The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-07-08
Sergt. Wade Jackson
Writes of The
Tank Service
Gettysburg, Pa, July 4, 1918.
Mr.. NJ, F. Hetherington,

Gettysburg, Pa, July 4, 1918.
Mr.. NJ, F. Hetherington,
Editor Evening Telegram,
Lakeland, Fla.
Dear Sir:-I will endeavor to write
you a short letter and if you have
space in your columns would be
pleased to have you publish same.
will try to explain the branch Of
service to which | belong.
/ am member of Co. A, 331 BIN
Tank Corps. The Tank Corps is ar.
ranged or organized differently from
the infantry, there only being three
companies in battalion, battalion
either being administrative or tactical,
that is, 1t acts as regiment within
itself or the entire battalions are ar
ranged as regiment. We also have
heavy tanks and light tanks, the bat
talon to which l belong being light
tanks. Heavy tank companies are
composed of two hundred and fifty
men; light tank companies of one
hundred and seven men.
We have had no tank training yet
as I understand we are to receive this
training in England.
Following is the arrangement of
men Of the light tanks:
Sergeants-1 LIST sergeant; l signal
sergeant.
Sergeants, 17-12 tank commanders;
3 mechanics; mess sergeant; sup
ply sergeant.
Corporals, 27-15 tank drivers; /
company commander tank driver; 1
signal tank driver; s reserve tank
drivers: cooks.
Privates, LIST class, 29-S reserve
tank drivers; 2 motorcycle drivers, 10
chauffers.
Privates, 30.
The above composing company of
107 men.
In each tank is one sergeant and
one corporal; in each platoon there
are assigned five sergeants, of whom
one is mechanic; 5 corporals, all
tank drivers, and privates, compos-
ing men to the tank, the sergeant
being in command of the tank.
The tank corps is considered to
rank any other branch of the service
by 4 per cent, also the most danger
GUS. Up to the present date there
has been only one battalion of tanks
gone over from here and I have heard
from one of the men who has been
sent back here on account Of disabil-
ity, that 80 per cent of the battalion
have been killed. This battalion be-
ing one Of the heavies so you can see
that our chances are very slim. can
hardly wait to get into the game, but
I guess that I will have to wait, as
you we'll know that you have no
choice in the army
The country in which our camp is
situated is the old battlefield of the
civil war. A person can walk for
miles around here and read on monu-
ments or tablets, whichever 1t may
be, the positions of the different units
OF both the Union and the Southern
armies It is certainly interesting to
one who has never been here before.
1t seems strange to think that IS
years ago today the men from the
North and men from the South met
here in the bloody struggle, each
fighting for what they thought right
and today we boys from the North
and South modified here together to
defend the greatest cause that man
can sacrifice his home, life and dear
ones for-the cause of humanity.
guess most people of Lakeland,
who know me, think that it was very
foolish of me to join the army before
was drafted and also not being In
the draft age, but | want to say just
this much: | never was man to sit
and wait for some one else to do my
part. ! have Joined the army every
time the country has made call for
men since / have been old enough,
this being my third enlistment, having
served in the Philippine Islands in
1899 to June 30, 1901, also being on
the Mexican border with Co. ID of the
old End Florida regiment and have
again caught hold now In the Tank
Corps, and l consider any man who
does try to dodge the draft, as some
in Lakeland did do, and some who
tried and failed, direct friend of
the Kaiser, also a wolf in sleeps
clothes and a man not to be trusted.
] may be a little strong in my senti-
ments but this is them to the letter