CHAPTER XXI.
WAR ORPHANS AND HORSE SHOWS.
Almost every outfit of the A. E. F., in France, adopted a mascot--a real, live mascot, to be sure; not out of mere pet fancy, but the natural outcrop of the American spirit of benevolence. Through the Bureau of War Orphans of the American Red Cross, units of the A. E. F. made contributions to the Adoption Fund for French War Orphans. The aid in each case was administered by the Red Cross to the welfare of an orphan.
The members of Battery D adopted little four-year-old Denise Ferron during the month of February, 1919, as their mascot, and, by additional contributions a ward was selected in memory of First Sergeant James J. Farrell. The second ward was three-year-old Georges Lemoine, who was much in need of assistance.
Denise Ferron, with brown eyes and brown hair, was born April 25, 1914, the daughter of Madame Vve Ferron, of Fericy, Seine et Marne, France.
Mr. and Mrs. Ferron had just established a butcher shop when war came on. The father was then mobilized at the first call. He went to the front where he was wounded. In 1916 at Verdun, he held the Croix de Guerre and was mortally wounded in April, 1918.
When he joined his regiment his wife was left with no resources, having given all of their earnings for the purchase of the butcher shop. The difficulty to find meat and some one to help her, forced her to give up her business.
She had another child, Simonne, who was born July 8, 1917. This blonde, grey eyed brother of Denise was cared for by another A. E. F. unit. As her children were too small, Mme. Ferron was not able to take any work and her only means of support was a military allocation amounting to 105 francs monthly.
Although his body rests in the American military cemetery at La Courtine, France, the memory of James J. Farrell is revered in unison by all who knew him and the family of Vve Memoine, Ville Billy, St. Lunaire, Ille et Vilaine, France, who have come to know him in spirit since the youngest son, Georges, was adopted. Georges Lemoine was born February 1, 1915. He had five other brothers and sisters, viz; Pierre, Louis, Marie, Marcelle and Anna, the oldest 15 and the youngest 6 years.
These children were in a truly lamentable plight. Their father was a farmer but on such a small scale that what he got from his small piece of land was insufficient for the needs of his family. He was conscripted but sent back because he was the father of six children. He had never been strong, and during the prolonged stay at the front tuberculosis developed, from which he died on May 18, 1917.
Unfortunately his wife contracted this terrible illness. But before she realized her plight she had taken over a neighboring farm, for she was anxious to shoulder her burden as well as possible. This overtaxed her strength and hastened her decline.
These are passing incidents of the period the battery spent in Benoite Vaux. Other incidents of import to the battery were the erection of stables and the conduct of horse shows.
When the outfit arrived at Benoite Vaux there were stable accommodations for some of the batteries encamped out in the woods but Battery D, stationed in the village, was without accommodation for the horses. For the first few weeks of the stay the horses were kept out in the open on picket lines. The weather and the mud became very severe and temporary stables were secured in a wooded section near where Battery C was stationed. These stables were about two kilometers from the battery billets. While the horses were stabled there the soldiers had to hike the two kilometers three times a day and drive the horses to the watering troughs in the center of the village.
Orders were soon issued for the battery to build stables in the woodland on the opposite side of the road from the battery quarters. The ground selected as the site was very muddy. The first duty, therefore, was the opening of a stone quarry and the hauling of many loads of cracked stone to form the base of the new stable. Between the work of building the stables and preparing for the horse shows, the time of the troops at Benoite Vaux was well occupied.
On February 21st, the 2nd Battalion of the 311th conducted a Horse Show to pick entries for the regimental Horse Show which was announced. In this show Battery D carried off a good share of the ribbons. John E. Jones, of Hazleton, Penna., was awarded the blue ribbon and a cash donation of francs, as first prize winner for individual mounts. Concetti Imbesi, of Scranton, Penna., captured the second place in this event and was awarded the red ribbon. Imbesi was a prize winner in the hurdling, taking the yellow ribbon.
For the entry of 75 mm. gun and caisson with personnel, Battery D took second and third places. The 2nd section of D took the red ribbon and the 1st section received the yellow decoration. Each battery had six mounted sections in this event. Battery F took first in this event.
The battalion, as well as the regimental show, was held on a specially constructed course between Benoite Vaux and Issoncourt.
In the regimental show, which took place on Monday, February 24th, John E. Jones was adorned with the blue ribbon for guidon mounts. Jones also finished third in the regimental hurdles, in which event Imbesi also cantered from the track with the blue ribbon on his bridle.
The officers of Battery D added their share to the trophies of the day. First Lieutenant C. D. Bailey, in the officers' single mounts and hurdles, captured second place in both events. The 2nd section of 75 mm. gun and caisson, the Battery D winner in the battalion show, was ruled out of the regimental decision. Battery A took first in this event, while the 1st section of Battery D got the yellow ribbon.
The Divisional Show was held at Pierrefitte on Thursday, February 27th. The best Battery D could do in the divisional competition was a good record of two third places with the yellow ribbons. The show was conducted in inclement weather, a combination of rain, hail and snow worrying many of the high-spirited chevaux as they walked, trotted and cantered over the course. Jones was judged third for guidon mount and Capt. A. L. Smith got third for officer's saddle horse.
The official standing of the organizations in the regimental show was as follows:
Headquarters Company 27
Battery D 18
Battery B 18
Battery F 13
Supply Company 10
Battery E 7
Battery A 5
Battery C 5
Medical Detachment 0
The points scored at the Divisional Show were:
311th Field Artillery 38
310th Field Artillery 29
315th Infantry 25
313th Infantry 15
304th Signal Battalion 10
304th Sanitary Train 8
154th F. A. Brigade Hqrs. 6
Headquarters Troop 6
314th Infantry 6
79th Military Police Company 5
311th Machine-Gun Battalion 5
316th Infantry 3
312th Machine-Gun Battalion 3
158th Infantry Brigade Headquarters 3
304th Ammunition Train S. O. L.
The Ninth Army Corps held a Horse Show at Lerouville, March 21, 1919, with the 79th, the 88th and the 9th Army Corps Detachment, competing. Honors were awarded as follows:
79th Division 137 points
88th Division 87 points
9th Corps Det. 26 points
At this show Jones, of Battery D, won third prize in the quarter mile race.
The horse shows entailed a large amount of work. The soldiers were kept busy shining harness, grooming horses and painting matériel. The road between Benoite Vaux and Issoncourt, where the battalion and regimental shows were held, was a stretch of mud. It was a serious proposition to get the horses to the show-course without having them look as if they had taken a mud bath.
In the regimental show Arthur H. Jones, familiarly known to the battery members as "Boundbrook," the name of the New Jersey town he claims as home, had entered the battery water cart in the show. The water cart was one of the most valuable of battery vehicles. While at Benoite Vaux all the water for drinking and cooking purposes had to be hauled to the battery kitchen from a well about a kilometer distant.
"Boundbrook" Jones had charge of the cart, driving to the well for water several times each day. "Boundbrook" also prided himself as having the best horse of any of the water carts in the regiment. When it came time for the regimental horse show Jones was certain that his charge would carry off first prize in the water cart entry.
To the great chagrin of "Boundbrook" Battery D's cart was disqualified by the judges because it did not have the proper spigots attached to the water tank. Jones drove back to Benoite Vaux in a dejected mood. Meeting Lieut. Bailey he exclaimed: "Say, Lieutenant, I thought this was a horse show and not a plumbing show."
During the stay in Benoite Vaux the Battery members took advantage of every opportunity afforded to visit battle sectors. St. Mihiel was visited by many, while Verdun, with its underground city, and the country in that vicinity was also explored to great extent. The soldiers were granted mounted passes at times, which entitled them to saddle battery horses to go on a day's sight-seeing trip.
During the latter part of February Capt. Smith was ordered to Paris on temporary duty in the Inspector General's Department. Lieut. Yeager and Lieut. Julian were also detached from the battery at Benoite Vaux. Lieut. Yeager gained admission to an English University, while Lieut. Julian was admitted to a French institution under the A. E. F. educational plans.
Capt. Perry E. Hall, of Springfield, N. J., was assigned to the command of D Battery when Capt. Smith was ordered to Paris. First Lieut. Frank J. Hamilton, who had been associated with the battery at Camp Meade, was reassigned to the organization from Headquarters Company of the regiment, during the early part of March, 1919.
Private Stuart E. Prutzman, of Palmerton, Penna., left the outfit at Benoite Vaux to attend a French university. Private William E. Bachman, of Hazleton, Penna., was a successful applicant to the A. E. F. University that was established at Beaune.
The daily sick call of the battery was exceptionally large at Benoite Vaux. Colds and cooties played havoc with the boys for several weeks.
Another passing incident connected with the life at Benoite Vaux was the Divisional Maneuvres that were planned with great enthusiasm but which materialized rather humorously. The battery in general did not enjoy this drama. The maneuvres were conducted with guidon-bearers representing the batteries for the benefit of the Field Officers, who consumed much paper and speech in issuing a multitude of orders to guide the movements of the guidon-bearers as the latter represented the entire regiment, assuming various strategic formations on a well planned field of bloodless battle.
Lieut. Yeager, before being detached from the battery, and Cpl. Thomas J. Brennan, of Pottsville, Penna., were candidates for the divisional foot ball team that played at Souilly with a number of other divisional elevens. Philip J. Cusick, of Parsons, Penna., the battery's favorite pianist, was selected to make a tour with the regimental minstrel show that was put on to tour the circuit of A. E. F. playhouses. Cusick was recalled to the battery the latter part of February when he received notice of his early discharge from the army on account of the death of his father.
The sickness that laid its hand heavily on the men of the battery at Benoite Vaux also affected the horses. The rain that fell almost daily, kept the mud knee-deep and the roads slushy. The well members of the battery toiled hard to complete the stables and save the horses from cruel exposure to the weather. The stables were completed in February and were in use long enough for an order to be issued to clean them out by way of demonstration, then the battery was ordered to proceed to another billeting district. It was announced about this time that the 311th regiment was to sail for home in June.
The siege of sickness claimed in death two of Battery D's men, who had been admitted to the base hospital at Commercy.
Private Patrick J. Dooling, of Metuchen, N. J., died on March 6, 1919, with Broncho-pneumonia. He was buried in the Post Cemetery at Commercy.
Corporal Guy W. Mortimer, of Pottsville, Penna., died on March 8th and was buried in the same cemetery as Private Dooling.
In March regimental post schools were opened near Souilly. A number of Battery D men were admitted to the various courses. The boys had been at school for only one week when they were ordered back to the outfit, which was then moving towards Commercy.
Serving Mess To Battery D Along The Road
Serving Mess Along the Road While on a Move from Benoite Vaux to Lerouville, France. Reproduced from Official Photo of the Signal Corps. U. S. A.
Battery D On The Road In France
Showing Battery D Near Courouve, France. Reproduced from Official Photo of the Signal Corps. U. S. A.