The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-05-23
SENDING HOME TONS.
OF AMMUNITION
Fairnont Officer is in
Charge Of Work of Load
ing in France.

An Interesting letter has been receiy
ed by Robert Miller OF Fairmont
Building and Loan Association from
Lieut. Thomas H. Freeland. now in
France, in which be gives some dates
which have been announced in France
regarding the evacuation of all troops
save those making up the army of oc-
cuDation. Lieut.. Freeland enlisted In
the ordnance department in the sum-
mer OF 1917. going TO Columbus Bar
racks. o., and later to the officers tran
ing camp at Camp Hancock, Ga. He
sailed for France the first of October,
1918.
The letter follows:
American Expeditionary Forces Of
flee OF Port Ordnance Officer, Bassens
Dock. April, %. 1919. My Dear Bob
/ got your newsy letter some time ago
and have intended writing you every
day since but tits the same old story
don't do today what you can put off
III tomorrow"
have moved a couple OF times since
you wrote. AT that time think was
nj st. I1nbes Ammunition Depot;
frori hero went To st. Sulpice. stay-
cd there about month aud then was
transferred 10 this place. Bas5ens
Docks Is she American docks for The
port OF B;TIeaGS and they arc the big.
gest Thing OF their kind in tho country.
In length about foTty-oue hundred feet
long and there are bcrths for ton ships.
There are forty electric Gantry cranes,
with a capacity Of from five to fifteen
f,y.- ~ .ttfq fot,y etc no fs1iI.
road tracks and sixteen warehouses on
the docks Tho largest warehouse has
n floor space greater than Madison
Square Garden which accommodates
Barnum and B&iley's circus. When
these docks were started, the French
engineers said II would take three
Years at best to finish them. It took
the American Engineers, the 18th, Just
six months to complete the job.
MY work here consists of supervfs
ing Of explosives, as ballast on ships
going back to the States. like 1t
very well. This month alone. we are
sending back to the u. S. from this
port, over seventeen thousand tons OF
ammunition. This "shave-tail" saw to
the loading of all Of it and that is some
anmuntti cn-oyer eight hundred and
1lftysi cars.
The olan for the evacuation of all
troops save those making up the army
OF occupations has finally been an
nounced. All combat troops save those
making up the army Of OCCUPATION
are TO be sent out by June 18th and
ell those comprising the S. o. S. will
he ont by July 31st said all troops.
! really meant all troops in this base
section Base Section No. 2. Tho
have 1t unoffic ally that st. Nazaire
will close at the same time this port
does and that Brest will close by Au-
gust 31st. The, s. o. s. troops are to
be moved out Of this section in three
contingents: the first one third, May
3, the second one third. June and the
REMAINING one third, July Sd. OF
course I'll be one of the last to get
out. lam In the Same predicament as
the fellow who wrote his sweetheart
that when he came home he would
bring her as souvenir piece Of the
gang plank that the last troops march
"a up-his inference being that after
he had gone aboard there would be no
farther use for the gang plank If
nothing unforeseen turns UP, should
be in Fairmont. sometime in August.
I've about talked myself out and it
viii soon be time for "so,ipie" so I'll
call 1t off for this time. Regards to
ANYBODY you see with whom I'm &C.
quainted.
Sincerely.
TONI ERFEJ AND