New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-12-28
Paail i News
.PLAINV|LLE LOSES
AMBULANCE CORPS
Sudden Order DiSbandS First
Platoon Formed in State

= A~VVVAA Va AAAVSA IA ~V~SSU
THE MEMBERSHIP SHRINKS
Elhistments in Army and Navy Re-
duced Number AMiiated-Ice Cut
ting Begins at White Oak-Mercury
Seeks Subway Route Out.
Last evening when the members Of
the Second Platoon M. c. LIST District
Ambulance Co., c. H. G., assembled
for their weekly drill, Lieutenant
Stuart E. Phelps read the order from
the colonel of the regiment which dis
banded the platoon, and which came
as disagreeable surprise to it's mem
bers.
The order stated that owing to a
number of the members having to
be discharged owing to their enlist
ment or draft into the various army
units, together with the difficulty ex-
perienced in filing their places it was
deemed advisable to disband the
Plainville Platoon and raise another
platoon in its stead, to be located in
Hartford.
Lieutenant Phelps stated that ne
was very sorry that the order had
been issued disbanding the platoon
and that during the few weeks he had
been in charge of the section he had
found the men comprising it very
much interested in their work and he
said the platoon bore good reputa-
ton both in Hartford and in Plain
Vile as to it's ability in drilling and its
other work. The order above referred
to affects the Lieutenant only in that
it will transfer him from Plainville -
Hartford.
When a Herald representative was
discussing the matter this morning
with Sergeant George A. Case the lat
ter stated he did not know what the
men of the platoon would do in con-
nection with their further military
work. He said that the order did
not come to him wholly as a surprise
and he had hoped taat the contem-
plated step which has been taken
could have been avoided.
Other than this Sergeant Case
stated that he had nothing he could
advise but that he had urged the
men, rather than to take the discharge
to which the order entitled them, to
transfer their services to Company I,
and become members of the Home
Guard unit under the charge of Cap
tain ]. H. Trumbull.
The portion of the ambulance COM
DO;
lied through the efforts of Leuten-
ant L. H. Frost, now Of the U. s.
Army, and Gage Kent, who ranked
as lieutenant and sergeant respective
ly The other officers were Corporal
Henry Bonney, formerly member
of the Ambulance Section Of the
British Army, who has made an ex-
cellent drill master, and Corporal
George A. Case, who like Sergeant
Kent, is a registered pharmacist.
The platoon had IL enlisted men
and in their enthusiasm and desire
to assist the state the men all pur-
chased their own uniforms rather
than wait until the state was able to
supply them and the litter equipment
was made by Lieutenant Frost and
Sergeant Kent.
The platoon is much further ad-
vanced than the Hartford platoon and
the first instructions in the litter drill
was given the Hartford platoon by
the men of the local company.
Although the Plainville platoon was
the first organized and should have
ranked as the first platoon this honor
was never accorded it except for a
short time after which the distinction
was withdrawn without any reason
being given.
The outlook is very good for one
of the largest ice crops in many years
and already the harvesting of ice has
begun at White Oak. The snow did a
lot In preserving the ice that had al
ready formed and the cold snap of
the past few days has added much to
the thickness of it.
P1ainville experienced one Of the
coolest spells of the season so far yes
terday and the mercury in some places
went as low as eight degrees below
zero. It is not known exactly what
the lowest temperature recorded was,
but around the center Of the town it
was as low as six degrees below.
There is shortage Of coal in town
and so far there is but little relief in
sight The local coal dealers intend
to make an effort to secure enough
to accommodate those people who
have only a small amount in their
bins.
P1ainville Briefs
Clement Cowles left this morning
for Providence, r. l., where he will
represent Troop Mo. IA of the Boy
Scouts at the Scouts conference
which is being held there today and
tomorrow.