Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-09-29
p. & R. HAD BIG
FORCE IN FIELD
Went as Unit and Were in the
414th Telegraph; Many
Others Too


Hundred and Fourteenth Telegraph
Battalion. There were two compa-
nies and from the time this unit
landed in France until the return
home 1t was a case of hustle.
At the head of this unit was Ma
jor M. A. Laucks, of Harrisburg,
trainmaster for the Reading. HIS
staff included: Adjutant, Lieutenant
Roy r. Webber: Captain w. j. Nc
Connel. surgeon; Lieutenant Ralph
l.. Redline, supply officer.
Company D. Captain Harry Evans,
First Lieutenant Isaac l.. Davis, Sec
ond Lieutenant A. n. Peters.
Company L, Captain William
Knight, First Lieutenant Richards
w. Hall. Second Lieutenant Joseph
A. Wallace.
This unit had an interesting his
tory Very little has been published
to date, but through Major Laucks,
who kept complete history, as
sisted by Joseph Winters, of the
Reading forces, the following rec
ords are given to the Harrisburg
Telegraph:
During the months of November
and Devember, 1917, and January,
1918, the Four Hundred and Four
teenth Telegraph Battalion (Rail-
road) was organized in the Sixty
ninth Regiment Armory, New York
City.
The instructions issued by the
chief signal officer Colonel Reber, at
New York City. were to the effect
tS hot t,lt ,,,AA
.construct and maintain telegraph
and telephone lines upon approxi-
mately 100 miles of railway in
F'rance; also to install and maintain
telephone and telegraph instru-
ments, switchboards and also neces-
sary electrical apparatus in train
dispatchers' offices located at rail-
way division headquarters and in
ofhces at stations along the above
mentioned. 100 miles of railway; ap-
proximately twenty offices, and fur
ther to construct and maintain visual
manual block signals for governing
and protecting train movements.
After the installations as outlined
above were made, the battalion was
to dispatch and regulate the move
ment of trains on this 100 miles sec
ton of railway, in accordance with
patching, based on the operating
rules of the American Railway As
sociation.
For the personnel of this bat
talon the chief signal officer at New
York City called upon the Philadel-
phia and Reading Railway and the
Erie Railway to furnish the re-
quired number of men to form one
company each; the men of these
com panies to be men of the neces-
sary qualifications. In addition the
chief signal officer directed that the
major of the battalion and the cap
tains and lieutenants of each COM
pany must be men of extended rail-
road experience in the actual oper-
alton of trains on American Rail-
ways by the train dispatching sys-
tenn.
Tile, writer of this narrative was
selected by the operating officials
of the Philadelphia and Reading
Railway for the post of major; was
commissioned December Is, 1917,
and reported for duty at New York
City December 26, 1917.
BY January 10, the necessary
number of men having been recruit
ed, the battalion was organized into
Company ID, composed practically of
all Philadelphia and Reading Rail-
way men, and Company E. made up
practically all Erie Railway men.
The organization of each company
was on the following lines: The cap
tain of each company was assigned
to duties that were practically
equivalent to local superintendent
of telegraph lines on an American
railway. viz. to construct and main
IN ~ AnI H.
lines and instruments as well as the
manual block signals on that section
of the railway to which his com
pany was assigned. The duties of
one lieutenant were equivalent to
those of chief train dispatcher,
while the duties OF the other lieu
tenant were to maintain in work.
ing order all line and electrical ap-
paratus.
Below the lieutenants in each
company there were three distinct
lines of organization, viz: The train
dispatchers' section, composed of
first class sergeants to be train
| dispatchers; sergeants as signalmen
In most important signal towers,
and corporals and privates as oper-
| ators in the remaining STATIONS. Next
the linemen's section with one mas
ter signal electrician and necessary
sergeants. corporals and privates:
! then the manual block signal sec
| ton TO be composed of one NJ. s. r.
and necessary number of sergeants.
| corDorals and privates.
The duties of the major of the
battalion were to be similar to the
duties of a general superintendent OF
telegraph on railway in the Unit
ed States.
The organization completed. the
chief signal officer at New York in
spected and passed the battalion and
ordered II to duty in France, where
| 1t was understood the need for such
: an organization was most urgent
/ In accordance with Instructions
received, the battalion sailed from
New York Harbor on the White Star
Line s. {. Adriatic, arriving in Liver
nool. England. on February 16
! 1918: moved from there n, W:nnaIl
| Down Pest Camp near Winchester.
England
Departed from Winchester on Feb
ruarv 81. arriving, at Sonthan
| England. same day and sailing from
! that Dort the same evening on the
| etearner Monn's Queen. arriving ut
lie Havre. France oarlv on the
morning of February %. 1918. The
command moved to Rest Camp No.
.. near Tie Hacre. the sarae morn
ing. Denarted from Tie Havre ON
the evening of February 2s. enroute
to Chinnn Undre ct Loire) France.
arriving at ih9t town at 8 o'clock on
| the mornine OF February 25.
TTpon arrival at Chinon. written
Instructions from the chef signal Of
| aaar at rNa,. ne aGofry, ~ W.