Evening star., 1919-09-17

QecOTdteQ IOr bravery UnQeE uTe.
The sanitary train had frequent
casualties. and practically all of its
personnel were gassed at one time or
another. One Of its most cherished
possessions is a battle-torn banner,
and all the ambulances in use Novem-
to wound stripes, and several others
had previously been blown to pieces
by shells.
The supply trains had experiences
and even the men Of the service park
(repair) units were gassed and fire.
quently under fire from boche planes
and artillery.
The complete motor and bicycle equip
ment of an overseas division, consisting
but these are not the machines that
saw actual service. and the personnel
of the various organizations has seen
many changes since the signing of the
armistice.
What Records Show.
The records of the division show
that it had little motor transportation
until January, 1918, when the full COM
were all heavy English A. L. c. trucks,
conforming to the tables of organiza
tions in number but not in type. the ag-
gregate tonnage being considerably
ever received, until the division had
reached Verdun. after the armistice,
were those that came with the trucks.
When parts were needed they were
obtained by tearing down a truck or
two. This was rather an expensive
method. of course. but none other was
possible under the circumstances and
the result desired was achieved-a suf-
ficient number of trucks were kept NOV
ing to supply the needs of the division.
After the Soissons drive in July, 1918.
fully one-third of the A. f. c. trucks
were taken from the First for distribu-
ton to other divisions not so well sup
piled. Later a number of Nash quads
were received. but never again did the
1st Division have a full complement of
trucks. When the fighting ceased the
division possessed about 80 per cent of
it's quota of trucks, 60 per cent of
motorcycles, 25 per cent of bicycles and
| two service park repair units instead of
| three. Following the armistice all the
| vehicles lacking were received and the
division moved into Germany complete
ly equipped.
Notable Truck Movement.
One of the most notable truck
movements was that of the entire
5th Field Artillery, caissons, 155mm.
guns and men, a distance of forty
kilometers in the scissors section. be-
tween pm. and am. of a certain
night in order that the regiment
might be placed in line to open the
attack in the morning. Both supply
and ammunition trains were used in
this successful maneuver, which would
have been impossible Of accomplish
ment with horses.
In addition to moving men and sup
plies up into the lines. the motor
trucks were often pressed into serv-
the front. In the scissors sector.
particularly. in July 1918, trucks were
used effectively for this purpose. In
two and one-half days $500 French
treated at the 1st Division field hos
| pitfalls and then sent back to French
hospitals in the rear. This rapid work
was aided by the employment of
sity Of the occasion leading to the
| discovery of a method Of loading
| eleven to sixteen stretcher cases in
a truck instead Of four or five, as had
been the former custom.
Deeds Of Heroism.
| The deeds of heroism credited to
motor transport men form a glorious
| sion.
Sergt. Dorsey was awarded the
| medaille militaffe and the croix de
guerre with two palms by the French
his commanding general and recon-
mended for the D. 8. M. Dorsey was
| in charge of a convoy of wounded
which was exposed to heavy bonn
| en- wood near Soissons. He gathered
all the wounded together in the shell
| ter of an overhanging bank. which
protected them somewhat until some
other side. All Of Sergt Dorsey's hos
pital men were killed, but he stuck
| to his wounded in spite Of orders to
leave them and brought them all
| through safely.
sergt. Eckland's Bravery.
sergt. Eckland. at villers Tour
aiy an' a1ss ss.ia 81
trucks loaded with ammunition into
the town of Villers Tournelle to ad-
vanced position of the 7th Field Artil-
lery in direct observation of the enemy
during a violent bombardment Of the
enemy with large calfber shells, fear
lessly exposing himself to incessant
enemy shell fire without regard to his
own personal safety and by his cour-
age and coolness inspired the men un-
der him and made the delivery pos
sible."
Lieut.. Starr's Act.
First Lieut.. Starr "at Charpentry on
the night Of October 6, 1918, showed
the highest type Of courage and utter
disregard Of personal safety while re-
moving ammunition from a burning
dump under heavy shell fire and bonn
bardment from enemy aircraft Lieut.
Starr had been on duty continuously
for seventy-two hours, going back
and forth from the dump to battery
positions and advanced dumps, sub
jected at all times to a heavy BON
bardment from enemy artillery, and
/ by his personal example of courage
inspired the men Of his command and
fulfilled every mission assigned"
Unidentified Hero.
| An unidentified ambulance driver
with q load Of wounded. was passing
| the place of bitter memory, northeast
of Toul, called Hell's Half Acre. A
| radius rod broke and the boche began
to shell the Half Acre. An officer
ordered the driver to go to cover
Hell, no!' he said. and there he
stayed with his wounded. comforting
and caring for them until another
ambulance could be found to take ofI
the precious load.
Even less spectacular than the work
of the men who brought UP the ammu.
milton or carried back the wounded
twas that Of the unsung heroes who
worked day and night in all sorts OF
weather and under the bursting shrap-
mel tn kean the motor euuipment In