Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-09
WOMEN RIDE IN TANK
THAT WRECKS BARN
Interesting Demonstration of Big
British War Machine at
Camp Dix.

lamp LIN, ". j., FpD. S.-FOIIOWcu
bv thousands OF enthusiastic soldiers,
the big English tank Britannia went
cover the top" at Camp Dix Thursday
For the first time the land ship carried
women as members Of its crew, three
Americans and the wife Of French officer
taking the rough fuur-nile journey, un-
deferred by the fact that in an accident
Tuesday the tank had turned over and
seriously injured one of its crew.
They experienced the most strenuous
demonstration given by the tank since its
arrival in America, the test reaching \
climax when the big hulk plowed through
an old colonial barn, one of the most
stanchly built structures in the camp.
Captain Richard Haigh was in charge
Of the tank and it was handled by the
crew that piloted il on the western front.
II began by climbing out of q deep cut
along the Lakewood road Major General
Scott was an interested observer.
The women passengers were Mrs
Mailer, wife Of Captain MAILER
Of the French army; Mrs. Cfvde Rogers
and Miss Iryinia wilkins, OF Afoorestown,
and Miss Josephine Broderick, of Jobs
town.
The tank gave the most amazing
display of its power when it entered a
NpOIS III 4IOAL "a NA1i Lii. 1Ac
pilot headed II for the center, where the
trees were thickcst. Tree after tree went
down with such rapidity that 9 detail of
mounted military police was kept busy
driving the crowds out Of the danger
zone.
Crawling out of the woods after carving
down a group of FIVE chestnut trees at
one blow, the tank ambled down q steep
NIL of fortv-Ive degrees and crashed
through a stanch barn on the Lippincott
farm, driving q tunnel through the struc-
ture IN seven seconds.
Next the tank went through l00-foot
section Of barbed-Wire entanglements as
if the barrier, the most deadly hindrancc
TO charging troops in No Mans Land,
had not existed. From there it drove its
way through the big shells craters and
three roys Of trenches
In . transfer OF several hundred infan-
trymen from Camp Dix TO Camp Greene,
completed this week, officers Of the 18th
Division have had demonstration Of the
anxiety of New Jersey and New York boys
TO get into the ''big show on the other
side. The original order exempted non
commissioned officers from the transfer.
but when details were ordered from the
companies many of the sergeants and
corporals asked to be included. In 4
few instances their requests were granted
The men figured that any transfer
was likely TO bring earlier service in
Europe than will come with the ordering
of Camp Dix troops as a division to
overseas activities, because of the dis
nembering of this division and the neces-
sity of rebuilding it from the new draft.
Therefore the man assigned for transfer
Is looked upon with envy by his fellows.
As the long lines marched to the station
their comrades left behind filed the
barracks windows and cheered them until
they were lost 10 sight The departing
squads answered with songs or more
cheers. There were few faces in the lines
that were not smiling. The troops reached
their destination IN the South today, thus
permitting the first official announcement
of the transfer
Although they all are on the level
OF privates while in the officers train
ing school, each student candidate for d
commission Is permitted TO retain his /
rank and pay as Of date of transfer from
his regiment to the school The major
ity Of students are non-comrnissioned |
officers, and In several regiments their |
former positions have been filed by new
appointments. Division headquarters |
corrected a misunderstanding Of the sit |
uation oday by announcing that ap- |
pointments TO vacancies cannot be made |
permanent until students either get com !
missions or are returned to their original !
units
War risk insurance will be most
factor in promoting the morale !
If American troops in the world war. in
the opinion Of Major General Scott. |
Of the 18th Division. and /
former chief Of the general staff. In /
opening the final four-day drive for war /
policies, to sign up all officers and en- |
listed men who were in the service prior |
10 October TO- the General today address |
officer in camp.