Company “E” and 1St Detachment 10Th Engineers in France
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~r============================1~ -=====-=-=:-:====-·----===========il Company "E" and 1st Detachment 10th ENGINEERS II IN FRANCE I October 5th, 1917 January 28th, 1919 ~l====================='==========~ Compiled a1ld Pu6/isJud R.y E. L LlNDSHr f!t F. S. f\1!cNALLY • Company "E" 10th Engineers In France --_._.•.-._....... _.--_.+.~.--- 00N after the entry of the U':itedStates in the World War, awaiting the arrival of the val'ious ships that were to make up the the need for a regIment of tramed lumbermen was ap convoy. Late in the aftel'l1oon of September 21st, the convoy, con parent. Forestry products of all kinds were immediately sisting of some fourteen ships, including the "l\1ongolia," "Kl'oonland," neceSSaI'y for the successful entry of this country into "Carmania" and "Victoria," started on the trip acrOSS the Atlantic to IIthe European struggle. which all had been looking forward so long. With this end in view, the call was sent out from the Forestry Early on October 2nd, 1917, land was sighted and the "Carpathia" Service at Washington in May 1917, for practical lumbermen and entered the Firth of Clyde about 10 A. M., proceeding up the River foresters to join a regiment designated by the War Department as Clyde to Glasgow, at which city the steamer docked about 2 P. M. the lOth Engineers. Early in July the recruits for the new regiment The enthusiastic reception accorded the troops as the ship sailed up were assembling at the different l'egular army forts and banacks the Clyde, will never be forgotten by those present, as these were the country over, and later sent to Camp American University at the first Amel'ican soldiers to sail up that river. About 5 P. M. that Washington, D. C. As fast as the men arrived, the different com day, the lOth Engineers disembarked and left Glasgow later in the panies were formed and on August 8th, 1917, the new banacks as evening by rail for Southampton. The trip overland was made with signed to Company "E", 2nd Battalion, lOth Engineers, although not out delay and about noon, October 3rd, Southampton was reached. complete were formerly opened. From that date on the members The regiment then marched to the rest camp on the Commons-a of this company continued to arrive from the various forts and baT short distance outside the city. The regiment remained at this racks, the majpl'ity of the men coming from the states West of the camp until October 6th, during which time the men had an opportun Mississippi. Military instruction was continued and the men equipped ity to visit the city each evening. Ail' raids were then in progress for overseas service the remaindel' of that month and first part of and the city was kept in darkness. On the night of October 6th, after September. having boarded the side-wheeler "La Marguarite," the regiment left Southampton making a vel'y fast trip across the English Channel, On the aftel'l1oon of Sunday, September 9th. 1917, the two bat arriving at Le Havre about foul' o'clock the following morning. Dis talions forming the lOth Engineers, marched from Camp American embarked about eight o'Clock and marched to Rest Camp No.2, University, fully equipped in heavy mal'ching order to Roslyn, where British Section, at which place the remainder of the day was spent. they entrained for Jersey City. On anival at that terminal the fol That evening, about eight o'clock, in a driving l'ain storm, the regi lowing mOl'ning, the regiment was immediately ferried across the ment marched to one of the railroad stations in Le Havre, where Hudson River to the CunaI'd Line Piers at West 14th Street, New the men had their first experience with the French "side-door Pull York, and shortly before noon embarked on the S. S. "Carpathia." mans." Leaving Le Havre late that evening the route taken was Later in the day, the 2nd Engineers, boarded the same ship and over the Etat Railroad to Villeneuve, just outside of Paris, at which about six o'clock that evening, September 10th, 1917, the "Carpathia" point the long train canying the whole regiment was switched to with the two regiments of Engineers sailed from New York for Hali the P. L. M. Railroad and then proceeded South over that road to fax, at which port she anived the morning of September 13th. From the city of Nevers in the Department of Nievre, aniving there early that date until the 21st, the "Carpathia" remained in Halifax Harbor 111 the morning of October 9th, 1917. PAGE THREE I L Ii IIn II I II II II II i! IIH IE II.. H H ii II JI PAGE rom: COMPANY "E" 10th ENGINEERS IN FRANCE (Continued) HE regiment remained at :\evers for about three weeks, 13th, Lieut. Lindsey was relieved of command of the 1st Detachment , establishing camp just a short distance from thc city in and put in command at Yam'ey, relieving Lieut. Hamilton and at pyramidal tents. Durmg thIs perIOd drIlls were con the same time Lieut. Stanley Hodgman was assigned to the company, II tinued and various fatigue duties performed, such as In the meantime the company had been increased by the arrival of can tructing barracks and unloading the cQuipment and machinery Lieut. F, H. Herrick with 50 recruits from America, increa ing the for the regiment's operations as it arrived. strength of the company from minimum to maximum war strength, but emergency orders for all products, including lumber, railroad ties, At !\evers, Company "E" was split into two detachments and road plank and entanglement stakes had increased to uch an extent assigned to two operations, one in Central France at Gien, (Loiret), that in l\1:arch it was necessary to assign an additional company, Co. and the other. 100 miles !\ortheast of Nevers at Vanvey, (Cote d' 01'). "B", 41 t Engineers, ,,'ho arrived at Vanvey, March 15th, 1918. The Capt. Skeels and Lieut, Roscoe :\IcKnight left !\evers October 23rd output of the mill increased daily and the company was commended with 90 men of Co. "E" for Vanvey, where they were to begin opera by headquarter for the excellent work ,)11(] record productions in the tion in a stand of 3,500,000 bd. ft. of Scotch Pine. The millmen months of March and April. These letters are printed elsewhere in and office force were billeted in the tOt\"l1 of Vanve~' and two woods thi booklet. camp were located in the forest. Operations were begun immedi By July 1st, practically all of the timber at Vanvcy had been ately and by Januar)' 1st, 1918, 501),000 feet of logs had been cut cut and the company had been advised that owing to the exceedingly and decked in the "'oods ready for transportation to the mill. Parts good work at Vanvey, the company was assigned to a large operation of the mill, which was a Lane with 10,000 ft. capacity in 10 hours. at St. Julian, (Cote d ' Or), 50 miles South of Vanvcy and 8 miles began arriving from America early in December and by December );ol'th of Dijon, 15th, all parts had arrit'ed, the mill completed and sawing begun. Lieut. Haworth, formerly Fil'St Sergeant of the company, re Handicapped by lack of b'ansportation, coupled with a haul of maincd at Vanvey tdth a detachment to complete that operation 3 to 8 miles, it was impossible to log the mill more than onc shift. whilc Capt. Lindsey who was pl'omoted Junc 21st, with Lieuts. In January, however, the Jog trucks arrived from the States, together Hodgman and Herrick left \\'ith the company for St. Julian to begin with harness, chain, cable and othcr logging equipment which could construction of the mill, camps, mess hall, etc. Soon after the arrival not be obtained in France. In spite of all handicaps. the men de of the compmly, much to the disappointment of the officers and mBl1, termined not to let any other company exceed them in production. Lieut. Hodgnu1l1 was transfened to take command of Company "A", overcame all obstacles and by thc middle of February, the mill "'as 10th Engineers, being promoted sometime later to captain of that running full blast and shipments covering emergency l'equi 'itions for company. Master Engl'. J. C. White was assigned in his place to construction at the front were begun on a hwger scale. command the woods crews and superintend the logging, which he took over immediately, His work from then until the armistice was In February, Capt. Skeels was relieved by Lieut. Hamilton and signed and open\tions ended was of the highest order and reflected Lieut. :\Icl~night "'as assigned to Co. "D" of the Tenth. On :\Iarch credit not only on himself but on his company as well. PAGE !-~IVE PEELING POLES MORTUl\!IER GAMP, GlEN. (LOJRET) LOGGTNG WITH RIG WHEEL!' PAGE: SIX l\llLL AT MORTl:i\llER TITAN TRACTORS HAULlNG TROY '['nAILER:';. ~T. JULIAX OPERATION COMPANY "E" 10th ENGINEERS IN FRANCE (Cont;nu.d) IEUT. HERRICK and Mstr. Engr. Nutter, in charge of the \I"as not a single act committed by these men which justified a special mill, a McDonough 20,000 capacity in ten hours, Lieut. ot' general court martial. The only serious accident and one which EJI Haworth, the purchase and requisition of supplies and cast a gloom over the entire company resulted in the death of Mst\". equipment and the technical reports, Mstr.