The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-06-01
HOME GUARD is
ORDERED TO GO
ON DUTY JUNE 5
Best Equipped Companies
to Furnish Two or Three
Squads Each.
NO PAYMENT WILL
BE MADE SOLDIERS
Two Machine Gun Units
Here May be Disbanded to
Meet Regulations.

Col. Clifford Wilson this afternoon
issued an order through Adjutant
Henry c. Stevenson to captains of
every Home Guard unit in Bridgeport
to prepare themselves for active duty
at the registration places June 5.
Signed departmental orders with
explicit instructions to commanders
as to their duties will be received
through the mails by company COM
manders tomorrow.
Though details will not be made
public by commanding officers of the
Home Guard in this city it is known
that one squad of guards will be
taken from each company of the
Home Guard in Bridgeport and that
arms and full equipment will be car
ried by the men. Bayonets will be
fixed and company commanders will
have issued to them sufficient rounds
of ammunition to cope with any posi-
BILE emergency.
AS there are only 10 companies Of
Infantry located in Bridgeport, some
of the larger and best equipped COM
panies will be ordered to furnish two
or even three squads of. soldiers for
duty.
The service will be gratuitous, no
is planned by company commanders
to call for volunteers. The matter of
food supply during the day will be
cared for privately by the captains
and other commissioned officers. In
the event of a relief guard being need
ed at night, the quartermaster will
provide overcoats and blankets.
It is known that Col Wilson was
opposed to calling out the Home
Guard. proposing to utilize policemen
for the work. The sudden change is
believed to have come as a result Of
communication with Hartford.
Two machine gun squads of the
Home Guard, organized at an approx
innate cost of $4,000 under private
subscription are likely to be disband-
ed if some method is not found by
the military emergency board at Hart
ford to include them in the Fourth
regiment under United States army
regulations.
The machine gun units now in ques-
ton are those organized by the
Bridgeport Rifle club, under public
was organized. At the present time
and T., G. H. G.
military officials today is this:
The United States army regulations
call for only one machine gun COM
pany of four guns to every regiment
In the Fourth regiment there is one
fully equipped machine gun company
under command Of Capt. Axel Ahl-
gren, rifle expert of the Remington
Arms & Ammunition Co.
When Companies H. and I. were
accepted from the Bridgeport Rifle
club the matter of two fully equipped
machine gun squads vas not consid-
cred by the military authorities.
During the parade last Wednesday
| it was found by the colonel that two
machine guns were located between
the infantry divisions. This was not
| according to regulations and they
| were ordered to the left of the line
Subsequent inquiry disclosed the fact
that one fully organized company al
| ready held that position.
The matter was at once placed be-
fore the military board at Hartford
for determination. It is now puzzling
| the authorities for if no special pro-
vision can be made to utilize the
| companies as a supporting platoon to
Companies H and I which some Of
ficials claim is impossible under reg
| u1ations, it means that two guns OF
the Home Guard company must be
abandoned at expense to the state OF
the two guns of the Rifle club aban-
doned at an expense to Bridgeport
factory owners and merchants
Although it is reported that the
ambulance and hospital companies OF
| the Second Regiment, Home Guard
| Continued on Page 81