The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-18
FINE WORK OF 1O1ST
AMMUNITION TRAIN
Boston Correspondent Writes of Out
fit in Which There Are Many
Vermont Troops.


FRANK p Sibley, war correspondent OF
the Boston Globe, has written an ex
tremely interesting article on the l0lst
ammunition tram of the 26tfl division
This is the first real story of what the
ammunition train has done in France and
as record is one to be proud OF. The
train, which was organized in Nestfield
IN August, 1917, was made up of Is Off
GERS and 700 enlisted men from the First
Vermont, and six officers and 234 men
rom the coast artillery corps of Massa-
cliusetts. Mr. Sibley tells about the early
naldships Of the train and its lack of
equipment and how it surmounted these
ANTIQUITIES. 1t had record OF never
losing a truck and never keeping the
guns waiting
In the matter of losses the train was
very lucky" says Mr. Sibley. During
the entire service. up to the sarnistice it
fost from sfielltire. wounds and disease
Just IL men. Then in Il days from Span
ish influenza it lost l6 men-fve more
than the whole battle service had killed.
Dtring its service 250 men were slightly
gassed Only one of them died. His
death is included in the IL. r Before
the division left ToGl sector recognition Of
ylfe ammunition trains excellence was al
ready made. General Lasiter sent the
noncorhs of the first corps park to the
Grain for instruction.
The train had the best horses in the
A. T. F., and the Vermont men had
charge of the horses because they knew
most about them At Chemin des Danes,
Dead Mans curve, Chateau Thierry and
ST. Mihiel the train performed great
work .
In respect to the great advance he said;
Then came the supreme test of all the
train had learned. Supplying ammunition
to the batteries that were here today
and gone forward to new positions to-
morrow, doing work in the dark over
strange roads and under fire, was the
hardest thing that could be asked of the
train From the time the advance
began, July 49, to the end, it was Just
one long nightmare for the ammunition
train as for the artillery they served
Nights got mixed Zip with days. The
lanls got longer ana longer Guides post
a. AZ the roadside to guide the trucks
% battery positions failed to turn up OF
themselves got lost on the way back. The
dumps were always abreast of our own
artillery, sometimes even ahead OF them
But in spite of all there was never a
miscarriage during the drive
General Aultman said about the train:
The test was fully met by the l0lst am
munition train with the result that at no
| time was ammunition lacking for any
branch of the service notwithstanding the
act that the daily consumption of the
81
The st. Mihiel drive gave the ammupi
| ION train heavy job in preparation. IN
| February the train began to get replace
| nents Under the new order the tram
was to have 81 officers and 1888 men. The
| inst lot of requirements was BOZ men
| rom the south and west This was The
first loss OF the distinct New England
haracter of the outfit and with very few
/ exceptions, however, the draft men were
| yood men.
Col. William Neville, formerly of the
9Th Massachusetts,, was IN command. Ma
| ior. ] " Ashley of the Vermont regi
ment, had the horse battalion. Mention
was made of some of the Vermont officer
With the train, including Major Ashley
who was in the railway train service a
9urlington Capt Charles f. Pell. trait
supply officer, came from the postoifc
1t ST. Adams; Capt. Harold II. How
rom Northfeld; Capt William \ liud
son, linotype man on the Burhngtol
Free Press; Capt. John Shanley, VIII
was with the Winooski fire department
Capt. Dove f. McAlatlt from the adjutan
generals office at Montpelier; Capt
Richard T. Corey. railroad condueto
lt Newport; Lieut.. Melaney in the raj
} way mail service at Burlington Lieu
Hartwell in the hardware business at s
Johnsbury; Lieut. Lang, railroad ma
f at St Johnsbury; Lieut.. Brickler, a M
7ition inspector at Bellows Falls: Lieu
Gleason, a student at Norwich universit,