e Gallagher, John J. 1 2 (3) POW
d Drury, Fred 1 2 (8) b Kubinec, Jobn G. 1 2 (8)
ec Fogarty, James L. 1 2 (3) f Laedlein, John R. 1 2 3 (4)
b Gilland, Roy A. 1 2 (3) f Leech, Harold 1 2 Sept 28*
a Graner, Lawrence J. 1 2 (3) b Loyd, Arthur (1) 3(4)
a Griffin, Dgbert B. 1 2 3 (4) d Mackay, Norman A. 1 2 3 (4)
b Hassdenteufel, Hdward J. 3 (4) f Mirabito, Thomas 1 2 (3)
a Kaufmann, Jesse F. 1 (8) b Odell, Louis L. 1 2 3 (4)
a McDermott, Philip L. 1 2 (3) b Quinn, Michael P. 1 2 3(4)
a Moretti, Henry J. 1 2 (8) : g Spear, Joseph B. 123 4*
a Swan, Allan H. 1 2 (8) a Strelitz, Herbert 1 2 (8)
b Taylor, William T. 1 3 4 (5) g Webber, Joseph N. 1 2 (3)
ACCIDENTALLY WOUNDED
d Jones, Raymond J. 1 (Aug. 15) d Kasmeyer, Michael J. 1 (Aug. 19)

 

TOTAL—2 OFFICERS AND 46 MEN

DROPPED FROM ROLLS BECAUSE OF SICKNESS

CORPORALS PRIVATHS
a Calamari, Frank D. 123465 b Maybury, Charles R. N. 1
‘a Hoehn, Alfred, Jr. 128 a Mendenhall, Hy. C. (1)
b Yakal, Philip B. 123 4%
PRIVATE, FIRST CLASS b Welliver, James L. 1 2(3)
a Roberta, William B. 12

 

TOTAL—7 MEN

COMMISSIONED AS SECOND LIEUTENANTS

SERGEANTS
a Bletcher, Thos. B. Trans. 3 Sept. 1 2 a Keller, Arthur I., Jr. Disch. 16 July "18 1
a Bryan, John F Disch.16 July 18 1 a Lewis, Stanley R. Trans.25 July 18 1

a Matthews, Hilliard H. Trans. 13 Sept. "18 1 2
a Davis, Robert P. Trans. 13Sept."18 1 2  . wengenhall, H. C. Disch.22July "18 1

a Greer, Winfield Trans. 25 July °18 1. a O’Rourke, Edw. J. Disch.16 July 18 1

a Grimm, Earle D. _Disch. 10 Mar. 718 a Wetherill, B. K. K. Disch. 24 Dec. 17

a Hanson, Clinton E. Trans. 20 June ’18 a Zink, Anthony De H. Disch. 28 Apr. ’18
PRIVATES

a Dunne, Vincent L. Trans.10 Oct. °17 a Krayer, John Trans.18 Jan. °18

a Jackson, Percival E. Trans. 14 Nov. 717 a Werring, Fred’k. H. Trans. 10 Oct. ‘17

 

TOTAL—17 MEN
141
TRANSFERRED FROM COMPANY WHILE IN FRANCE

SERGBHANTS
a Dykman, William N.

CORPORALS
a Adams, Kenneth
a Elkin, Charles

MECHANIC
ge Turkofski, John

BUGLERS
a Coppola, Charles A.
b Smith, Burton C.

Sup. Co. 107th

Sup Co.,107th
Rep! Bao

Camp Det
1 2 (8)

1 2 Band 107
Cas. Det

PRIVATH, FIRST CLASS

g Steiner, Frank C, Camp Det
234656
PRIVATES

a Conlon, James V. SalCo. QMCL1

b Coagrove, Hmmett Salv Co

‘® Coupart, James J. Cas Det

a Fitzgerald, Harold H. Har Co.

f Hoffman, William J. Band, 107th Inf

d Kelly, William 0. Sup Co, 107th 1

a Mabie, Harry Har Co. 107th

g Shestokas, Tony Camp Det
123

 

DISCHARGED FROM THE COMPANY WHILE IN THE

SERGEANTS

b Anderson, Howard F.

c Monahan, Thomas

b Schultz, Howard A.
CORPORALS

e Behrens, William A.
b Brown, Eugene W.

MECHANIC
b Munson, Harold D.

COOKS

b Keefe, Sterritt
a Witt, Harry B.

PRIVATES, FIRST CLASS

b Brown, Fred .H.
a Ritch, Horace H.

TOTAL—15 MEN

UNITED STATES

PRIVATES

a Boyle, Eugene S.
a Bourne, Hdward S.

a Casey, James F.
a Coffin, Philip L.

‘

a Courtney, Thomas
ec Coughlin, John J.

b Crystal, William

J.

a Donohue, Thomas F.
a Herron, Jerome B.

a Kelly, Thomas F.

a Munson, William C.

a Nurnberg, Lloyd
a Spiro, George C.

F,

b Townsley, John L.

d Walsh, John B.

b Welch, Thomas P.

 

142

TOTAL—26 MBN
TRANSFERRED FROM ANY WHILE IN U.S.

CAPTAIN
a Knust, Leo F.

April 27, 1918

SECOND LIBUTENANTS, Attd. 20 Sept. 17

ore Church, John H.
ore Holden, Spencer M.

a Hobert, William W.
b Smith, William J.

CORPORALS

a Bruell, Joseph P.

a Coxe, Edward G.

a Haley, John A.

b Hughes, Edward A.
a Long, Raymond A.

b McEwen, Daniel

a Morgan, Augustus T.
ce Payne, Price E.

wz Schildge, Hans J.

a Vestner, Elliott N.

MECHANIC

a Eddy, Robert C.

COOKS

a Burke, Joseph W.
b Rogers, Howard P.

BUGLER
b Scott, William H.

PRIVATES,

a Alexander, John G.
a Brandes, Adolph H.
b Cathcart, Ralph M.
a Coxe, Joseph N.

a Davis, Hartford M.
a Feehan, Richard P.
a Finnell, John F.

b Gilnick, Frank

a Hagen, Theodore H.
a Hogle, Horace Jr.
a Joy, Malcolm F.

d@ King, Cecil W.

b Locke, William

a Mathews, Raymond V.
b Nugent, Frank A.

a Vanderveer, Herbert S. Div Hg Pigeons

Dec. 31, 1917
Nov. 25, 1917

Retl Sgt-Mjr
Rem Depot

165th Inf “KE”
165th Inf “D”
165th Inf “EK”
1st N Y Inf
165th Inf “F”
102nd Sup Tr
165th Inf “Ek”
12th N Y Inf
Base Hosp
165th Inf “F”

102 Eng.

Cas Det N.N.
1st N Y Int

I Co, 107th

FIRST CLASS

Remount Depot

165th Inf “F”
102nd Sup Tr
165th Inf “F”
102nd Eng
102nd M P
MP,ABF
Co. I, 107th
165th Inf “F”
165th Inf “F”
165th Inf “F”
102nd F S Bn
102nd F S Bn
166th Inf “KF”
Hq Co 107th

PRIVATES
a Alexander, Richard R. Remount Depot

a Bevan, James J. 165th Inf “F”
a Bible, Frank J. Sup Co 107th
a Blake, Joseph V. Sup Co. 107

d Brady, Chas. B. 102 Am Tr

b Brennan, Wm. J. Mtr Mech Regt
a Brown, William H. Sup Co 107th
b Bulson, Charles H. 1st N Y Inf
d Burke, James M. Sup Co 107th
a Carey, Joseph F. Sup Co, 107th
a Carney, James H. 165th Inf “F”
a Catterson, John 165th Inf “F”
b Cole, George W. 12th N Y Inf
e Cooney, James J. Base Hosp

b Daly, Francis Cas Det N.N.
e Donovan, Daniel, 12th N Y Inf

ec Easton, George Cas Det NN

a Edwards, Louis D. 165th Inf “F”
a Finnerty, Edward J. 165th Inf “F”
b Fitzgibbons, Wm. J. Motor Mech
a Forbes, Malcolm H. Sq “A” N Y
e Forster, Hdwin M. 12th N'Y Inf
b Hayden, William A. Motor Mech
a Hazard, Walter Sup Co, 107th
d Hutter, Jacob 40th U S Inf
b Irving, Edward Sup Co, 107th
d Joyce, William O. Motor Mech |
e Kaphan, Jonah 12th N Y Inf
a Kear, Francis V. 165th Inf “F”
ec Kearney, William E. 12th N Y Inf

ce Kelly, James E. 12th N Y Inf
a Kelly, William T. MP 27 Div
a Kemp, Carl G. 165th Inf “G”
b Kernochan, Frank Rem Depot

a Mallett, Percy F. Sup Co 107th
a McBride, Joseph 165th Inf “G”
b McClean, A. B. 102nd Sup Tr
a McGinnis, Charles 102nd F S Bn
a Meehan, James M. Sup Co 107th
b Moith, Ivanhoe Base Hosp

a Moore, John F. 16th Inf “G”
b Myers, John V. E. Motor Mech

b Odell, Herbert S. Div Hq Pigeons
b Rilley, James J. Cas Det N.N.
b Sarvis, Roy B. 1st N Y Inf

b Schmidt, Fred’k F. 102nd Sup Tr
a Schneider, Joseph W. 165th Inf “G”
b Salamona, Charles 1st N Y Inf

b Smith, George V. 1st N Y Inf

f Talabac, Leon Cas Det N.N.
a Taylor, Alfred H. Jr. 165th Inf “G”
a Thompson, Edwin W. 102ndFSBn
a Waddell, John D. 165th Inf “G”
b Wilkinson, George 1st N Y Inf
a Williamson, Thomas T, 165th Inf “G”
a Wyatt, Henry C. 102nd Sup Tr
a Youmans, William C. 165th Inf “G”

 

TOTAL—3 OFFICERS AND 89 MEN
OFFICERS TEMPORSEE=S0STCRED LN FRANCE

2d Lt. Durnell, Karl W.
2d Lt. Dennis, Roe M.

2d Lt. Burnham, B. L. F. (S.D.)

2d Lt. Sparks, Emory EB.

Aug.-15
1 Aug.-31
Sept./1-11
4 Oct. 10-26

2d Lt. Baker

2d Lt. Porter, Howard C.
1st Lt. Burtis, E. M.

1st Lt. Bennett, Robert Jan. 15

Oct. 20-23
Nov. 10-11

Nov. 22-Dec 12

 

TOTAL—8 OFFICERS

ASSIGNED AFTER HOSTILITIES AND TRANSFERRED FROM COMPANY IN FRANCE
SDRGHANTS

MECHANICS
i Kessler, Oliver Camp Det k Bdwards, Walter D. Camp Det
i Nelson, Clarence Camp Det k Le Blane, Louis F. Camp Det
a Baker, Winifred Jd 16 Sept. S.D.
CORPORALS PRIVATDS, FIRST CLASS
i Babcock, Esmond D. Camp Det j Le Bon, William H. Camp Det
i Day, Harry W. Camp Det j Leppo, Jobn BE. Camp Det
i Jacobs, Francis J. Camp Det j Lindley, Jack C. Camp Det
i Shaffer, Bruce B. Camp Det j Parkos, James E. Camp Det
PRIVATES
h Armbruster, Paul H. Camp Det j Poll, Charles H. Camp Det
m. Cheeseman, Jesse H. Camp Det j Poteet, Benjamin I. Camp Det
h Crites, Erby B. Camp Det j Price, George L. Camp Det
m. Doran, Leo F. Camp Det j Register, Harry L. Camp Det
n. Greatsinger, Chester Sal Co, QMC. j Renne, Peter Camp Det
h Harden, Wade E. Camp Det j Rhinebart, Getter J. Camp Det
h Kopytek, John F, ‘Jd 4Jan Camp D j Rice, George C. Camp Det
j Leppin, Jacob J. Camp Det j Richardson, Troy HE. Camp Det
j Little, William BP. Camp Det j Rivenbark, Lee A. Camp Det
j Lopchock, Michael Camp Det j Robinson, Jimsey L. Camp Det
j Madsiejka, Michael Camp Det h Rogers, Edward Sup Co, 107th
j Mathews, James G. Camp Det j Rutland, Wesley Camp Det
j Mercier, Wilbur F. Camp Det j Sample, James P. Camp Det
j Michael, Roy D. , Camp Det j Savage, Vinton J. Camp Det
j Miller, P. G. Reclassified j Scarengello, Vito Band, 107th Inf
j Missell, Charles H. Camp Det j Scott, Quay Camp Det
h Moore, Jesse J. Camp Det j Simon, Bohumil Camp Det
j  Moorer, Elmore Camp Det h Simm, John W. Camp Det
j Morgan, Evan M. Camp Det h Skoglund, Elmer R. Camp Det
J Morris, Leroy Camp Det h Stark, Riley B. Camp Det
j Morrison, George F. Camp Det h Stone, Andrew H. Camp Det
j Morrison, Gus I. Camp Det h Stroud, Daniel F. Camp Det
j Morscheck, Fred W. Camp Det h Sutton, Bill Camp Det
} Morton, Otis G. Camp Det h Tanner, David C. Camp Det
j Musso, Eugenio Camp Det bh Tarrant, William A. Camp Det
j Mulree, William S. Camp Det h Tille, John C. Camp Det
j Moser, Ellsworth V. Camp Det bh Turner, Walter W. Camp Det
j Newborn, Walter D. Camp Det h Veech, Thomas L. Camp Det
j Olson, Gustave Camp Det h Verhelst, August Camp Det
j Pantelis, John A. Camp Det bh Visker, Jahannes Camp Det
j Parker, Davis W. Camp Det h Walters, Henry Camp Det
h Parks, Harry Camp Det h Wendel, Howard G. Camp Det
j Peterson, David Camp Det h Wilson, Harrison Camp Det
J Pielichowicz, Stanislaws Camp Det 1 Wheeler, Ralph L. Camp Det
j Phillips, Rufe Camp Det h Wulf, Henry F. Camp Det
J Politis, Peter Camp Det

 

TOTAL—S MEN

144
ITINERARY OF COMPANY “E,” 107TH INFANTRY, WHILE IN
EUROPE 1918-1919

May th, 1918: Brest; 27th, Noyelles; 28th,
valley). 9 y' Morlay (LeCrotoy, St.

June 17th: Onival (Ault); 20th, Drancourt; 21st, Millencourt; 22nd,
Hauzecourt.

23rd: Le Souich (Beauquenisson).
July 2nd: Broxeele; 5th, Arneke; 7th, Steenevoorde, 31st.
August 1st: Left Steenevoorde 11:50 A.M., marched to Winnezeele;
via rail to St. Momelin; marched to Zudauques, arriving
7:05 P.M. Marched 11 miles, by rail 29 miles. Here
received intensive training.
8th: Left Zudauques 7 A.M., marched to St. Momelin, by rail
to Winnezeele; marched to St. Laurent, near Beauvoorde
Woods. Marched 12 miles, by rail 29 miles.
Sth: Left St. Laurent 11 A.M., marched to Be:
Woods, 31% miles. cone

10th: Left Beauvoorde Woods 11:30 A.M., marched to Remy,
arriving 3:30 P.M., distance 8 miles. Left Remy 7:45
P.M. and marched to Support Line, Battalion Sector.

11th-12th: Support Line, left Sector
isth-19th: Iroat Line left Sector” } 10 front of Mt. Kemmel.

19th: Relieved by Company “A,” 23rd Middlesex Battalion
(British) 11:30 P.M. Marched to Sienna Cross, thence
to Steenevoorde.

23rd: Left Steenevoorde 6 P.M., marched to Beauvoorde
ode 2% miles. Engaged in Scout and Patrol Train-

ng.
Sept. lst: Left Beauvoorde Woods, marched to Oudezeele, 8 miles.
4th: Taras ae to Proven, 10 miles; entrained for Doullens

5th: eutired at Doullens 3 A.M., marched to Beauquesne, 8
es.

18th: While in Beauquesne area, Divisional Maneuvers near
Berueuil-Bonnville, near which the Regiment was
camped for this night and the 19th.

24th: Left Beauquesne, marched to Rosel and entrained for
Tincourt near Perrone.

25th: Arrived at Tincourt and hiked to Haut Allaines.

27th: Left Haut Allaines ‘
Oct. 1st: Ronnsoy | Hindenburg Line. \

1st: Marched from Ronnsoy to St. Emilie and bivouaced for
the night.

2nd: Marched to Doingt and were billetted.
%th: Marched to Tincourt, bivouaced in woods.

8th: Marched to Bellicourt between 6:20 and 10:30 P.M.
Bivouaced on site of Hindenburg Line.

9th: Marched to field near Ramicourt, bivouaced for night.

10th: Marched to field near Premont, bivouaced for night.
Division in reserve.

11th: Marched to railroad yards, one kilometer east of Pre-
mont.
Company ordered into position in Support Line.

11th: In Line in front of St. Souplet-16th.

16th: Busigney-17th.

17th: In Line (St. Souplet)-2ist.

21st: Busigney-22nd; Bellicourt, 23rd; Tincourt, 24th.

24th: Villers; Bretonneux, 25th; Glisy, 26th.

2th: Blangy (Tronville)-Nov. 25th.
Nov. 25th: Tuffe Mar. 1st, 1919; en route, 2nd; Brest, 5th.
March 6th: Boarded Leviathan 6th, sailed 13th, arrived “Home.”

145
COMPOSITION OF THE 27TH DIVISION

In_the reorganization of the 27th Division, in accordance with
G. O. No. 9, Div. Oct. 1st, 1918, the Division Headquarters and the Head-
quarters or remained the same and the 104th M. G. Battalion was
formed from the 1st N. Y. Cavalry.
The 53rd Brigade, commanded by Gen. Michie with Headquarters
Detachment consisting of that from the old 1st N. Y. Inf.; and
105th Infantry (old 2nd N. Y. plus detachments), Lt.-Col. to 108 Inf.
106th Infantry (old 23rd N. Y. plus detachments), Lt.-Col. assigned
to the 105th Inf.
105th Bocce Gun Battalion (old Squadron “A”) 2 captains rendered
surplus,
The S4th Brigade, commanded by Gen. Lester, with Hats. Det. of
8ra N. Y. Inf.
107th Infantry (old 7th N. Y. plus detachments)
108th Infantry (old 3rd N. Y. plus detachments) Lt.-Col. to 106 Inf.
106th Machine Gun Battalion (from _ist N. Y. Cav.)

The 52nd Field Artillery Brigade, Gen. Phillips commanding (Hats.
of old Brigade)

104th R. of F. A. (old 1st N. Y., F. A. plus det.)
105th R. of F. A. (old 2nd N. Y. F. A.)

106th R. of F. A. (old 8rd N. Y., F. A.)

102 Trench Mortar Battery (from 1st N. Y. Cav.)
102nd R. of Eng. (old 22nd N. Y. Eng. plus det.)
102 Field Signal Bn. (old ist N. Y., S. C.)

102nd Trains Hdqts. and Military Police, Col. DeBevoise cmmdg. (01d
Div. units)

102nd Ammunition Trains (old units plus det.)
102nd Supply Trains (old units plus det.)
102nd Wngineer Train (old units minus 2 officers and 83 men as-
signed to 102 Eng.
102nd Sanitary Train (old units)
The following table shows what became of the personnel of those
N. Y. Regiments which were rendered surplus in the reorganization:
Col. Lt.C. Maj. Chl. Capt. 1Lt. 2Lt. Enl.Men Transferred to
1st N.Y.Cav. .... A» “sys 4 9 q 700 104th M. G. B.
ae ws Lee 3 6 4 550 106th M. G. B.
ie ae eg 1 1 1 181 102nd T. M. B.
ee. Sie Nw Clee ae) eg Lees 30 105th M. G. B.
tr ea ee he 7 ws x 29 102nd Amm, T.
rate ote er "AD faa a Surplus & temp.
assed.
Ist NN. Y.Inf. ..  «. dy x 2 i

BE
ms
3
8
Bb
Fz

87 Eng.
Hats. Det. cord Brigade

MA iat Ge oe a ee 107th

Ne
oo
1
Oo

 

ore
i)
8 8 Meee
ew
8
8
oe
Se
ot
5
i

q 3
9 102nd Tr. Hats.
-. 106th Inf.
106th Inf.

wd 105th F. A.

‘ 102nd BEng.
pe te RR OE i ia san qerih tot, Med. 0.
; Sey (ae aa Das 8 ll 1 h
WA Be Sede ee ee ae on ane SORE A As
“a +6 39 Se 82 Se 35 87 102nd Bng.
tse 1 ee a eee oe Seth Tnfs.
. tere cure ata 7 1 nf. .
Tee ee fhoofD TD ID ow. 2) 2. 9168 106th FA,
Sic: (en OOS 87 102nd Eng.
These infantry regiments retained all their First, Mess and Supply
Sergeants and their Bandsmen, which with such surplus Officers that
remained and some also transferred from the old 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 28rd
Regiments of Infantry formed the nucleus of the later organized Pioneer
Regiments.

a | a te
WthN.Y.Inf. .. 6.1 8 12

2. Ooo
8
©

oe oe ee

148
THE COMBAT DIVISIONS

The following tabulations are based on those statistics published by
the Chief of Staff, U. S. A., on February 2nd, 1919. Although some later
figures have been issued, those of the above date are used as they give
in detail the “Missing and Prisoners” which later are eliminated for
the reason that the “Prisoners” have returned from the German Prison
Camps and the “Missing” have been accounted for generally by their

reporting to their respective units or have been definitely listed under
other headings.

The Divisions are placed in order (Column 1) according to the
average monthly loss of “Killed in Action” and “Died of Wounds”

(Column 2) as indicating the actual severity of service in the A. E. F.
up to the Armistice.

In the War Department lists, they are usually arranged according
to total casualties which is deceptive for the reason that they do not
take into consideration the immense number of Replacements, some-
times aggregating more than twice the original strength of a Division,

a factor allowed for to at least some extent by taking the months
(Column 3) into account.

The Regular Army Divisions are those numbered from 1 to 25; the
National Guard, 26 to 75, and the National Army those beginning with 76.

Column 4 gives the total “Battle Deaths”; 5, the “Missing and

Prisoners,” and 6, the percentage of the latter compared to the total
of both.

As gold “Service Stripes’ were authorized according to the number
of six-month periods in the A. B. F., whether the wearer had par-
ticipated in actual fighting or not, Column 7 shows the percentage of
A. E. F. time in which the Divisions participated as “Combat” units and

Column 8 the percentage of time they were actually employed in “Active .
Sectors.”

Since a Division can advance with greater or less success according
to the strength of the Enemy in numbers and position, Columns 9 and 10
indicate the opposition developed by showing the average per kilometer
of prisoners captured and their own losses in killed.

Although the figures submitted by the Chief of Staff were of a date
practically three months after the Armistice, subsequent tables pub-
lished show an increase in the killed for all the Divisions except three
whose totals have diminished. This percentage of change (Column ‘11)
indicates the reliability of a Division’s information regarding itself and
it is interesting to observe that Regular Army Divisions averaged 21%
wrong, with the National Army but 16% and the National Guard only
13%. This fact also appeared in Column 6 where the missing or doubt-
ful were: Regular Army, 32%; National Army, 30%, and the National
Guard lowest with 29%.

Column 12 shows the numbers of “Engagements” credited to each
Division.

No tables of wounded are included as they merely confuse, inas-
much as they bear a uniform relation to the “Battle Deaths” of about
four to one.

147
THE COMBAT DIVISIONS

Some Statistics from tabulations by Chief of Staff, U.S.A.,
published Feb, 2, 1919

Only Major Casualties to Nov. 11, 1918
Total Casualties

Percent. of Per Kilo.

 

wm &
oie 2 OE Tee wa ge BBE OS
Div. #89 BE Oo : ie gfe 836 9
seo a BOOK Ok gk Bhs oe
Be . : 2 Bs _ RaQ so
489 «6 § so os Shee ESE $38 23
4 369 = §-22 2118 868 29% 65 22 112 86 22 3
28 865 5-22 2097 1793 46% 59 «628 92 209 20 5
3 344 7-4 2490 «©1127 «381% 74 40 54 6 24 5
79 315 33-28 1232 1157 48% 38 «14 55 63 13 1
91 307 =3-28 1209 493 28% 38 «11 70 35 14 3
*2 292 12-14 3641 1618 30% 42 17 200 60 21 4
27 284 6-0 1706 488 22% 68 31 214 «155 4 2
32 279 «68-18 2402 811 25% 39 «13 59 66 20 3
89 275 = =4-18 1265 260 17% 44 20 105 26 12 2
90 274 «64-18 1263 322 20% 44 18 65 44 9 2
77 268 6-24 1827 865 32% 44 32 10 25 8 2
30 267 5-18 1499 273 «615% 67 38 130 50 10 2
78 244 5-4 1254 671 31% 36 3 20 59 8 2
5 235 «6-8 1475 1029 41% 31 17 81 50 29 2
1 204 16-12 3353 1895 36% 39 «618 126 65 25 4
37 202 «4-20 947 3038 24% 32 q 49 31 4 2
42 197 12-8 2425 525 17% 32 «10 23 44 11 3
82 195 5-24 1132 460 28% BA 15 49 66 18 2
29 182 4-14 817 300 26% 26 17 312-116 15 1
80 178 «45-14 973 382 28% 28 10 4G 25 17 2
26 166 12-10 2048 816 28% 32 «12 85 55 5 3
33 159 6-18 893 278 238% 27 «16 110 24 12 3
36 139 = 3-12 474 395 45% 87 22 26 22 7: ae
35 137 «5-28 813 920 538% 24 2 62 65 18 2
81 96 3-90 289 81 2 38 minus 13
7 8 3-2 273 53 2 2 10
92 83 4-22 159 52 1 1 16) sei
6 82 3-18 116 6 1 minus 16 1
88 18 2-28 53 13 2 minus 49
TRA. 246 7-24 13466 6596 32% 41 #19 125 6 21 19
11N.G. 216 6-23 16121 6902 20% 39 «16 79 56 13 26
11N. A. 209 4-18 10656 4656 30% 3114 49 36 16 #16
29 Combat Divisions 40243 18154 61

*Includes Marine Brigade

 

93 Div. 119 4-0

47

12 This Division is kept separate as it was
brigaded with the French.

148

Engag'ts
THE INFANTRY REGIMENTS

MajJor casualties only, from tabulations published by Chief of Staff, U.S.A,
on Feb. 2, 1919, A. E. F. to Nov. 11, 1918

 

(Aver. per mo.) (Total Nov.11/18)

5 E Be
3 Aa ° 4 2
be oe : . a - t a Allo
he 2 ° 3 Ay a a 2S gs
3s. “3 ; « «#8 7 «@ 3 aa Ws
nS 6B <q ‘ 4 < 4 D6 ast 4h
oz €5 4 s+ SF Bw 64a 68 a OMS
1 110/28 99 99 50% 570 572 61 327/82 48
2 316/79 95 107 52% 377 423 62 132733 48
3 361/91 90 22 % 355 91 63 Yh 47
4 59/ 4 90 24 21% 517 145 64 61/ 5 46
5 107/27 86 6 1% 517 41 65 364/91 46
6 109/28 84 109 56% 66 18/1 46
Tq 111/28 83 41 33% 476 238 67 141/36 46
8 /3 82 2 23% 587 180 68 167/42 45
9 47/4 81 41 % 465 238 69 328/82 44
10 1l/ 5 17 39 lo 486 7 102/26 44
11 3/ 3 G7 37 32% 553 266 7 306/77 43
12 58/ 4 7 53 40% 445 305 72 28/1 43
13 39/ 4 76 25 24% 436 144 13 16/ 1 42
14 315/79 % 7 48% 296 283 74 60/ 5 42

15 120/30 73 11 13% 409 66 7 369/93
16 358/90 71 10 12% 331 49 %6 115/29 41
17 362/91 51 "o 274 201 WT 131/33 41
18 354/89 8 10% 316 39 18 116/29 40
19 353/89 68 14 17% 317 79 ‘/ 40
20 125/382 68 22 lo 590 197 80 26/1 33
21 360/90 67 17 20% 312 81 81 138/35 38
22 127/32 67 25 27% 578 216 82 326/82 37
23 4/3 67 31 382% 228 83 1138, 35
24 119/30 66 14 17% 374 2 84 103/26 35
25 307/77 66 22 lo 452 156 8 147/37 35
26 363/91 66, 27 29% 262 109 86 146/37 32
27 128/32 65 25 28% 560 220 87 101/26 32
28 39 34 34% 448 234 88 1 30
29 106/27 ag 45 40% 392 271 89 166/42 30
30 148/37 4 15 19% 299 TW 90 371/93 30
31 yy 3 64 51 44% 462 365 91 140/35 28
32 112/28 63 51 44% 365 296 92 318/80 27
33 314/79 63 52 45% 248 207 93 137/35 26
34 310/78 62 21 25% 321 108 94 1389/35 26
35 5/ 2* 62 29 31% 781 366 95 129/33 26
36 6/ 2* 62 29 31% 781 366 96 317/80 26
37 23/ 2 62 40 39% TSA SOT 7 130/33 24
88 9/ 2 61 21 25% 767 269 98 322/81 24
39 6/ 5 61 40 39% 254 99 370/93 22
40 355/89 61 21 25% 284 98 100 372/93 22
41 313/79 61 57 48% 243 228 101 321/81 22
42 357/90 60 10 14% 279 48 102 34/ 7 20
43 306/717 60 17 22% 412 119 103 324/81 17
44 1/90 58 28 32% 270 130 104 144/36 16
45 117/30 58 10 158% 327 6L 105 55/ 7 15
46 142/36 57 23 % 194 80 106 143/36 11
47 126/32 57 16 21% 498 138 107 41
48 108/27 55 9 15% 333 59 108 323/81 10
49 311/78 55 25 31% 284 132 109 53/ 6 Q
50 /78 55 63 48% 287 274 110 365/92 8
651 105/27 5A 16 22% 328 97 111 366/92 8
62 145/37 53 22 30% 248 107 112 64/ 7 6
53 325/82 52 16 23% 306 95 113 54/6 6
54 s«168/42—Sts«é*#S 3 628 45 414 51/ 6 5
65 320/80 51 2 8% 284 115 115 350/88 4
56 114/29 50 41 45% 227 187 116 351, 4
67 165/42 50 20 29% 622 257 "117 52/ 6 3
58 312/78 50 8 14% 258 43 118 352/88 2
59 356/89 49 9 15% 227 43 119 367/92 2
oo 118/30 49 9 15% 276 52 120 349/88 1

*Marine losses divided between 6th and 7th Regiments serving with the
2nd Division. 49
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