The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-18
n y CTS. TO RUN ON NIKANSANS TO SHIP
Exhausted, 117th Ammunition To
- Knapp Show. Sail From Brest.
III
Three Months Maintenance. Division To
pected
PROBLEM FOR The GOVERNOR ON The OCEAN TOMORROW
UI- Duties Demand He Do
Over Home
THING Than Debate Record for Port in Han
Over COtton ding Troops.
117th Ammunition Train Is To
Sail From Brest.
Is Last Detachment of Rainbow
Division To Leave.
ON THE OCEAN TOMORROW
10000 Troops of 42nd Took to
Vessels Yesterday.
A Record Day for Port in Han
ding of Troops.

Brest, April 1S.-The port of Brest
established a record in troop embark
alton in preparing the remaining units
of the 42nd (Rainbow) division for
sailing yesterday. Nineteen thousand
troops, including some portions of the
77th New York national army divi-
sion, marched aboard six transports.
Only the 117th ammunition train of
the Rainbow division remained and
that will leave tomorrow.
Five of the ships-the Missouri, the
Mount Vernon, Pretoria, Pueblo and
Huntington-were en- route today.
The Leviathan, delayed in coaling, was
scheduled to start later today.
To the 117th ammunition train, with
about 1000 Kansans on its muster
roll, belongs the distinction of being
the first completely organized and
equipped unit of its kind in the A E.
+. 1t was also the first all-Kansas
unit overseas and the division to which
it was attached, the 42nd (Rainbow)
held the first alI-AmericAn battle sec
tor in France.
The train, with companies original
ly coming from Rosedale, Chanute,
Dodge City. Pratt and Manhattan. was
modified in Topeka at the fair
grounds. Here the regiment was re-
organized, drilled and whipped into
| shape and on Sunday evening, Septem-
| Der II, along about sunset it marched
down Kansas avenue 96S strong and
boarded a Rock Island train for
Camp Mills, Long Island, the point of
mobilization for the Forty-Second Di-
vision. The leave taking of the train
| here was quieter than it would have
been owing to freak censorship from
| the war department and the adjutant-
generals office. The entrainment was
supposed to be a secret. OF course
relatives and sweethearts of the men.
knew they were going and followed
them to the train. Then as the train
| left the fair ground word spread like
wlld-fire thru the city and when the
unit reached the avenue. autos and
crowds lined the curb and sidewalks.
| To France in October.
| The train sailed for France October
| 81, 1917, and landed at Brest from
| Camp Mills the following November
IL on the liner America" From
Brest the unit went to Camp Coet-
| quidan, where it Joined the 67th ar
! tillery brigade. On February 81, 1918,
it went into the battle line at Luney-
vile, and remained there till the mid
die of March, when it went to Bac-
| caratt, where the Rainbow held the
! first American sector in the war The
division and train left this sector June
20 and Joined General Goreau's army.
| and helped that leader smash twenty
five Hun divisions to chaos. This was
1
| General Goreau until about the middle
of July and on July "a the train went
under fire with the Rainbow at
| Chateau Thierry. From Chateau
| Thierry the regiment OF Kansans
went to st. Mihiel, and from there into
| the Argonne, at which place the Rain
| bow relieved the First division, the
| latter unit previously relieving the
Thirty-fifth. The Thirty-fifth was
coming out of the rear lines as the
Rainbow went in The train was at
| Sedan when the armistice was signed
and from that place it went into Ger
many with the army of occupation
and was stationed, until ordered home.
at Altenahr. on the Abr river.
Several Topckans> in 1t.
| Several Topekans are in the train,
Just before it left Topeka about
; twenty-five men, including Capt Hugh
MacLean and First Lieut.. Donald Nc
ferred from Battery A. Until Novem-
Der "a, 1918, the train was in com.
mand of Lieut.. Col. Frank Travis OF
lola, now insurance commissioner. II
is now in command of Col. George ]
Frank, who was then major. When
the train left Topeka it was comprised
of S6S men. Its personnel now in
, cludes about 1850 men. In action
eight men were killed and about
thirty wounded or gassed.
The 117th train, along with the en-
tire Rainbow division. was decorated
by the French government. The Kan
visional and brigade orders.
The train probably will be mustered
out of service at Camp Funston, Kan