The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1917-12-05
AMERICAN TROOPS
IN BYNG'S DRIVE
Built Railroads Under Shell Fire for
British Supplies to Advance.

DiltlSn SuVpllcS ~ AuNNuCcs
British Army Headquarters, France,
Monday, Nov. 26.-American engineers,
the first American troops to be cngag
ed in military operation on the Brit
ish front. took a rominent part in the
breaking Of the IIindcnburg line by
General Byng last week. 1t is now
possible to inform the people Of the
United States that engineers of the
ish front took a prominent part in
pushing up the vital railways behind
the advancing British soldiers The
American engineers have been labor
ing on the roads through the dcvastcd
battlCiiclds Of tho Sonimc district for
nearly four months and two OF their
men, who were wounded, were the
first American casualties announced
from Washington. Tho speed with
which the lines have been laid up
through the broken Hindcnburg dc
fcnacs during the past week has call
British authorities.
The Americans have been working
in shifts 81 hours 4 day and no such
amount of track has been laid in this
region in so short time before. The
manner in which they stood up under
tho strain has led to thoir being dub
bed the Force of American Athletes,
for these untiring soldiers arc today
as fit and as willing as they were be-
fore the battle began
Naturally the Americans; have for
a long time boon working under the
range of cncmy artillery and more
than once they have como under heavy
shell fire. One Of the most striking
sights al0ng the front has been that
Of the engineers laborng coolly at
thcr tracks while great shells wore
bursting one hundred yards away.
At one time the Germans Gu, loose
With their guns on section Of the
tracks and tore UP three miles OF
rails, but they scarcely had finished
this bombardmcnt when the twin
lines of stool began to creep forward
once more. After the engineers had
reached a point whore they were cN
posed on The sky line it was necessary
to work at night or on foggy days.
There have been three forces Of
Americans employed in this region
since about Angus; L. Two of them
have been occupied with the operation
and maintenance Of light railways and
tho other has been constructing mar
row guagc lines.
The correspondent has visited many
Of these engineers since their arrival
and has found them fit and eager for
work
The correspondent was talking with
three officers today and the only anN-
icty they expressed about the future
was the fear that they might later be
to work far back Of the
lines out OF the lighting zone. The en-
ginccrS love to hear the guns and 10
get as close to the firing line as mill
iary orders permit.
Some OF them had an unnSNal cNDcr-
icncc, much to their liking, on the
first day Of the offensive The Brit
ish called for volunteer strc,chcr
bearers 10 80 forward TO the battle
field and bring in wounded British
and Germans. large part of the
engineers offered their services which
were accepted They Just had finished
4 hard days work on the railway, but
ihcy gladly undertook the new. ardn
Gus and dangerous task and laborcd
licrs back 20 the dressing stations.
They were highly comp'imcntcd by
The British for their efficiency in this
limo