The Delta of the Triple Elevens : $b the history of Battery D, 311th Field Artillery, United States Army, American Expeditionary ForcesBachman, William Elmer
History
The Delta of the Triple Elevens : $b the history of Battery D, 311th Field Artillery, United States Army, American Expeditionary Forces
Bachman, William Elmer
United States. Army. Field Artillery Battalion, 311th. Battery D; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- United States
What could be more pleasant or soothing to an adventurous spirit than
a trip in the saddle through the scarred and devastated battle sector
along the Lorraine border? This is what appealed to the boys of
Battery D when announcement was made at Blancheville early in December
that one hundred men were wanted to accompany a horse convoy to Longwy
on the Belgian border. One hundred volunteers were asked for, and it
was not long before the required number was enlisted from the military
ranks.
The first convoy was to have left Blancheville on December 13th, but
at the eleventh hour the trip was cancelled. Various other dates were
set. Finally, on Wednesday night, December 18th, Capt. Smith assembled
the battery in the Y. M. C. A. tent that stood near the old church,
when announcement was made that the horse trip was to start on the
morrow and the names of the one hundred men who were to make the trip,
were called off.
In high spirits the volunteers made ready for the trip. Each man
packed a set of saddle bags; made ready a driver's roll with shelter
half and blankets. All the other individual equipment was gathered
together and left in the Y. M. C. A. tent, as rumor had it that the
regiment was soon to move to another billeting area and the order to
move might come when the horse convoy was on the road. Thus the extra
equipment was left with the remainder of the battery, on whose hands
evolved the task of remaining in Blancheville and caring for the
battery horses and doing the other detail work. The schedule worked
hardship both ways. There was more than enough work for those who
remained at the battery area, and those who volunteered for the convoy
were not long in realizing that they had a tough job on their hands.
The detail of one hundred men left Blancheville at 7:25 a. m.,
Thursday, December 19th, in five auto trucks. The trucks also conveyed
a saddle and equipment, also driver's roll, for each member of the
party.
The auto convoy proceeded through Chaumont; then came a pleasant ride
along the Marne river, passing through the towns of Luzy, Vesaignes,
Rolampont and Langres. Stop was made at the latter fortified town,
where the soldiers visited the town and procured refreshments. The
trip was continued and at 12:30 p. m. the party reached Remount No.
13. at Lux, situated about three kilometers beyond Is-sur-Tille.
In fighting the mud at Blancheville the battery members thought they
had struck the muddiest spot in France. Nothing could be muddier, they
thought. But this thought was soon shattered when the volunteer convoy
reached Lux. Perhaps it was due to the Remount being numbered 13, but
the mud that surrounded it is beyond adequate description.
It was raining heavily when the battery arrived at Lux. Slimy mud,
three feet thick in places, covered the territory of the remount.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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