The history of Company B, 311th Infantry in the World War
History
The history of Company B, 311th Infantry in the World War
United States. Army. Infantry. 311th regiment, 1917-1919. Co. B; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- United States
I see by the Regimental History that the Duke of Connaught and General
Pershing “honored us with a visit” at this time, but said visits were
practically painless for “B” Company, as we didn’t even see the dust
from their automobiles.
By this time the regimental transport was complete--or as nearly so
as it ever was; all furnished by the British. Each battalion was now
functioning as a separate unit, and Lt. Gibbs had his hands full
with the supply and transport. He was accordingly made bn. transport
and supply officer, and the Major selected Lt. Foulkes as battalion
adjutant. So we lost the best officer in “B” Company, and I believe
the best line subaltern in the regiment. I know he hated to leave the
company, and there wasn’t a man but missed him from that time on. He
always had a soft spot in his heart for us, as Bn. Adjt. and later
as Regimental Adjt. Foulkes was one man I was never disappointed in.
McMahon, his striker, went with him. Mac was a good scout too.
By July 18th we had skirmished over every inch of the big hill; hiked
over all the roads within a six mile radius; bayoneted about 500
“Boche” gunnysacks apiece, and made ’steen triangles at musketry drill.
We got another march order, and after the usual bustle of cleaning up
we pulled out with full equipment on July 19th at 9:00 A. M.
It was only a four mile hike this time, to Lottingham, the nearest
railway depot. There we were parked in a little yard off the road,
and saw the 309th and 310th Inf. go by to entrain. We waited about an
hour, and I broke up a very promising crap game, to my secret regret.
I afterward chucked the bones out of the car window, much to Dunn’s
disgust.
At 11:30 we were packed into a train, which rolled off in the usual
nonchalant manner, at an average speed of six miles per hour. We passed
through some pretty enough country during the afternoon, and speculated
wildly on our destination, as usual missing it completely.
At 8:30 P. M. we pulled up at Ligny alongside an American Red Cross
train, with a couple of real American nurses in it. How good they
looked to us! The car windows were nearly all shattered, and the cars
scarred with bullets and shrapnel. This was a bit of the real thing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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