Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-03-16
CAS- AND FLAMES
EMPLOYED WITH
SUCCESS BY j. s.
Returned Member of Regi-
ment Whose Duty 1t Was to
Make War FrightfuI Tells Of
Experiences in France.

Experiences IN france,
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE MORNING JOURNAL
Camp Travis, Tex. March 10
While there were many units or Unit
ed states troops that travelled over
| many sections of France it is probable
that few were spread out at one time
like the First gas and flame regiment.
This regiment, after leaving the Unit
ed States in January. 1918, was brok-
en- up almost Immediately on its ar
| rival overseas and the various COM
panies of gas throwers were sent with
| almost every division of American
! troops to go into the lire.
One member of that regiment, Will
liam Hooking of Company C. whose
| home is in Globe, AriZ., has returned
to Camp Travis for convalescence and
| for discharge. Hooking, before enter
ing the army, was employed with the
| Old Dominion Copper company.
| Gas and Flame Force.
When the First gas regiment went
overseas it was known as the Thrift
| eth engineers, gas and flame. On its
arrival in France 1t was renamed. 1t
was first brigaded with British troops,
| but later fought at Toul. the Vosges,
Chateau Thierry st. Mihiel and the
| Argonne. Losing nearly half of its
| original personnel the regiment
| fought forty days out of forty-nine
| without a let-up. is record for hero
ism is shown by the fact that eighty
| members won the croix de guerre,
twenty-six others won the dstin
! guished service cross and twelve 9TH
| ers have been awarded the distin-
/ guished service medal
| During the fighting it devolved upon
| the enlisted men to carry the gas
laden cylinders from trucks--when
/ trucks could go no further-up to
where the gas could. be fed to the
Huns. This was frequently done UNI
der fire and shells were carried Of
times more than a mile in this man
ner. Gas was used from cylinders to
produce clouds of, gas when the wind
cylinders being lin the first line
i trenches while frviing to smother the
Huns. Another nnlethod of using the
1 was to use gss shells from Stokes
mortars. this method being particu-
larly good in destroying machine gun
nests. From gas shells, too thermit
which had the effect of molten metal
4 blown about the explosion, was also
| given to Heinie.
Secrecy Observed.
\ Uncle Sam guarded the movements
and methods Of the First gas regiment
very carefully even from other
branches of the American service. For
instance, the Identification tags lacked
any information further than the
mans name and army serial number,
and his uniforms likewise bore no
mark indicating the branch of the
army the man was in. That its value
was appreciated was shown by the
fact that when the armistice was
signed there were two regiments and
three extra battalions of gas fighters
practically ready for action.
I Hooking said that probably the
most hopeless sensation which he went
through during his year "over there"
was on a day when his commander
had virtually decided to sacrifice two
gun teams" or crews of gas fighters
to put up smoke screen while the
engineers cut through the barbed
wire. His relief when the order came
from higher up countermanding this
plan can only be imagined.
In Tight Place.
Another time when he was in
tight" place, Hooking says, was early
in October when the Americans took
Hill $40, near Exermont. He had
been helping all night to carry gas
shells, and after the task was done
the infantry lieutenant who was going
to take his men over the top told the
gun team to get back to Exermont as
quickly as they could. as the Huns
would throw a barrage in a little
hi VI, ~. L.
was still some little time off, the lieu
tenant said and the crew had just
about time to get in safe place.
Hooking and his pals did as told and
were safely ensconed in cellar when
the Smelling began. The Hun shells
searched the roadway for about two
hours.
I'VE had been in there while"
said Hooking. when we heard voices
outside. We called out to know who
was out in that ruction. and two Y.
M. c. A. men answered. They had
been caught by the barrage while
coming up with chocolate and cigarets
but had dropped their packs and
ducked in the muddy road to escape
the shells. We took them in. One
was man past middle age and the
other a much younger man. The
younger man had on high laced boots,
| which he took off and emptied the
water from.
Gets Dry Socks.
H. L. Jones, one of the boys in
our crew, gave the man a pair of dry
socks. They told us that we could
have their stocks of smokes and candy
II We wanted to go out after them,
but nothing doing. Much as we want
ed cigarettes and candy. It was too
hot work out there.
1T was only a few days afterwards |
that another " man, who was carry
ing a litter, was killed in the same |
sector. He was buried in little |
French village near Exermont.
Our regiment had the prize ~
man of 'em all, Though. We called
him 'Hoppy'-his real name was Hop
kins, and he had served In the regu-1
lar army as soldier. He was with |
Company A. but anything he had was
ours When we had money he sold us
stuff,s and when we hadn't money it l
didn't make any difference to him.
he gave IT to u.s.
zone night Hoppy' was out with |
the boys and we had to hustle things |
along. think that was when we I
were in BelIeau wood. 'Hoppy' drop
ped his pack and helped us get things
moving. He toted shells and worked
like anv of the other boys He sure 1