The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-28
Complete Account of Expert
ences of Battery A.
Topeka Unit Had Long Train
ing Experience.
REACHED LIVERPOOL JUNE |
First Made Acquaintance of the
COOtie in England.
Finally Got Into Action the
Last of August.

The first authentic history of To-
peka's own Battery A of the 130th
field artillery, in the great world war.
has arrived from France. This
chronology comes almost simultane-
ously with the news that the battery
expects to arrive home by February 1.
Under proclamation of the presi-
dent. the battery was called into serv-
ice August s. 1917, and went into camp
at the fair grounds. On the 18th it
was formally mustered into federal
service, but remained in camp until
October /. when it left Topeka on the
Santa Fe, arriving at Camp Doniphan,
Fort Sill, Okla, during typical Okla
homa dust storm, about noon, Octo-
Der 2.
Here started the work of fixing up
o camp, in which changes were being
continually made until the time of de-
parture. Many were the conjectures
as to the date when 1t would leave for
France, tho none thought it would be
more than six months.
- The members drilled, took phys
ical torture" in the cold, policed camp,
hiked, dug gun pits, were roasted,
frozen and once in a while soaked.
But there seemed little chance of
leaving until March 10, 1918, when
the overseas detail left for France
and then they knew that they would
be following in two or three months.
Drilled With Rifles.
About April 10 they commenced to
learn a different phase of the army
game. They were issued Springfields
and then commenced the manual of
arms, target practice and getting rifles
ready for Saturday morning inspection.
On May 9 they rolled their packs,
packed their barrack bags and leaving
Camp Doniphan to the snakes horned
toads, tarantulas, wind and dust,
1T roI to H. fr-1fr ND rfo ri mr., 6afy
journey to France. At Kansas City
they got Pullmans and continued on
their journey by way of Fort Madison.
Chicago. Detroit, New Paris, Canada
and Niagara Falls, arriving at Camp
Mills l.. l., May IA.
the S. S. Ceramic May 16 and steamed
out of New York harbor the follow
ing day. They came in sight Of the
Irish coast on the afternoon of May 20.
arrived at LIN rpool by way OF the
Irish sea the Following day, locked
the next day and landed June 1. Here
they boarded a train, travelling second
class, stopping at Birmingham, where
a detachment of the women's auxiliary
army corps served them with coffee.
Leaving the train at 4 o'clock in the
morning, they hiked two miles to the
American rest camp at Romsey, Hants,
England. 1t was here they made their
first acquaintance with ''cooties."
Had to Wait ror Boats.
On June 6 they hiked twelve miles
to the docNS at Southampton, but
found that the boat they were sup
posed to take-had been declared un-
servicea BILE. so had to hike back to the
camp on. the other side of Southamp-
ton, across from the commons where
they stayed until June s, when they
went aboard a boat and crossed the
channel arriving at La Havre, France,
about s O'Clock on the morning of
June 9, one month after leaving Doni-
phan.
They left La Havre on the 10th,
travelling third class, which was the
last time they have ridden on a pas
senger train, the rest of their trips
beng made in hpx cars marked forty
men or eight Horses They arrived
at Treleze, a suburb of Anglers, on the
evening of the 18th, where they were
first introduced to ''billets." which in
this case proved to be a house, a sta
BILE and a mine office.
After remaining here a week, the
battery hiked fourteen kilos to LIE
Plessis Gramoire, a village ten kilos
from Anglers, and here they were bill
leted in two bowling alleys. They
were paid on July 9, but the rejoicing
and celebration which usually follows
a pay day in the army was cut short
by an order to move from there at 10
o'clock that night. They hiked to
Anglers and next morning loaded up
their material and arrived in Camp
Coetquidan, at Guer, thirty kilos south
of Rennes. that night.
Given More Training.
Here, for a little more than q