Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-10-14

News from the old I'd Maine, now
the 103d Infantry, Somewhere in
France" which has made such a
glorious record in that Fighting Divi-
sion, the 2eth, under Gen. Edwards,
the first troops in France, the first in
the fighting line and two Maine
companies the first in the trenches,
will be of tremendous interest to
every man, woman and child Of
Maine.
The following story of the I'd
Maine was secured through the inter-
est and endeavors Of Charles s. Pet
tingill. John e. Nelson and Norman
L. Bassett. all workers for the Lib
erty Loans and all interested in the
Four Minute speakers and their
work. The material was secured
from reliable authority and was
primarily designed for the use of the
F'out Minute speakers at the many
public gatherings throughout the
State, but the epidemic Of influenza
upset that arrangement. as It has all
lines Of business, and it was thought
best to gi'e the story to the public
through! the press.
Here it is, true, for 1t comes from
participants in the deeds of Names
splendid regiment; exciting, for moth
inS has tianspired in any war more
thrilling than the deeds Of the Maine
boys IN France; and of O nature to
cause your hats to go in the air amid
shouts Of Bravo, Boys from Maine"
because they deserve. Read it:
The I'd Maine in France.
The Second Maine was one of the
best National Guard regiments in the
United States: 1t was brought to
war strength two months before any
other white regiment in the country,
viz: 2002 enlisted men and IS officers.
The representative Of the American
Railway Association stated that the
three divisions of this regiment I'M
loaded at Westfield in just ten min
utes, a worlds record.
At Westfield this Maine regiment
was augmented by men from the LIST
New Hampshire Regiment. and later,
BY men from the Sth Mass. and be-
came the 1O3d Infantry Regiment.
Incorporated into the 26th Division,
this regiment followed Pershing to
France. and this division was The
first full division to arrive on French
soil. 1t is now known as the Yankee
Division.
The 26th Division is made up of
four infantry regiments, three regi-
ments OF artillery, and a regiment of
engineers. The division also includes
a trench mortar battery. and three
machine gun battalions. In the ar
tillery units and among the engineers
may be found men from the Maine
Coast Artillery and others from the
Milliken Regiment; so that Maine is
we'll represented in this now famous
Yankee Division. The four infantry
regiments in the Division are the
1Olst. composed of Massachusetts,
men; the 102nd. composed mostly Of
Connecticut men, with a few men
from Vermont and Massachusetts,;
the 1O3d, composed mostly of Maine
and New Hampshire boys; and the
1O4th. composed of Massachusetts
men.
The 1880 arrived in France in &C.
tober. 1917, and was quartered for
training purposes in the Vosges. in
the Neufchateau area, in a village OF
some three thousand inhabitants,
called Liffold lie Grande. This town
is situated in what was known as the
Zone of Advancement. 1t was a five
or six days march from the front.
No aeroplanes were seen here, but on
still nights the rumble Of the guns
was sometimes heard. The winter
was cold, but did not compare in Sc
verify with our Maine winters. At
times there were eight inches Of
snow. and occasionally the thecmo-
meter registered twenty degrees be-
low zero. The regiment received its
training from the 163rd French Kegi-
ment. also quartered in the town,
resting, and being recruited for the
thirtieth time. instruction was re-
eeived in the use of the bayonet,
granada, automatic rife, gas and fire.
bomb. Practice was also had in the
French formations. The regiment
remained in Liffold lie Grande until
February, 1918. The boys look upon
this village as their home in France,
and their relations with the villagers
were SO pleasant that these villagers
asked that the boys be returned to
them. an unusual occurrence.
During February and March, 1918,
the regiment was brigaded between
two French Regiments on the wester-
ly end of the Chemin de Danes, in
the vicinity of Pinon Wood, Allem-
ant, and the Athletic Canal. Just at
that time. the sector was a quiet me.
The 1osd in taking up its new posi-
ton on this sector passed through
Scissor on February Sth. and
marched about eight miles to a point
some three miles behind the battle
front. Here they took up quarters in
an immense cave, or chalk quarry,
forty feet underground. capable of
holding with ease the entire regiment.
The line between the Allies and .he
Germans was here marked by the
Athletic Canal. a space of perhaps one
hundred and fifty yards separating
the two armies. The work Of the di-
vision i'll this sector consisted of