The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-24

and the camp afterwards was con-
demned. He landed in lie Havre, |
France, in November and proceeded to
Neuf Chateau, where training with the
French was begun. 1t was here that
Sergt. Clarity was transferred to Com
pany D, l02d machine gun battalion.
Training was continued with the
French until February, 1918, and on
Feb. 6 the battalion had its first ex-
perience IN the trenches, at Chemin des
DANES. There were 48 machine guns
IN the battalion, four companies of ~
guns each. These guns do accurate work
at 400 lilometers, shooting at the rate
of 400 bullets minute.
At Chemin des Danes there was an
immense dugout 100 feet under ground,
constructed by the Germans and big
enough to accommodate a division, with
horses, ammunition trains and all, and
the Goth made use of it.
From Chemin DIES Danes the Goth
reached the Toul sector April l and re-
lieved the Cd division. A machine gun
barrage was put over for the 104th
infantry at Apremont, the first listed
battle of the American forces. At Seich-
eprey Company B of the 102d machine
gun battalion, consisting largely of
Vermont men, was nearly wiped out,
but the men stuck to the last and some
Of them were found dead in the atti-
tude as if ready to shoot The regiment
sustained big losses there.
On this sector were many German
spies, who would give false cries of
| gas in order to have the men put
on their masks so that the enemy might
| take advantage of the brief interval to
shoot them in the act. This trouble was
| overcome by the use of claxon to give
gas warning and then orders were
given to shoot on sight any man who
yelled gas.
| From the Toul front on June 81 the
division left for Belleau Wood on the
| Chateau Thierrv sector Here they re-
| leved the marines and the 9th and 23d
regiments of infantry, whose dead they
buried. On going over the top here on
the morning of July IS, in the first
wave, Sergt. Clarity platoon lost a
machine gun and men. After severe
| fighting they reached hill 1870, and next
morning went over the top again, meet
| ting little resistance this time. They ad-
vanced - kilometers without meeting
/
/ wished to give up.
| At Epieds the Prussian Guards, Ger
many best troops, were met, which
was the first resistance after leaving
! hill l90 The fighting here was in
tense, and after taking up positions in
the woods and digging in it was found
that the 102d had lost so heavily that
it could not attack again. The 103d
made second attack and lost heavily
| \ German counter attack was met with
rifle, machine gun and artillery fire
which enabled the Americans to hold
| their positions, and the next morning
! the artillery which had been left
/ behind having come up, there was
no trouble in capturing the town
| through the concentrated fire of the
| l01st, 102d, 103d and 104 regiments
Among the enemy machine gunners
killed or captured in this engagement
were two squads of German women
chained to their guns. Two of the
women said they were forced to fight
because Of propaganda work they had
done.
The Goth advanced to Fere- en- Tarde
nois in the face of Prussan Guard op
position and dug in until relieved, July
81 by the 29th and 42d divisions. The
ranks We're filed with replacement
troops at a rest sector, where they re
, maind 10 DAYS. during which time many
were given 4S-hour Burroughs to Paris.
On Sept. the division reached ST
: AIihiel, where there was great concen
tration of artillery for the first wholly
| American army drive. The 102d wen
over the top the morning of Sept IA
following an artillery tarrage of fv
: hours. The resistance was weak an,
an advance was made through 10 kilo
! meters of woods The regimen
. marched through the woods in tn
night in company formation and wa
cited for bravery and for reaching it
!, objective IS hours ahead of time. TIL
/ objective was Vigneulles, which the
reached at 800 a. m, and as far a
/, the eve could see there were burnin
towns in the wake of the fleeing Gen
! mans. The division captured 5000 o
s the enemy in this drive, and its sue
L cess was due in no small measure to
! fake drive started on the right win
of the Argonne sector to prevent tn
Germans from moving the troops Their
up into Eerdun
L Beng renewed on Oct. by the at
}, division, the Yankee division reache
q Verdun Oct. ID and orders were give
d to go over the top the next morning o
II a drive ON the Argonne forest. The
h came Sergt. Clarity S orders to leav
f for the school at Camp de la Valboon
It After the armistice was signed Serg
Clarity went to lie Mans, where he me
u his cid company commander, Capt ]
Is w. Gibson, formerly of Company {
I Brattleboro. Thence he went TO Bres
:. from which port he sailed for Ne
L York. where he arrived March 3 G
j. the L, S. s. Frederick, a cruiser, an
Il his heart gave a thump as he caugl
lie sight of the statue of Liberty in Ne
n. York harbor. He went to Camp Me
Is rift, thence to Camp Devens, where
n was discharged, reaching home Wedne
4, day night, March 10. He is might
al glad to get hack
!. PAPER STOCKS INCREASE.