CHAPTER XII.
A ROYAL WELSH RECEPTION.
A surprise reception was in store for the soldiers aboard the S. S. Morvada when it came to debarking on foreign soil. As the ship plied the channel waters on the night of July 30th, 1918, but few on board knew what port was its destination; but not so with the people of the British Isles. They knew the plans for the arrival of the American army transports. On July 31st, the people of Barry and Cardiff, in common with Newport, in the province of South Wales, did honor to the American troops.
Barry, the urban district and seaport of Glamorganshire, Wales, on the Bristol channel, was the foreign shore that greeted the troops on the Morvada early in the morning of July 31st.
It was perfect weather for such a visit, the first ever paid to Barry by a large body of American troops, and Barry's reception was whole-hearted. The citizens turned out in great force. Enthusiasm was manifest on every side, and this, despite the fact that, owing to the unavoidable delay in the ship's arrival, the people had to wait several hours while the Morvada rested at anchor in the harbor until docking could be accomplished at 9 a. m.
While preparations to dock were in progress crowds lingered on the piers. The soldiers amused themselves by tossing one-cent pieces to the Welsh children. Immediately a demand for American cigarettes and chewing gum arose among the older Welshmen.
The crowds and the town itself were in holiday attire. The vessels in dock were gay with bunting. Flags were displayed from shop-windows, the municipal offices and the fire-brigade station, while from the summit of the Barry Railway Company's offices "Old Glory" was flying to the breeze.
As the Morvada docked and the command was given for the troops to debark, loud welcome was sounded by sonorous "hooters," screaming sirens and shrill ship and loco whistles.
At 10 o'clock the soldiers were assembled on terra firma once more. Parade formation was ordered in answer to the glad welcome plans of the inhabitants.
Headed by the regimental band the 311th Artillery skirted the banks of a small brook named Barri, whose waters encircled an island--the island which in the 7th century is supposed to have contained the cell of the Welsh saint, named Barri, from which the name of the island and the river is derived.
British troops, with rifles at present arms and bayonets glistening in the sun, formed a guard of honor that lined both sides of the streets of Barry, through which the American troops passed in royal welcome. The march proceeded until King's square was reached, where official ceremony of welcome to the town was enacted.
Here the officers and men formed in the large public square in front of the municipal offices, where Councillor George Wareham, J. P., as chairman of the district council, extended to the Americans a hearty welcome.
Lieut.-Col. Bradbridge, of the Lancashire Fusiliers, addressing Col. C. G. Mortimer, in command of the 311th, said he had been commanded by His Majesty, the King, to welcome all to the shores of Great Britain.
Each soldier was then presented with a copy of an autographed letter from King George V., bidding God-speed and every success. The letter was as follows:
Windsor Castle.
Soldiers of the United States--The people of the British Isles welcome you on your way to take your stand beside the armies of many nations now fighting in the Old World the great battle for human freedom. The Allies will gain new heart and spirit in your company. I wish that I could shake the hand of each one of you, and bid you God-speed on your mission.
George R. I.
Col. Mortimer expressed his appreciation of the very hearty welcome his men had received. "We are here," he said, "for one purpose, and you all know what that is. We are young at the business, but if spirit counts for anything, it will surely win out. We have been looking forward to this for some little time, and I can assure you we will do our part."
Then the band struck up the National anthem of America and this was followed by "God Save the King," and the soldiers moved on amid the cheers of the people.
The last mess on the Morvada was partaken of at the conclusion of the parade. At 2 o'clock that afternoon all packs were removed from the boat, the troops assembled in a large warehouse on the pier; British Red Cross workers distributed refreshments while trains were being made up to convey the soldiers to their first foreign training center.
A combination of first, second, and third-class coaches of the compartment type characteristic of the English rail system made up the section of train that was assigned to Battery D. The coaches and British locomotives were the source of considerable interest to the soldiers. Each compartment accommodated eight men, which allowed a division of squads being made for the journey.
At 4:30 o'clock the wheels began to grind the rails and the first ride on foreign soil was started.
Fast-fleeting stretches of fertile farm land and extensive pasture field, rich in verdure, with cattle grazing drowsily at the close of day, presented the picture of a peaceful pastoral life of British subjects as the train continued to add up mileage. Station after station was passed without stop by the American troop special. Battery D displayed an American flag from its section and the inhabitants in the vicinity of the railroad station as the special passed through their town or hamlet, could not mistake the identity of the Americans.
From Barry the route stretched to Penarth and Cardiff; passed through Newport, Christ Church, and Major, thence across the funnel waters of the Bristol channel to the thriving city of Bristol; into the rural districts of Wiltshire; passing Bath, Trowbridge, and Warminster.
Rations of hard bread, corned-beef, corned-beef hash, canned tomatoes, and jam, had been distributed to the squads before leaving the Morvada. When the troop special was nearing Salisbury, evening was well advanced and the appetites of the soldiers were being gradually appeased enroute, stop was made at Wilton, where everybody on board took advantage of permission to get off at the station and enjoy a cup of hot coffee that a contingent of British Red Cross workers handed out.
The journey was resumed after a twenty-minute lay-over. The South of England was penetrated farther as the boys tried to figure out whether they would remain on British territory long, or whether France was to be the first active training center.
| 3rd Class French Compartment Coach | |
| Side-door Pullman Special Travel A La Mode In France | |
| Interior French Box Car Battery D Enroute | |
| A Real American Special New York To Camp Dix |